Germany: A rewarding destination for research

Dear Madam,

I have completed my master’s and I am keen on pursuing my PhD in Germany. Is it possible to get full funding in Germany? Kindly throw some light on research opportunities in Germany.

Dhathreyi, Bengaluru

Dear Dhathreyi,

If you are considering a future in research, Germany is the destination to choose. Every year, Germany spends a substantial amount on Research and Development.
The country has approximately 420 higher education institutions, more than 1,000 public and publicly funded research institutions and roughly 17,500 research companies. Germany welcomes international researchers and over 33,000 international researchers are supported with a full scholarship.
The main funding organisations are Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Deutsche Forschungs gemeinschaft (DFG), International Max Planck Research Schools, Helmholtz and Leibniz Association.
The four major non-university research institutions in Germany generally referred to as the Big 4, are Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, Leibniz and Max Planck Gesellschaft. Popular research areas are Digital Healthcare, Artificial Intelligence, Next Generation Computing, Bioeconomy, Quantum Technologies, Resource Efficiency & Climate Technologies, Hydrogen Technologies, Plant, Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Geosciences, Sustainable Studies and Pharmaceuticals among others.

Dear Madam,

My daughter has completed her post-graduation in animal husbandry but wants to take up research in the same field in any of the best foreign universities. How to take it up?

K G Prasad, Bengaluru

Dear Prasad,

Here are my recommendations:
Germany: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, The University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, University of Göttingen, Free University of Berlin, RWTH Aachen University and the University of Bonn.
USA: The University of Arizona, Colorado State University, The University of Vermont, Kansas State University, Mississippi State University and Ohio State University.
UK: Nottingham Trent University, University of Surrey, University of Exeter, University of Edinburgh and Newcastle University.
New Zealand: University of Massey and Lincoln University. Netherlands: Utrecht University and Wageningen University & Research.
Denmark: Aarhus University and University of Copenhagen
Canada: The University of Manitoba, the University of Calgary and the University of British Columbia and the University of Guelph.
Australia: University of Western Australia, University of Queensland, University of Melbourne and University of Sydney.

(Uma Aswani is a career counsellor based in Bengaluru. Send in your queries to us at: [e-mail] with ‘Study Abroad’ in the subject line.)