Dr. Irena V.Lebedeva, Prof. Dr.
Thomas Macho, Olga V. Mantserova
Astrakhan State University, Russia
Humboldt University, Germany
Academic Mobility and Tolerance
to a „Stranger“ in Germany[1]
Summary: Nowadays Europe faces a number of problems involving
the integration of migrants that causes the negative attitude towards them. A
migrant is taken as a “stranger”, an “alien” or an “unacceptable” one. The
chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Mrs. Angela Merkel stated the
failure of the multiculturalism policy; Mr. Thilo Sarrazin blames international
migrants for the problems of the country. However, according to the new
statements of the German government highly qualified migrants can play a key
role in the solving of German economy problems. The representatives of the
Russian academic elite – young researchers and students- will not represent
“strangers” for the host country as this country needs them if they have the
opportunity to finish their study in Germany and find a job in this country.
Key words: academic mobility, tolerance, stranger,
another, multiculturalism, international migrants in Germany, migrant
background, skilled migrants.
Germany Is Abolishing Itself”
(Deutschland schafft sich ab), “The Asian Hour” (Die Stunde der
Asiaten Wie Europa verdrängt wird), “What
Remains After Us? The End Of Western Dominance” (Was bleibt von uns? Das Ende der westlichen Weltherrschaft), „Alone Among The Turks“ (Allein unter Türken) are the titles of the books
that were the most popular in Germany in 2010 and reflect the fears of native
population in Germany. It is also proved with the statement of the chancellor
of the Federal Republic of Germany Mrs. Angela Merkel on the failure of the
multiculturalism ideas made in autumn 2010. [6]
The citizens of Germany have not already veiled their aggression towards the
migrants living in their country. Mr. Thilo Sarrazin – the former member of the board of the directors of
German Federal Bank and the former Minister of Finance of Berlin - expressed this
atmosphere and became famous at once for his book “Germany Is Abolishing Itself” (Deutschland
schafft sich ab)”. That fact that
in the period from August 2010 to November 2010 the 15th edition of
his bestseller was already published and the sale rate was about 10 000 books
a day; by December 2010 more 1.5 million copies had already been sold proves
the popularity of Mr. Sarrazin and his book. [15] The quintessence of the book
is the proved sad prediction of the development of the social sphere in Germany
by reason of birth-rate decline and a high entry flow of Muslim migrants who are almost not able to
integrate. Mr. Sarrazin writes: “I do not
want my country where my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live to
become mostly Muslim, Turkish and Arabic to be spoken everywhere,
women to wear headscarves
and the life tempo to be controlled by muezzin’s call to pray. If I want to see
that I will go to the Middle East”. [7]
T. Sarrazin believes that the main cause of economic
and cultural problems of the country is Muslim migrants (the Turks, the Arabs
and the migrants from African countries). The representatives of their 2nd
and 3rd generations mostly cannot and do not even want to integrate
into the German society. Referring to the statistics of unemployment and
criminality involving a lot of data on Muslim migrants T.Sarrazin comes to the
conclusion that the population of Germany loses its social and intellectual
levels because of the progressive changing of the ethnic composition. According
to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany over 15 million people or every
fifth citizen living in Germany now have migrant background that makes 18.4% of
the total number of population. [14, c. 261] The author states that the
population of Germany not only will decrease to minimum but become
qualitatively worse if the dynamics of the current processes remains unchanged,
referring to the following facts: The net birth rate (the number of daughters
accounted for every woman) in Germany is 0.7 now. It means the number of
generation of grandchildren will be more by half than the generation of
grandfathers. The annual birth rate of Germany decreased from 1.3 million of
the 1960s to 650 000 of 2009. If the situation does not change the birth
rate will decline to 200 000-250 000 a year in 50 years. In this case
only a half of these newborns will be descendants of the Germans, lived in the
period of the 1960s. T.Sarrazin notes that it was considered shamelessly to
discuss the demographic crisis within the last 45 years, and only when the generation
of the 1960s grew old and worried about their retirement benefits, the
situation changed and one could spoke about it. [14, 117] In German teachers’
opinion this fact explains the low progress rate of schoolchildren now as their
parents (migrants) know themselves the language badly and do not want or cannot
encourage their children to learn better. It results in such a sad situation
first of all due to the fact that the migrants in Germany who obtained the
citizenship are officially considered to be Germans or citizens of Germany with
migrant background according to the statistics, although it would be more
correct to create another term for such citizens reflecting the essence of the
current situation.
