Research Article

Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students

Volume: 7 Number: 1 July 17, 2026

Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students

Abstract

This article examines the factors driving Palestinian Arab Students from Israel (Hereafter: PASI) to pursue higher education in Germany, specifically highlighting push factors rooted in structural barriers that impede access to Israeli universities. Employing a research synthesis methodology, the study analyzes nine publications authored by the researchers across two decades, spanning Arabic, Hebrew, and English sources. This multi-method evidence illustrates how structural push factors in Israel interact with Germany’s policy, curricula, and cost-related pull factors to shape PASI mobility decisions. The study addresses two primary questions: What obstacles do PASI encounter when attempting to access higher education in Israel, and what specific factors draw them to Germany? The synthesis reveals that Germany remains a preferred destination—particularly for prestigious majors such as medicine and engineering—despite the challenges of German reunification and the emergence of competing host countries attracting large numbers of students. Ultimately, while Germany offers distinct advantages to PASI unable to access domestic higher education, it also presents significant challenges. This article explores this growing trend and examines its broader implications for global academic mobility.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

No funding was received from any institution or organisation for this study.

Ethical Statement

This study does not require ethical approval process.

References

  1. Abbas, J., Alturki, U., Habib, M., Aldraiweesh, A., & Al-Rahmi, W. M. (2021). Factors affecting students in the selection of country for higher education: A comparative analysis of international students in Germany and the UK. Sustainability, 13(18), 10065. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810065
  2. Abu‐Rabia‐Queder, S., & Arar, K. (2011). Gender and higher education in different national spaces: Female Palestinian students attending Israeli and Jordanian universities. Compare, 41(3), 353–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2010.545200
  3. Abu-Saad, I. (2006). State-controlled education and identity formation among the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel. American Behavioral Scientist, 49(8), 1085–1100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764205284720
  4. Al-Haj, M. (1996). Education among Arabs in Israel: Control and Social Change. Magnes [Hebrew].
  5. Al-Haj, M. (2003). Higher education among the Arabs in Israel: Formal policy between empowerment and control. Higher Education Policy, 16, 443–458. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300025
  6. Altbach, G. P. (2011). Globalization and the university: Realities in an unequal world. In J. F. Forest, & P. G. Altbach (Eds.), International handbook of higher education (pp. 121–140). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4012-2_8
  7. Apolinarski, B., & Poskowsky, J. (2013). Ausländische Studierende in Deutschland 2012. Ergebnisse der 20. Sozialerhebung des Deutschen Studentenwerks durchgeführt vom Deutschen Zentrum für Hochschul-und Wissenschaftsforschung (DZHW). DZHW.
  8. Arar, K. (2011). ‘Trapped between two worlds’- Muslim Palestinian women from Israel in Jordanian universities: New identity and the price it demands. Social Identities, 17(5), 625–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2011.595205

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Internationalization in Higher Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

July 17, 2026

Submission Date

January 27, 2026

Acceptance Date

May 12, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 7 Number: 1

APA
Haj-Yehia, K., & Arar, K. (2026). Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students. Higher Education Governance and Policy, 7(1), 43-61. https://doi.org/10.55993/hegp.1845025
AMA
1.Haj-Yehia K, Arar K. Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students. HEGP. 2026;7(1):43-61. doi:10.55993/hegp.1845025
Chicago
Haj-Yehia, Kussai, and Khalid Arar. 2026. “Beyond Borders: Germany As an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students”. Higher Education Governance and Policy 7 (1): 43-61. https://doi.org/10.55993/hegp.1845025.
EndNote
Haj-Yehia K, Arar K (July 1, 2026) Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students. Higher Education Governance and Policy 7 1 43–61.
IEEE
[1]K. Haj-Yehia and K. Arar, “Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students”, HEGP, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 43–61, July 2026, doi: 10.55993/hegp.1845025.
ISNAD
Haj-Yehia, Kussai - Arar, Khalid. “Beyond Borders: Germany As an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students”. Higher Education Governance and Policy 7/1 (July 1, 2026): 43-61. https://doi.org/10.55993/hegp.1845025.
JAMA
1.Haj-Yehia K, Arar K. Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students. HEGP. 2026;7:43–61.
MLA
Haj-Yehia, Kussai, and Khalid Arar. “Beyond Borders: Germany As an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students”. Higher Education Governance and Policy, vol. 7, no. 1, July 2026, pp. 43-61, doi:10.55993/hegp.1845025.
Vancouver
1.Kussai Haj-Yehia, Khalid Arar. Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinian Arab Students. HEGP. 2026 Jul. 1;7(1):43-61. doi:10.55993/hegp.1845025