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BTU Cottbus starts winter semester: international flair in the student city!
The 2025 winter semester at BTU Cottbus begins with 45% international students. Exchange programs and new study programs promote international networking.
BTU Cottbus starts winter semester: international flair in the student city!
Today, October 6, 2025, a new winter semester begins at the Brandenburg Technical University (BTU) Cottbus/Senftenberg, which is causing a stir among students with its international offerings. Almost 45 percent of the approximately 7,000 enrolled students come from abroad, making the BTU one of the most international universities in Germany. This reports daily news.
In comparison, the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) has around 41 percent international students and the University of Potsdam with around 16 percent. A new highlight in the BTU’s range of courses is the “Rail Infrastructure” major, which addresses the needs of the industry.
International students and exchange programs
Let's take a look at Oleksandr Kolodiichuk, a 20-year-old computer science student from Lviv, Ukraine. He studied software development in his home country and is now in his first semester at BTU. Kolodiichuk appreciates the quiet environment of Cottbus, which helps him to concentrate better on his studies. He decided to come for a semester through an exchange program - and is now staying long-term to make international contacts, including with fellow students from India, Mozambique and Turkey.
BTU has specifically aimed to attract international students by aligning its programs accordingly. This happens, among other things, through participation in international education fairs and cooperation with schools abroad. International students receive welcome support through online sessions that provide information about their new living environment in Cottbus and Senftenberg, as well as help in finding accommodation.
Diverse exchange options
In the summer semester of 2025, BTU will once again open its doors to international students, including participants from 16 different countries such as Egypt, Brazil and Japan, and offers exchange programs such as ERASMUS+ and STUDEXA. At a welcome event, new students can find out about language courses and cultural offerings. University today adds that there will be informative offers and relaxed getting-to-know-you games with pizza to make networking among the students easier.
Furthermore, this raises Federal Ministry of Education and Research emphasizes that study stays abroad not only serve to get to know new teaching and research approaches, but also to promote intercultural skills and build international networks. Germany is considered a particularly attractive host country - a real enrichment for both the international student body and the local universities.
By introducing new programs and expanding existing structures, the BTU is well positioned to not only attract international talent, but also to retain them in the long term. Support through scholarships and exchange opportunities plays a crucial role in keeping our educational location attractive and strengthening competitiveness. So it remains to be seen how the BTU will develop in the coming semesters.