Thus, the Europeans consider migrants to be something
“alien”, “strange” or another phenomenon in their sphere as there is a
considerable number of migrants in their countries. According to the results of
the polling carried out by the authors in Germany “strange” means for the
Germans “incomprehensible”, “unacceptable”, something uncomfortable. It can be
not only a phenomenon or a subject of the environment but also a feeling. However,
“strange” finitely changes; it also remains “incomprehensible” but already
becomes more familiar and is taken as a standard phenomenon of the reality, not
causing negative feelings. [3, p.300]
From our point of view there is a necessity to
distinguish the terms “another” and “strange” within the issue under study. The
term “another” characterizes almost everything that is not “I”, i.e. a
wide-range of “not I”. It is an absolutely neutral phenomenon and has not got
ethic characteristics. The term “strange” is negative in the Russian language
and in English “stranger” is a denominative of “strange” that means “unfamiliar”, “unusual” and “differing from the normal”. This term
also has the other meanings: “Strange” as “foreign”, not belonging to native
culture; “strange” as “unusual”, presenting a contrast to common and familiar environment; “strange” as
“unfamiliar” and “unknown”, that is beyond the reach of cognition; “strange” as
“supernatural” and “all-powerful” in comparison to which a person is weak;
“strange” as “ominous”, being dangerous to life.” [1] “Strange’ is mostly
considered as a stranger and a migrant. Just this approach became a classic one
in sociology, for example, for G.Simmel and A.Schütz. [5, p.50]
Such a group of migrants as Russian Germans has not
long been “strange” and shifted to the category of “another” or even “friendly”
depending on the integration level of this population group.
T.Sarrazin considers the criterion of integration
willingness is a marriage. Marriage controls the liquidation of parallel
communities but more precisely it prevents the appearance of a great number of
them. As for the Turks the case is extremely complicated as “only 3% of young
Turkish men and 8% of young Turkish women marry a German partner to comparison
with 67% of the Russian-Germans”. [14, p.186] The Muslim migrants there are the
Turks among them integrate much slower than the migrants of other confessions
but they also change. This is not assimilation as it is but it is similar to
the breaking of traditional identity. The Turks in Turkey note that the Turk
who grew up in Germany is not a true Turk. He is a German-Turk for them. This
is a problem for those who are at the intermediate stage as they are already
not true Turks but they also do not become true Germans. Just such
representatives of any foreign culture are taken by the present-day European
community as “another/others” but not as “strange”. Many migrants who were
“strange” and felt that in the new and unknown environment for them accustomed,
integrated, learnt the language and adopted a part of traditions, e.g., the
Turkish families living in Europe decorate a Christmas tree as their children
also want to celebrate the holiday as their classmates; Before the Muslim
holiday Ramadan the Turkish children living in Germany are presented
Ramadankalenders a kind of Adventskalender with sweets which is similar to a German one.
The Turks have not become
“friendly” yet but they already are not “strange”. The acceptance of them as a
part of their history and every-day life; an integral image of “another” always
appearing in the perception of the contemporaries make the German society take
this group of population not only taking into consideration their own feelings
but also understand “another”. This approach is proved with the production of
the movie “Almaniya. Welcome to Germany (Almanya.
Willkommen in Deutschland)” presented
in February 2011 in Germany and became popular at once. This movie is telling
about the problems of a Turkish family in the integration in Germany, their
fears and wish to become “friendly” for this country. The story is told by a
Turkish boy, an immigrant of the third generation, feeling the crisis of
self-identification.
The citizens of Germany with
migrant background being “others” understand that they will never become
“friendly” that is very uncomfortable both for local resident and migrants.
Thus it is very important to introduce and develop the principles of tolerance
in Germany as a present-day civil society and its full functioning with the
observance of all citizens’ rights and freedoms cannot be imagined without the
tolerant attitude towards migrants and all the representatives of “another” and
“strange” - foreign culture, foreign traditions, foreign language and the
self-identification of foreigners. [3, p.300]
However the declared in
Europe principles of tolerance do not allow the politicians and public figures
to be intolerant towards such phenomena
as “strange”, “another” and “other” the personification of which the migrants
and the German citizens with migrant background are.
Just after the debates on T.
