Germany’s AI Action Plan: A Game-Changer for Indian Students

Germany’s AI education is booming! Indian students can access top universities, scholarships & research opportunities. Learn how to apply today
April 7, 2025 Study Abroad

 

 

TL;DR

  • Germany is actively seeking AI talent, making it an attractive destination for Indian students. With over €1.6 billion invested in AI research and education, universities are expanding labs, funding scholarships, and welcoming international students. 
  • The government has launched Konrad Zuse Schools and AI-focused programs at top universities like TUM, RWTH Aachen, and TU Berlin. Indian students with strong STEM backgrounds can benefit from scholarships provided by DAAD, the Humboldt Foundation, and more. 
  • Germany’s AI Action Plan aims to build global AI expertise, and India is a key talent hub. This article explores Germany’s AI education opportunities, scholarship options, and how Indian students can secure admissions to top AI programs. Don’t miss out on this incredible chance!
     

Last Saturday (March 22), representatives of 70 German universities and technical institutes flew back to Germany, concluding a week-long tour that took them to Indian universities, the inauguration of the German School of Technology at PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education Conference and the Indo-German Forum on Research, Innovation, and Transfer in New Delhi. Aside from celebrating 65 years of the German Academic Service (DAAD) in India, the visit was intended to strengthen links between Indian and German universities.

Seven years ago, the German government realized

1)  The future of everything is tied up with the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.

2)  Germany was running at the back of the pack when it came to AI.

India is an enormous source of talent in AI and related fields and that largely explains why India has become more attractive to Germany. To remain competitive in global AI, a country must find AI talent.   

Back in 2018 (as now) AI strength was concentrated in the USA and China. The measures of strength were (and are) research facilities, talent pool, budgets, incentives for innovation, and adoption. While Germany had a strong foundation in research and innovation, the country had got off to a slow start when it came to AI. Some experts blamed the country’s focus on ethical AI and regulatory frameworks for the slow pace of AI adoption and work on scaling AI applications. They pointed out that Germany had no successful AI companies.

In that year, the shock of seeing Germany in a weak position spurred the government to formulate a national AI strategy.  The major thrust area of that strategy was expanding AI education and research capacity in German universities and technical institutes in order to increase the pool of high-quality talent.

 In 2021, channeling some €25 million through DAAD, Germany set up three “schools” to attract national and international AI talent and retain it in Germany.  Each school has guaranteed annual funding of €3 million of funding.  Here’s a quick look at the three:

Konrad Zuse School ELIZA:

Closely linked with the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), Europa’s leading research network for machine learning-focused AI. 

  • Network: 14 academic institutions in all, spread across seven German ELLIS sites, namely Berlin, Darmstadt, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Munich, Saarbrücken and Tübingen.
  • Collaborators: Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Volkswagen, as well as start-ups like Aleph Alpha.  More information at https://www.daad.de/en/the-daad/zuse-schools/zuse-school-eliza/

Konrad Zuse School relAI:

Joint initiative of Technical University of Munich (TUM) and LMU Munich; bundles the expertise of the two universities plus renowned non-university research institutions and industry partners.  Focus on mathematical and algorithmic foundations of reliable AI with domain knowledge in three core application domains: medicine and healthcare, robotics and interacting systems, and algorithmic decision-making.  More information at https://www.en.graduatecenter.uni-muenchen.de/doctoral_programs/relai.html

Konrad Zuse School SECAI:

Joint project of TU Dresden and Leipzig University.  Focus on AI in medicine.  

Collaborators:

  • Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health (Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung) 
  • The University of Leipzig (UNIVERSITÄT LEIPZIG) 
  • Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (CAED- Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden)
  • Center for Tactile Internet with Human-In-The-Loop 
  • Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences 
  • Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence 
  • Center for Information Services and High-Performance Computing 

More information at https://secai.org/

The rationale for establishing the Konrad Zuse Schools is explicit:  train and retain; funnel AI expertise into Germany; ensure Germany’s competitive edge in the global AI race.

