PhD Handbook

22 5 FURTHER INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD STUDENTS – SETTLING INTO YOUR LIFE IN GERMANY Being abroad for several years often involves many good experiences, but also poses many challenges. This chapter tries to prepare you for some specifics of German everyday- life, but most likely still won’t save you from some surprises... 5.1 WHICH LANGUAGE SKILLS ARE REQUIRED? Like in most of the world, the scientific community in Germa- ny and within the Helmholtz Association is both international and culturally diverse. As a result, in almost all laboratories, English is the primary working language. If you are one of the few foreigners in your group, German may be more commonly spoken on a day-to-day basis. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t understand especially in your working group and work discussion. Sometimes your German-speaking colleagues might need a gentle reminder that you do not understand the discussion, but would like to. If this does not resolve the problem, then do not hesitate to talk to your DokTeam or the diversity management team at your institute or center. Outside of work, you will probably meet a lot of people that have a good knowledge of the English language, which makes day-to-day life without German knowledge possible (super- markets excluded!). However, if you want to integrate yourself, knowing the language (even not perfectly) might be necessary. Some Helmholtz centers offer free courses, although these tend to be introductory and as a result do not provide intense training. To make the most of your time when you first arrive and get to know fellow international students it is recommen- ded that an intensive German language course is taken. This allows you to use your new skills and adapt faster to your new life here. Take every opportunity to speak, and focus on communication, not on grammar: your hosting university might have an international student mentoring system, or a language tandem exchange where you can share your native language and improve your German at the same time. 5.2 RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Demographic change is transforming our society and is already resulting in a shortage of experts in certain segments of the labor market. These include medical and educational profes- sions, nursing, and so-called MINT professions (mathematic/ information technology/natural sciences/technology). It is therefore essential that potential sources of skilled labor alrea- dy on hand in Germany are utilized. Germany is also striving to become a more attractive location for trained professionals from abroad. In the future, it will be easier for individuals to obtain recognition for foreign professional qualifications. The corresponding Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Profes- sional Qualifications Act, or so-called “Recognition Act”, came into effect on 1 April 2012. More information: • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) www.bmbf.de/en • IHK Foreign Skills Approval www.ihk-fosa.de/en • European Commission www.ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/index_en.htm • Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (www.bibb.de) • Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Meldungen/) HELMHOLTZ JUNIORS l 5 FURTHER INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD STUDENTS - SETTLING INTO YOUR LIFE IN GERMANY

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