Sarrazin’s ideas the statements on the demand of Germany for highly skilled
migrants have appeared in German mass media since 2010. According to the
specialists’ estimation the German economy already lose about 10 billion euro
because of the shortage of qualified specialists in the field of computer
science, mathematics, engineering and natural science in 2010. [10] In this respect the necessity
to develop a new conception of the receiving of migrants and adoption of their
potential appeared. The new laws are discussed now that will allow foreign
highly skilled specialists to work free (unhindered) in Germany. While the draft
laws are being discussed the economy of Germany meets still a loss as the
foreign graduates of German institutions of higher education have not almost
got the possibility to find a job in Germany, and the citizens with migrant
background who ot diplomas in their homeland cannot get a job according to
their qualification as their diplomas are not acknowledged in Germany. By
estimate of the specialists there are 2.9 million migrants in Germany with the
diplomas got abroad. [11]
Studying the above mentioned
phenomenon of Germany present days Professor Hartmut Griese (Hannover
University) carried out social studies that showed many migrants go to home
country after finishing an university where they have very good perspectives of
employment. Thus, Germany loses human resources not wishing to employ
specialists with migrant background. According to the research findings the
children of the migrants from Vietnam and Iran appeared to be the most capable
to study in comparison with the children of migrants from Turkey, Italy and
Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, Prof. Griese notes it is important to take into
consideration the personality traits generalizing the research findings, and
makes an example that the children of a number of illiterate German families
are capable to the study as the children of migrants. Such cases when
foreigners become German scientists and politicians are not exceptions but the
German citizens with migrant background even they were born in Germany and
finished the study in Germany more often have not got many chances to develop
their career successfully. To prove the above mentioned facts Prof. Hartmut
Gries presents the biographies of two Turkish professors who were born in
Germany and awarded with academic degrees there but they migrated to home
country of their ancestors where they were respected as they understood they
would have had little chance to develop their careers in Germany, i.e., to be
appointed to the post of a professor at a German university.[9]
The results of the
large-scale research “From Foreign Students To Qualified Migrants. The
Comparative Analyses Of Legal
Conditions In Five EU Countries” carried out in 2009 were similar. 2600 foreign
post-graduate and Master students studying in Germany were polled. They mentioned the possibility to get a job
in Germany as one of the most important criteria in choosing of a country to
study. Only a fifth part of the respondent considered this criterion not to be
important. However, over the half of the respondents also noted they were not good
informed on their rights and opportunities to get a job after finishing the
study, and only 16% of the respondents felt themselves assured and knew their
opportunities and possibilities for the career development. [15]
Germany is still considered
to be a country with a complex of limitations for academic and professional
mobility. The research results prove this fact only the third part of the
respondents (36%) believes that they have chances to stay in Germany and get a
job according to their qualifications after finishing the study [15].
Professor Jasmin
Karakaschulu (Bremen University) expressed the similar idea welcoming the
foreign students in Berlin. She noted: “You came to Germany where the issues of
the integration and adaptation of migrants are very urgent. Germany is one of
few countries that can afford it to force foreigners who finished universities
there to leave the country. Notwithstanding what I have said you sitting in
this hall now are the future of German science.” Telling about that the German
government makes the highly skilled foreigners from the academic sphere leave
the country Professor Karakaschulu meant the legislative limitations of the
employment of foreigners. [12] The foreign graduates of German institutions of
higher education may stay in the country for a year after finishing the study
to search a job but an employer may not hire a foreigner if a citizen of
Germany or an EC-country applies for this job position (so called law of
priority). Taking into consideration the economic crisis and the high
unemployment rate in Europe it is just impossible for a graduate of a German
institution of higher education who is not an EU citizen to find a job in
Germany.
Moreover, German economists
keep still stating that their country needs over 3.5 million highly qualified
specialists a year and sustains losses of billions euro because of the shortage
of such specialists. [10] To solve this problem German lawmakers are debating
on the cancellation of so called law of priority of citizens of Germany and EU
in case of hiring a highly qualified specialist of the academic sphere and the development
of the law of acknowledgement of higher education diploma in Germany got
abroad. If the legislation is changed the mobility of the specialist who are
not citizens of EU will help solve the problems of the German economy.
In terms of situation on the German labour market the
study of the academic mobility of Russian young people becomes urgent as they
represent potential highly qualified migrants who are so necessary for the
German economy now. The study of readiness of Russian young people for academic
mobility showed that the following factors reduce the academic mobility: insufficient
awareness on the job opportunities, a low level of foreign language skills and
money shortage. However, the interviewing of the experts – the specialists of
Fundraising Office of Astrakhan State University (Russian Federation) gave
evidence that in spite of some objective and limiting factors the main reason
of students’ and young researchers’ inactivity is laziness: they do not wish to
find necessary information, prepare application or improve their foreign
language skills. The most often said reason “money shortage” is groundless as a
number of foreign scholarships for study, practical training or language
courses allows the persons who is awarded with a scholarship not to think about
financial issue.
