Simolicatalano:
Honestly, I have never for once thought that I would be blessed with a double PhD offer from the USA and Germany, especially at this point where the Nigerian economy is in shambles.
Although I have a passion for my studies, the ultimate goal is to relocate and settle down abroad.
I found conflicting reports online about the ease of getting a residencial permit after a PhD in the US. From what I have gathered so far, it seems it would be much easier in Germany.

Nonetheless, I'm not about to bank on the info I found online alone.

Please, I would appreciate your contribution to this enquiry.
I'd also really appreciate it if well-versed abroad based academicians can chip in their advice.
Thank you.

Tainted22:
I think I can give you a better perspective as I am currently an exchange PhD student in the US from a German research Institute. Do you mean you had two different offers or a PhD offer you are required to work in both countries like mine?

First, what's your research field in? STEM? Then Germany is better as a PhD student than the US. Both countries has its pros and cons though. My advice would be to do your PhD in Germany first. You can always migrate to any country with ease with a German PhD.

My reasons for Germany if you are a STEM PhD student:

1. As a STEM PhD student in Germany, you are either employed under the TV-L 13 (Engineering or computer science PhD students earn more) or offered a stipend. If employed, you will live very well with the salary compared to the stipends you will get in the US. The quality of life is much better in Germany than US for a PhD student and in general from my own perspective. Most of my fellow exchange students all returned back to Germany and did not like it here in the US. The work life balance in Germany is much better.

2. Getting a PR and citizenship is way way easier in Germany than the US. As a PhD student under a work contract, your 3 or 4 yrs counts towards getting a PR. You need 5 years to get that if you do not have a German degree and 2 years if you already graduated from a German university. In the US, the immigration law is quite complex. But you can apply for a green card after a PhD if you have a strong profile (well cited publications). Not guaranteed. Your immigration status in any country plays a big role in your quality of life.

3. Getting a job after the PhD may be easier in Germany if you have a STEM degree especially in IT or engineering. In the US you need an employer to sponsor your work visa after the PhD if you want to work for a company. Or you may continue with a postdoc in Academia with an academic H1B. Doing a Postdoc here is crazy and tedious compared to Germany. The postdoc salary to living expense in the US is peanut compared to what you earn in Germany.

4. Salaries (After PhD) in the US are double that of Germany. But, it is very expensive here. It is a capitalist country and all that glitters is not gold.

5. English would be your work language as a PhD student n Germany but you need to learn German to integrate better.

6. If you are married or plan to start a family soon, then Germany is way better. It is a good country to raise kids than the US.

7. If you have a good job in Germany after the PhD. It is way better living in Germany than the US.


You need to provide more info. So I can advise you better.

Simolicatalano:
Honestly, I have never for once thought that I would be blessed with a double PhD offer from the USA and Germany, especially at this point where the Nigerian economy is in shambles.
Although I have a passion for my studies, the ultimate goal is to relocate and settle down abroad.
I found conflicting reports online about the ease of getting a residencial permit after a PhD in the US. From what I have gathered so far, it seems it would be much easier in Germany.

Nonetheless, I'm not about to bank on the info I found online alone.

Please, I would appreciate your contribution to this enquiry.
I'd also really appreciate it if well-versed abroad based academicians can chip in their advice.
Thank you.

Tainted22:
I think I can give you a better perspective as I am currently an exchange PhD student in the US from a German research Institute. Do you mean you had two different offers or a PhD offer you are required to work in both countries like mine?

First, what's your research field in? STEM? Then Germany is better as a PhD student than the US. Both countries has its pros and cons though. My advice would be to do your PhD in Germany first. You can always migrate to any country with ease with a German PhD.

My reasons for Germany if you are a STEM PhD student:

1. As a STEM PhD student in Germany, you are either employed under the TV-L 13 (Engineering or computer science PhD students earn more) or offered a stipend. If employed, you will live very well with the salary compared to the stipends you will get in the US. The quality of life is much better in Germany than US for a PhD student and in general from my own perspective. Most of my fellow exchange students all returned back to Germany and did not like it here in the US. The work life balance in Germany is much better.

