Internationale Studierende in Deutschland

International students are seen as the ideal immigrants for the German labour market, and are becoming increasingly important as a potential source of highly qualified labour due to the shortage of skilled workers (Geis-Thöne 2022, 68). They make a significant contribution to academic diversity, innovation and the global networking of German universities and the labour market (ibid.). However, it should be noted that international students drop out of their studies and return to their home countries at an above-average rate (Heublein, Richter and Schmelzer 2020, 11). For this reason, this master's thesis examines how international students experience the entire process (their motivation to study, the study programme itself and the following career entry in Germany). The challenges and supporting factors will be identified in order to derive recommendations for action for employers, universities, political insitutions and the interna-tional students themselves. The following research question will be answered: “How do in-ternational students experience the process from motivation to study to career entry in terms of support factors and challenges in Germany?” The empirical study is based on a qualitative research approach using problem-centred interviews according to Witzel and Reiter (2012). A total of seven international students at different stages of their studies were interviewed using guided interviews. Two of the inter-viewees are currently completing the last two semesters of their studies, two are actively seeking employment and three are employed. The interviews were transcribed and ana-lysed using Mayring's qualitative content analysis (2022). MAXQDA was used to analyse the data. The results show that the participants decide to study in Germany for similar motivational reasons and face similar challenges. These include language barriers, the new learning culture, finding accommodation, financial uncertainties, lack of support needs and difficul-ties in building a professional and social network. Success in the transition to work depends largely on support factors such as financial resources, practical experience, existing lan-guage skills and the quality of social and professional networks. This reveals the paradox that despite the shortage of skilled labour in Germany and the fact that international stu-dents are seen as an ideal workforce, companies have so far shown little willingness to adapt to the specific needs of international students. The analysis of the whole process has also led to the realisation that international students with a good economic background have an easier entry into working life. It is concluded that the key to success for international students aiming for a professional future in Germany is targeted preparation during their studies: practical experience, im-provement of German language skills and the development of social and professional net-works. These support factors play a key role in determining how successful the transition to the German labour market will be and make a decisive contribution to long-term inclusion in Germany.