Party political foundations, academic and scientific
foundations, the foundations of German federal lands and the foundations of
companies can be mentioned as the foundations which mostly finance study and
research for the students from the Russian Federation and the CIS countries.
The
largest public foundations of Germany granting scholarships for foreign
students are party political foundations. As the term suggests such foundations
belong to large political parties of the country and fulfill the tasks on the
support of social-minded students and young researchers all over the world. The
scholarship programs are usually aimed at a wide circle of applicants. All the
party political foundations of Germany have the representative offices in the
Russian Federation. The contacts and detailed information can be easily found
on the Internet. The most well-known German party political foundations are the
following:
§ Kînrad - Adenauer Foundation ( Kînrad - Adenauer - Stiftung (CDU)
§ Friedrich-Ebårt Foundation (Friedrich-Ebårt-Stiftung (SPD)
§ Friådrich-Naumann Foundation (Friådrich-Naumann-Stiftung (FDP)
§
Hànns-Seidel Foundation (Hànns-Seidel-Stiftung e.V. (CSU)
§
Heinrich-Bîåll Foundation (Heinrich-Bîåll-Stiftung
(Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
§
Rîsa-Luxemburg Foundation (Rîsa-Luxemburg -Stiftung (PDS)
§
Haniel Foundation (Haniel Stiftung)
Except for the
well-known German national agency DAAD there are a lot of organizations
carrying out their activity in the field of financial support of study and
research. As a rule the scholarships are granted to post-graduate students and
scientists for individual and team projects:
§ Alåxander von Humboldt Foundation (Alåxander
von Humboldt Stiftung (AvH)
§
Carl Duisberg Society (Carl
Duisberg Gesållschaft (CDG)
§ InWent
§
Pedagogical Exchange Service (Paedagîgischer Austauschdienst (PAD)
§
German Research Society (Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
§
Fraunhofer Society (Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
(FhG)
§
Helmholtz Society (Helmholtz
Gemeinschàft (HGF)
§
Max-Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG)
§ Minerva Fellowships (Minerva Stiftung)
§
Eastern-Western Scientific Center (Ost-Wåst-Wissenschaftszentrum)
The
church foundations grants the scholarships mostly (but not obligatory) to the
representatives of the corresponding confessions: KAAD, OeRK and German
National Committee of the Lutheran
World Federation.
The scholarship application forms of European
and American foundations are almost the same. The applicant must not only to
fill in an application form but also submit some of the following documents: a
letter of introduction by one or more Russian professors, an invitation letter
by a professor of a foreign university or a foreign university, a motivation
letter (description of the necessity of
a traineeship, a study of the
implementation of a project), project description, plan of staying (detailed
description of all the stages of research or a project), diploma/ certificate of senior secondary education translated
into a foreign language and the certificate confirming the foreign language
skills.
Not
only services of academic exchange and foundations offer the opportunities of
academic mobility. Many Russian students prefer to take part in the programmes
of cultural exchange. Such programmes contribute that students can visit a
country, get acquainted with the specific features of its education and
employment systems and estimate their own capabilities. [4, p. 131] Many
Russian young people consider the participation in programmes of cultural
exchange as a migration strategy. The observation research showed that the
graduates of institutions of higher education and undergraduates take part in
these programmes, i.e., the representatives of the Russian academic elite that
is why they also have a chance to become the future of the German science.
The
analysis of the biographies of the young Russian scientists awarded with the
financial support of foreign foundations and the participants of cultural
exchange programmes disclose that they are goal-seeking young people, actively
participating in scientific and public events, highly-qualified specialists
perfectly well speaking a foreign language and constantly improving their
skills. They all belong to the academic elite. Germany needs such specialists
nowadays and, thus, they can become that group of migrants which will be a
proud of the country which received them. The receiving of these specialists
can contribute to the improvement of the German economy and the formation of
the tolerant attitude towards to every “strange”, “another”, “other”, “new”,
“unknown” and “unclear”.
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nachrichten/beitrag/60404?relatedarticles .p=4
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Thilo Sarrazin dominiert auch Weihnachten den
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Staaten der Europäischen Union. – http://www.svr-migration.de/content/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Studie-Value-Migration-Nov-2011.pdf,
[1] The research is
supported by the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation; project 11-33-00395a2 “Another” in a Family”