A recent study by the German Economic Institute (IW) shows the positive effect foreign skilled workers have on the German economy. Each year’s university graduates, 45 percent of whom remain in Germany, generate around 15.5 billion euros during their career span that benefit the German economy. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) seeks to increase the retention rate of international graduates even further and is providing German higher education institutions with support through the FIT program – “Promotion of international talents for integration into studies and the labour market.” A team at the University of Bremen was awarded FIT funding.

Connecting Existing Services

The funding led to the establishment of the ConnectIn project, which has been supporting international students since 2024. Members include Dr. Christina von Behr, director of the Academy for Higher Education Access Development – HERE AHEAD; Stephan Determann, Career Center; Alena Cicholewski, Studierwerkstatt; Christine Rodewald, Language Centre of the Universities in the Land of Bremen (SZHB); and Maife Wandemberg, International Office. Their work has always involved supporting students and with this project, their strengths are now combined to better address and provide support for international students that is catered to every stage of their time at university, including preparation to become a student and to pursue a career.

Preparation Begins Before Becoming a Student

The HERE AHEAD Academy was originally founded to prepare refugees for beginning a degree in Bremen. The academy has since expanded their support to include a preparatory college for prospective students from abroad, where they can obtain a higher education entrance qualification. “Most students who are not from the European Union participate in this,” explains Christina von Behr. “Language skills are often insufficient and their previous schooling is usually not recognized as equivalent. Our one-year program prepares them to begin a degree at a higher education institution in Bremen.”

During this time, the students also receive guidance regarding their career prospects and the market demand in Germany for their desired degree. The ConnectIn team then welcomes participants of the program, which also includes those who are beginning a degree without a preparation year.

Promoting Cohesion from the Outset

At the beginning of each academic year, all incoming international students are added to a group on the online learning platform Stud.IP. This allows the team to send them relevant information for a successful degree start at the university in Bremen. Topics include organizing their courses, finding a doctor, handling homesickness, and looking for part-time work. Throughout the semester, the topics are adjusted to fit the current needs of students, focusing on topics such as preparing for and applying for an internship. “It is also very important to us that international students connect with each other but also get to know German students,” Stephan Determan adds. “This is especially important for learning the language and becoming accustomed to a foreign culture.”

More Than Professional Expertise

The team offers various classes and lectures during the course of a degree. These include language coaching and study buddy programs, but also workshops on learning techniques and time management. “We offer a great deal of courses which help students gain important skills while connecting with each other,” Alena Cicholewski explains.

“There are so many things that are new for our students – things that are not apparent to us.” For example, riding a bike: “In many countries, biking is a sport and not part of daily life,” says Maife Wandeberg. “This is hard to imagine in Bremen, given the prevalence of bike riding here. That’s why our Kompass team offers a bike tour.”

They also offer individual student advisory services. Morouj Maysara is a bachelor’s student and took advantage of the International Office’s guidance to talk about her career prospects in Germany: “I felt immediately welcomed as a student. I was provided with several resources, not only related to my questions but also for my prospective degree. The counseling even included a short talk about what a worst-case scenario could look like and how to tackle it, as well as multiple follow-ups. This made me feel heard as a student and I felt a burden lifted by seeking guidance at the international students’ office.”

The funding provided by the DAAD allows the team to better tailor existing courses and workshops to their target audience and expand their range of services. “One new course is our language coaching, which we have been offering since 2024 as part of the project,” says Christine Rodewald. “This complements the regular language courses that higher education institutions in Bremen are able to offer international students at a significantly reduced rate as of this semester. This makes it easier for students to continually improve their German skills during their degree.”

Vocational Guidance from Day One

The completion of a degree program means that the time to start a career has arrived. “However, our goal is to begin preparing students from the very first semester for this,” says Stephan Determann. It is important that they gain qualifications for the German labor market from the very beginning with part-time work and internships. The Career Center assists with this by offering job application training, advisory services, and excursions to regional employers.

Mohammad Yusuf Moinuddin is 27 years old and a master’s student in the Control, Microsystems and Microelectronics program. He has already made use of the career guidance services. “Consulting with Dr. Determann was one of the best initiatives I took for my career. Through his guidance, I was able to significantly improve my CV and gain valuable professional insights. After implementing the suggestions, I started receiving interview calls from recruiters, and when I compared my earlier CV with the improved version, there was a stark contrast,” he reports. “My meeting with Dr. Determann felt more like a personal connection rather than just a professional consultation. He generously shared hundreds of useful links that helped me in job searching and better understanding life in Germany. Without this service, I would probably have had to rely on external professional agencies, which often charge high fees and may not take personal circumstances into account. Thanks to the Career Center and the FIT project, I was able to take confident steps into the German ecosystem.”

Further Information

HERE AHEAD
International Office
Studierwerkstatt
Language Centre of the Universities in the Land of Bremen
Career Center
Kompass Team