Joybrato Mukherjee, President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), has called for significantly better oversight of certain private universities operating in Germany. Speaking to the news magazine “Die Zeit”, he warned of what he described as “very questionable offers” in various parts of Berlin that attract foreign students. Mukherjee noted that these students often find their expectations “shattered on site”. This prompted him to question the legitimacy of these academic institutions: “Why are these state-recognized, and why were certain courses accredited in the first place?”
He highlighted that the problem particularly affects students from India, who are increasingly falling victim to unreliable providers back home. Mukherjee stated that these counseling agencies in India constitute a “gray market-and the core of the problem”. He explained that these entities profit by guiding prospective students toward Germany or other countries. Because of these issues, Mukherjee strongly advised German universities to cease cooperating with these preparatory agencies.
This push for regulation comes as the student population continues to grow immensely. For the Winter Semester 2024/25, the total number of international students coming to Germany for studies reached a record high of approximately 402,000. Notably, students from India accounted for nearly 60,000 of these arrivals, making them the largest represented group.