2. Getting a PR and citizenship is way way easier in Germany than the US. As a PhD student under a work contract, your 3 or 4 yrs counts towards getting a PR. You need 5 years to get that if you do not have a German degree and 2 years if you already graduated from a German university. In the US, the immigration law is quite complex. But you can apply for a green card after a PhD if you have a strong profile (well cited publications). Not guaranteed. Your immigration status in any country plays a big role in your quality of life.

3. Getting a job after the PhD may be easier in Germany if you have a STEM degree especially in IT or engineering. In the US you need an employer to sponsor your work visa after the PhD if you want to work for a company. Or you may continue with a postdoc in Academia with an academic H1B. Doing a Postdoc here is crazy and tedious compared to Germany. The postdoc salary to living expense in the US is peanut compared to what you earn in Germany.

4. Salaries (After PhD) in the US are double that of Germany. But, it is very expensive here. It is a capitalist country and all that glitters is not gold.

5. English would be your work language as a PhD student n Germany but you need to learn German to integrate better.

6. If you are married or plan to start a family soon, then Germany is way better. It is a good country to raise kids than the US.

7. If you have a good job in Germany after the PhD. It is way better living in Germany than the US.


You need to provide more info. So I can advise you better.

Paulheyman:


Congratulations to you my good friend.

I just finished my PhD last year. I am applying for a postdoc position in Germany. Please do well to keep us posted in your progress so far. I studied Chemistry upto a PhD. Research interest computational chemistry, bioinformatics and Analytical Biochemistry geared towards sickle erythrocyte polymerization inhibition/reversal.

Please, are you going on scholarship? If yes, how did you go about the application based on procedures/requirements



Once again congratulations.

Simolicatalano:

Wow.
Thanks so much for the advice.
Really appreciate.
I'm an oncologist - I investigate the development of cancer in the medical sector.
I was offered a full sponsored PhD position in Kentucky, USA.
I was also offered a fully sponsored PhD position at the Heidelberg University Germany.

I have been in a dilemma on which one to choose because I'm to resume at both universities in August.
Both universities also need to know my decision on the academic position that has been offered to me.

I'm open to hearing more from you.
Thank you.

Tainted22:


I am assuming fully sponsored does not mean a scholarship in Germany.

Go do your PhD in Germany! PhD here in the US is 5 to 6+ years with course work and you need to pass a qualifying exam after 2+ years to continue the PhD. It is 3 - 4 years in Germany and you are well paid than the US (comparing cost of living). No course work in Germany, just research. You will be on a work visa in Germany and not a student visa (if you're not on scholarship). In Germany, you have an opportunity of having and training bachelors/masters students who will also support your PhD research work. In the US, you do everything yourself, and it is very very hectic with a lot of pressure to publish or you don't graduate. You don't need to publish in Germany to get your PhD if you end up having negative results. It's good to have some publications if you plan to stay in academia though.

Heidelberg is one of the best unis for medical research in Germany. Immunologist and oncologist are in high demand in Germany. You have a better chance of finding a good job as an oncologist PhD in Germany with ease. English is the work language in most research Institutes in Germany. Heidelberg is a small student town though, so you will move to another city after your PhD for another job offer.
The German PhD is a 'global passport' on its own, you can move globally with ease after.

Stay away from Kentucky. I was in Cincinnati, Ohio for a few months, just 5 mins away from Kentucky. It is very boring and flat there in the mid-west. Not a popular destination for migrants. Kind of behind compared to most states in the US. Most people there are natives (born and raised, friendly but not that welcoming to outsiders. Even fellow Americans). You will have a better life in Germany while doing your PhD than the US.

