Research Project "International Students and Career"
At the centre of our work are international students and their transition into the German labour market. To support this mission at a high standard, we have embedded it within a scientific research project titled "International Students and Career".
The project examines the transitions of international students into the German labour market from the perspectives of two groups: (1) international students and (2) Career Services.
(1) International Students
This part of the project focuses on the transitions of international students within, into, and out of the German higher education system, using the University of Cologne as a case study. The following questions are addressed:
- What orientations underlie international students' transitions?
- What visions do they hold at the beginning, during, and after their studies?
- What factors shape these visions?
- Which dimensions (e.g., financial situation, peers, family, employment, housing) are decisive for choosing to remain in Germany? How do these dimensions interact, and in which of them do status inconsistencies create friction?
- In which dimensions are international students granted inclusion, and in which are they excluded?
- How do structure, historicity, place-specificity, agency, and timing interrelate in these transitions?
(2) Career Services
This part of the project focuses on Career Services at German Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their role in supporting international students' transitions into the German labour market. It examines the development of Career Services for international students from a professionalisation perspective.
The following questions are addressed:
- What additional qualifications are required or expected for effectively working with international students? What institutional rationalities underlie these requirements?
- By which criteria are international and non-international students defined, and to what extent does this definition determine access to services?
- How is inclusion for all students ensured?
- Do international students place different demands on, or express different expectations of, Career Services compared to non-international students?
- Is relationship-building with international students different from that with non-international students?
II. Research Design
(1) Internationale Students
Three cross-sectional surveys with varying modules are planned:
Online questionnaires & Interviews
3 waves: Winter 2025/26, Winter 2026/27, Winter 2027/28
(2) Career Services
Interviews: starting Summer 2026
The project is funded through the FIT funding programme (DAAD).