Executive Director CHE - Higher Education Management and Policy - Hochschulentwicklung und Wissenschaftsmanagement
The German HE system currently is quite nervous because of dropping numbers of first year students. If you compare the average 2011-18 with the average 2019-21, the average decline for all higher education institutions is more than 6 percent. However, to understand the developments we have to look behind the scenes of this average number, see the new CHE analysis of first year student numbers: https://lnkd.in/eDhq9nTi. The decline in mechanical engineering is 32%, wheras social work increases by almost 30%. Some fields seem to overcome a shortage of labour force, in others it's becoming increasingly dramatic. Despite the overall decline, there are some relevant increases: 3,5% for foreign first year students (despite the pandemic), regional increases such as 11% in Düsseldorf and 9% in Munich and Potsdam, and an almost 50% rise at private universities! Private universities seem to be extremely successful in attracting lifelong learners with flexible, part-time, online programs. German higher education institutions should go into the details of these numbers to create evidence-based strategies. CHE Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung #studienanfänger #studienanfängerzahlen #highereducation #students #mechanicalengineering #maschinenbau
Two comments: The demographic shift should also be taken into consideration (the number of young people is simply decreasing) , secondly we see an academization of the social professions (which we have seen in Scandinavia for decades).
Frank Ziegele, wichtiges Zahlenwerk, das den Unis und HAWs viele Aufgaben stellt: „attracting lifelong learners with flexible, part-time, online programs“, wäre doch ein sinnvoller Schluss aus dem Benchmarking mit den erfolgreichen Playern in Deutschland. Das duale Masterprogramm „Future Skills und Innovation“ der THM ist da ein gutes Beispiel! Attraktives Studium ist individuell, partizipativ und projektorientiert. Stimmt’s, Steffen Prowe, Dr. Matthias Kindt Jochen Abke Oliver Janoschka Ulf-Daniel Ehlers Tobias Seidl Prof. Dr. Annika Wolf Ronny Röwert ?
Thank you for sharing the link to your analysis of changing enrollment patterns in Germany. While I agree that factors such as an ageing population and the aftermath of the pandemic have contributed to a decline in student numbers at public HEI, I believe there are two main reasons why private HEI are currently able to attract increasing numbers of students: 1) Private HEI are more flexible in adapting their programs to meet customer demand, ensuring that they remain attractive and relevant to students; 2) Their entry standards and flexible admissions policies allow private universities to attract a more diverse pool of domestic and international students. Private HEI also tend to prioritize customer service and take a proactive approach to upgrading their digital architecture and infrastructure. In contrast, public HEI often lag behind in these areas, appearing less service-oriented and slower to adapt. To improve their competitiveness, public HEI should attract more students from abroad. This strategy would also provide the German economy with highly skilled workers. To do so, we need to streamline the bureaucratic processes for international applicants and offer flexible admissions routes to them.
Thanks for sharing. Useful graph. The less students enrolled at the universities the less talents will start their career in 3-5 years. Unfortunately, it seems that the professionals shortage for important jobs is still growing. Educational approaches should be modernised to attract more students (incl. foreign students) to solve/lessen the shortage of resources.
Zu einer ganz ähnlichen Einschätzung in Sachen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit bin ich zuletzt auch im aktuellen Diskussionspapier "Diversity braucht Digitalisierung" für das Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD) gekommen: (vgl. https://hochschulforumdigitalisierung.de/de/news/hfd-diskussionspapier-diversity-digitalisierung) "Service-, Kunden- und Bedürfnisorientierung" sind inzwischen keine Floskeln mehr, sondern ernstzunehmende USPs von nachgefragten Hochschulen.
Absolutely agree. Public universities have yet to realize that more flexible learn settings and formats are required. Until then, the decline will likely continue...
Please can you differentiate more precisely, as “Verfahrenstechnik” is much too general. E.g. #biotechnology will be successful in contrast to “old” chemical engineering.
Very interesting information, particularly about private universities successfully attracting lifelong learners. Is this trend also seen in other European countries? Expanding the analysis would be great!
The population decline is real.
Direktor bei Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg - Center for Advanced Studies (DHBW CAS) Mag Menschen. Kann Herausforderungen. Will gestalten.
1yDanke für das Teilen der Daten und die spannende Analyse, Frank Ziegele. Für mich am markantesten ist der X-Verlauf im Längsschnitt von Informatik und Maschinenbau/Verfahrenstechnik. Im Kern spiegelt sich hierin auch die #digitaletransformation unserer Wirtschaft wider. Fast schon ein 0-Summen-Spiel zwischen den beiden Fächergruppen. Interessant, wenngleich nicht wirklich methodisch statthaft, finde ich den Saldo aus Maschinenbau/Verfahrenstechnik-Rückgängen und Informatik-Zugängen. So verlor Bayern zwar -28,3% MB/VT-Studienanfänger*innen, gewann aber 21,2% INF-Studienanfänger*innen. Da sehen die Entwicklungen in Baden-Württemberg anders aus - und sind Auftrag an alle Hochschulen im Südwesten. Was meint ihr, Andreas Föhrenbach und Joachim Frech?