Your PhD would be highly valued in Germany. And you will become a citizen faster. After the PhD, you can do a postdoc in Academia or switch to industry. Postdoc is well paid as well, compared to the US. Getting a postdoc is easy in both countries though. Working in academia (PhD or postdoc) in Germany is way relaxed than in the US, with better quality of life.

The US is good to pursue a career in biotech after the PhD, but the issue here is the immigration laws and it is very complicated. In Germany, even if you don't have a PR you don't need to go through all that visa hassle. You just continue working after your PhD.

The only con about Germany is just the language barrier and finding an apartment is quite difficult depending on the city. That's not much of an issue.

To sum up, I advise you go get your PhD in Germany which is faster, followed by a PR or citizenship. With that, you can move else where if you want (I highly doubt this).

Let me know if you have further questions.

majorgr:
Plus a German visa is a Schengen visa, you could travel freely in and out of countries within the EU. You could even easily search for a job in one of the neighboring countries should you not prefer Germany when you're done. So it's good advice.

Simolicatalano:

Wow.
Thanks so much for the advice.
Really appreciate.
I'm an oncologist - I investigate the development of cancer in the medical sector.
I was offered a full sponsored PhD position in Kentucky, USA.
I was also offered a fully sponsored PhD position at the Heidelberg University Germany.

I have been in a dilemma on which one to choose because I'm to resume at both universities in August.
Both universities also need to know my decision on the academic position that has been offered to me.

I'm open to hearing more from you.



hello sir pls i wanna ask
r u a med doc??


Thank you.

Simolicatalano:

No I'm not
Thank you

Honlucas:



ok sir because im a microbiologist still in uni sha i have been looking at molecular microbiology, food microbiology nd oncology for masters sir which do u think is better in scale of prefrence ??

im yet to decide sha

Tainted22:


I am assuming fully sponsored does not mean a scholarship in Germany.

Go do your PhD in Germany! PhD here in the US is 5 to 6+ years with course work and you need to pass a qualifying exam after 2+ years to continue the PhD. It is 3 - 4 years in Germany and you are well paid than the US (comparing cost of living). No course work in Germany, just research. You will be on a work visa in Germany and not a student visa (if you're not on scholarship). In Germany, you have an opportunity of having and training bachelors/masters students who will also support your PhD research work. In the US, you do everything yourself, and it is very very hectic with a lot of pressure to publish or you don't graduate. You don't need to publish in Germany to get your PhD if you end up having negative results. It's good to have some publications if you plan to stay in academia though.

Heidelberg is one of the best unis for medical research in Germany. Immunologist and oncologist are in high demand in Germany. You have a better chance of finding a good job as an oncologist PhD in Germany with ease. English is the work language in most research Institutes in Germany. Heidelberg is a small student town though, so you will move to another city after your PhD for another job offer.
The German PhD is a 'global passport' on its own, you can move globally with ease after.

Stay away from Kentucky. I was in Cincinnati, Ohio for a few months, just 5 mins away from Kentucky. It is very boring and flat there in the mid-west. Not a popular destination for migrants. Kind of behind compared to most states in the US. Most people there are natives (born and raised, friendly but not that welcoming to outsiders. Even fellow Americans). You will have a better life in Germany while doing your PhD than the US.

Your PhD would be highly valued in Germany. And you will become a citizen faster. After the PhD, you can do a postdoc in Academia or switch to industry. Postdoc is well paid as well, compared to the US. Getting a postdoc is easy in both countries though. Working in academia (PhD or postdoc) in Germany is way relaxed than in the US, with better quality of life.

The US is good to pursue a career in biotech after the PhD, but the issue here is the immigration laws and it is very complicated. In Germany, even if you don't have a PR you don't need to go through all that visa hassle. You just continue working after your PhD.

The only con about Germany is just the language barrier and finding an apartment is quite difficult depending on the city. That's not much of an issue.

To sum up, I advise you go get your PhD in Germany which is faster, followed by a PR or citizenship. With that, you can move else where if you want (I highly doubt this).

Let me know if you have further questions.