Results: After Graduation

It is exciting to see what paths the (former) scholarship holders took after they finished their studies. Did they return to their country of origin after completing their studies in Germany or did they stay in Germany or migrate to another country? The field research in the five countries under investigation revealed a variety of answers to this question. Yet, it has become clear that (former) international students contribute to development in their countries of origin in many different ways and in various (migration) forms. In accordance with the design of our study, in Palestine this can be seen in particular in the health system, in Indonesia in the technology and economic system, in Ghana in the environmental and agricultural sector, in Georgia in the legal system, and in Colombia in the political system, especially with regards to the ongoing peace and democracy process. It also became clear that this was not a one-sided transfer from North to South, but rather a circular exchange of ideas, know-how and goods, initiated and implemented by the commitment of the alumni, who, this should be noted in advance, both returned to their country of origin and remained in Germany. In the first parts of this section, we want to draw a more detailed picture of the different forms of engagement in the five case study countries and show what impact the migration of international students had on the different sectors of society in their countries of origin. The final section will then deal with overarching findings that apply to all case study countries. Here, the focus will be on contributions to the academic system, but also on problems of reintegration and, finally, on students’ and alumni’s views on the topic of ‘development‘itself.