Influx of foreign PhDs mostly from neighbours

Some 20,000 students were undertaking doctoral research in Austria in 2000, a year when 1,790 PhDs were awarded. By 2011-12, the number enrolled for PhDs had increased to 25,700 and the proportion of foreign students had jumped from 16% to 26%, or 6,700.

Of the 3,000 newly admitted doctoral students, 750 (or 25%) were from outside Austria; and of these 23% were from Germany, 21% from Asia, 6% from former Yugoslav countries, 5% from North and South America, 4% from Italy and 2.9% from Africa. Furthermore, 30% were enrolled in engineering studies and 20% in the natural sciences.

Curiously, although 48% of the Austrian students starting their PhDs in 2011-12 were women, among the Germans the figure was 39%, while of those from other European Union (EU) countries 47% were women. Women also comprised 52% of students from former Yugoslav nations compared to 49% of the Asian and 44% of the African students.

The total number of foreign students enrolled in Austrian universities and university colleges in 2011 was 65,000 and they represented the fourth highest percentage in the OECD after Luxembourg, Australia and the UK, and the OECD average of 8%.

Almost one in four foreign students was enrolled in doctoral studies in the humanities compared to 28% of Austrians, while 48% of the foreigners were in engineering, the natural sciences and medicine, compared to 37% of Austrians. A remarkable 3.4% of foreign students were undertaking doctorates in theology against 1.1% of local students.

The Institute of Advanced Studies in Vienna last November published the results of a survey showing that 59% of foreign students intended to stay on after graduating.

Among the German doctoral students, the largest national group among foreigners in 2011, 29% said that they would stay in Austria, 15% said they would go back to Germany and 6% said they would go to another country, while the rest were undecided.

From July 2011, Austria introduced a criteria-based immigration system – a Red-White-Red Card – applying to skilled workers from non-EU countries who are urgently needed for 24 occupations where shortages exist. Non-EU graduates of Austrian universities are a target group.

But the European Commission has said that although the Blue Card legislation, enacted in 2009, does not prevent member states from having their own system of national residence permits for highly skilled migrants, these "cannot grant the right of residence in other EU states that is guaranteed under the Blue Card Directive".

Helmut Konrad, a professor and former rector of the University of Graz, the largest and oldest university in Styria, said the increasing number of foreign PhD students had both positive and problematic aspects.

“On the one hand, the doctorate programmes are still a mixture of a new PhD course and the old doctorate, so the study programmes don’t reach the level of US PhDs. It is easier for a student to finish an Austrian PhD compared to others,” Konrad said.

“On the other hand, Austrian doctorate courses are very attractive, especially to students from eastern and south-east Europe, and this internationalisation is positive. We offer more and more programmes in English and that has a positive impact also for staff.”