Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

People on the Move

N° 101, August 2006

The Catholic Church

 in the Process of  Internationalisation

 of the German Universities: 

Results of a Survey among Dioceses, 2005 

As clearing agency of the German Bishops’ Conference for the promotion of foreign students and scientists in Germany, KAAD presented a study based on 64 questionnaires from all German dioceses for the seventh time (last survey for 2002). An increase in the internationalisation of the universities is a most desirable process also for the Catholic Church, as long as it includes better access to education and research for poorer countries of the world and the creation of platforms for continent spanning, interdisciplinary and inter-religious dialogues.

This process, pushed ahead in Germany since the middle of the 1990s, faces the pressure of globalisation and europeanisation in view of the fact that an international educational market and a common European area of higher education are emerging. According to the latest data (winter semester 2004/2005) Germany ranks already third among the host countries world-wide (behind the USA and Great Britain) with approx. 246,000 foreign students (12.5 % share of the total number of students).

The study also considers social aspects of internationalisation, especially since around 80% of all foreign students come from developing or Eastern European countries. Their economic starting point is clearly less favorable as compared to German students and it becomes even more difficult due to a tight labor market and the introduction of study fees.

In view of the global migration of the highly qualified, it must also be considered that an increased recruitment of foreign specialists resulting from this internationalisation should only be done in a fair balance of interests with the developing countries and the transforming countries of Eastern Europe, and that the re-integration of the highly qualified into these countries must be actively promoted.

The Catholic Church responds to this situation with an extensive offer of counselling (including the procurement of more than 100 Catholic hostels), dialogue and pastoral care which until now is not sufficiently taken note of by the public. The Catholic university and student chaplaincies play a decisive role in this field. In 2005 the German dioceses were again able to grant financial aid of approx. 1.2 million Euros to foreign students. Because in the present survey funds of the dioceses for theologians (priests and members of religious orders) were included on a broader scale, this means an increase (9%) as compared to 2002. However, funds of university chaplaincies for lay people were considerably reduced in some dioceses over the last couple of years. Additionally around 210,000 Euros were available from public and third party funds.

Moreover, this report shows the use of scholarship funds by foundations with a universal ecclesial orientation, in the first place by KAAD itself as a central scholarship organisation (about 3.8 million Euros in 2005), as well as by the other organisations which grant scholarships usually outside Germany (Adveniat, Misereor, Missio, Renovabis, “Stipendienwerk Lateinamerika-Deutschland”) and some orders. In 2005 the Catholic Church spent a total amount of about 6 million Euros for the support of foreign students and scientists in Germany (payment in kind; in addition, for the university chaplaincies, the number of personnel employed was determined for the first time).

Sponsorship of and dialogue with foreign students and scientists are focal points of the universal ecclesial and pastoral efforts of the German Catholic Church. They should maintain this position - despite decreasing revenues from Church taxes. The presence of these multipliers in Germany and the resulting opportunities for inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogues - the bridging to (local) partner churches - can form a substantial part of parish activities and the life of the Catholic Church in Germany in general. 

KAAD