Now, fast forward to November 2023: the launch of Germany’s AI Action Plan.  The Federal Ministry for Education and Research poured more than €1.6 billion into AI during that legislative session.  This represented a 100 percent increase in funding for AI over previous years.  Much of the money went into creating 150 new university laboratories for AI research and expanding data centers.

Universities, technical institutes, and research institutions now have the money; what they want are the right students.  They are actively recruiting and India, with its growing strength in STEM education, is prime recruiting territory.  An international student who has the desired academic interests and credentials can expect green lights all the way.  Bright international students who are low on money may not have to worry either.  Along with the money pouring into departments, labs, and schools, huge sums are going into scholarships.

How do I get a scholarship?

  • Step One: Identify the German university, technical institute, or research institution that offers the course that most closely matches your own interest. Sleuthing may even reveal the name of a professor whose published research is about a field that you would like to work in or whose work inspires you.
  • Step Two: Write to the relevant department of the university and/or to the professor you have identified. Describe your research interests, and explain why you are interested in them. Do your best to get them interested in you.
  • Step Three: If Step Two yields a positive response, apply for admission.
  • Step Four: If your admission application is successful, the institution wants you. At this point, you can ask them to help you find the financial assistance necessary to study further. Many scholarships in Germany have a component for living costs as well as academic costs. When an institution wants you, it will help you.

 Here is a short list of institutions and the scholarships they offer:

DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst/ German Academic Exchange Service) Scholarships (German

  • Fields: AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, and other related fields.
  • DAAD is one of the most prominent scholarship providers for international students. It offers various types of scholarships for undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. programs, particularly for students pursuing AI and technology-related degrees.
  • Specific information at https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/ 

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Scholarships

  • Fields: AI, Computer Science, Engineering, related disciplines.
  • The Konrad Adenauer Foundation offers scholarships for postgraduate and doctoral students from international backgrounds. The foundation is particularly focused on students who show an interest in contributing to societal development and technology.
  • Specific information at https://www.kas.de/en/web/begabtenfoerderung-und-kultur/auslaenderfoerderung

Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships

  • Fields: AI, Computer Science, Engineering, and other related fields.
  • The Heinrich Böll Foundation provides scholarships to international students, particularly those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees. Students from countries outside of the EU, especially from developing countries, are eligible to apply.
  • Specific information at https://www.boell.de/en/scholarships 

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowships

RWTH Aachen University – Scholarships

Technical University of Munich (TUM) – Global & Alumni Office Scholarships

  • Fields: AI, Data Science, Robotics, Computer Science, Engineering, and related fields.
  • TUM offers scholarships to international students, particularly through their Global & Alumni Office, for students pursuing AI and related fields. TUM is one of Germany’s leading institutions in technical and engineering studies.
  • Specific information at https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees-and-financial-aid/scholarships 

Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin) Scholarships

The University of Freiburg – International Scholarship Program

  • Fields: AI, Computer Science, Robotics, Data Science, and Engineering.
  • The University of Freiburg offers a variety of scholarships for international students, particularly in AI and related fields. The university has strong research groups in AI and is part of the AI research network in Germany.
  • Specific information at https://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/counseling/scholarship-advising

Leibniz University, Hannover – Research Scholarships

University of Stuttgart – International Scholarships

  • Fields: AI, Data Science, Engineering, and related fields.
  • University of Stuttgart offers various scholarships and funding options for international students pursuing AI and related research fields. The university has a strong focus on AI applications in engineering and technology.
  • Specific information at https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/study/living-in-stuttgart/finances/

YUNO LEARNING’s assessment:

  • Since the launch of its AI Action Plan, the German government has been actively encouraging skilled migration, with a focus on STEM graduates with AI potential.
  • Many universities have already formed partnerships with Indian institutions, creating exchange programs and joint research initiatives.
  • Recent agreements on Indo-German collaboration in the areas of technology and research have opened more German university doors for Indian students.
  • Germany in the era of rapid AI expansion provides optimum opportunity for Indian students aspiring to take their AI interest and skills to the highest level.


 

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