Filling the gap

This thesis deals with the shortage of expert staff in Germany and the strategic role of German universities in containing it. The demographic development in Germany and the structural transition from an industrial into a knowledge-based and service-oriented economy causes a high demand for expert staff which especially applies to the so called MINT-disciplines. Encouraging the immigration of young academics from EU and third countries represents one way to compensate for the shortage of expert staff in Germany. Therefore, by recruiting international students, German universities take over a significant role in supplying the German labour market with highly qualified junior staff. However, to attract international young academics, German universities have to improve their marketing strategies and services for international students. A case study addressing the international higher education marketing of the TU Braunschweig and the support on offer provides an example of how universities can optimise their marketing and services.