With more than 5,000 applications from overseas and majorly from Azerbaijan, US and Russia, the number of international students applying for Germanys masters programme scholarships has increased by about 20% this year, said the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
DAAD has also seen an above 70% rise in the number of German students applying for scholarships for studies abroad.
There has also been a 30% increase this year in demand for doctoral scholarships from researchers from the subcontinent, as compared to 2019. Similarly, students from countries including Indonesia, South Korea and Australia also demonstrated more interest in DAAD scholarships in 2020.
DAAD president Joybrato Mukherjee put out a statement saying that while the Covid-19 pandemic restricts international academic exchange to a great extent, there has still been a massive increase in the number of students showing interest in studying in Germany or abroad.
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He continued to say that domestic students in Germany do not let the current situation caused by global pandemic discourage them from gaining cultural experience and engaging in student exchange.
It also shows that there has been an improvement in Germanys reputation as a study abroad destination, he added.
Western Europe and North America have turned out to be the most popular among German students, with an increase of around 60% from the previous year.
Scholarship applicants for Masters programmes have grown by above 70%, accounting for 1,400 applications, of which 432 were for scholarships in the UK (+38%), 193 for the US (+116%) and 135 for Sweden (+59%).
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Among German doctoral applicants, the UK, US and France were the top three countries and DAAD received 190 applications by October, marking a 30% increase.
India, with 207 applications for doctoral scholarships, is the most represented country, DAAD added.
It also noted that it had to suspend some of the popular programmes such as scholarships for summer and winter courses at German universities, scholarships for foreign trips for lectures and conferences, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The same are expected to resume next year.
DAAD scholarships for education in Germany continue to remain open for applications.
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