Education as «soft power»: the experience of Germany

“Soft power” as an effective tool of foreign policy has been actively used by both the EU and individual European States to promote their interests in the international arena for several years. Germany, as a kind of center of the EU, its organizing political core, in this case is an example of the most active use (after France) of “soft power”. According to the international soft power rankings, one of the most important tools by which both France and Germany influence other countries and regions is their educational policy. In this regard, it is extremely important and relevant to determine the reasons why Germany occupies a leading position, including in terms of “education” in the world rankings of “soft power”, as well as to identify specific mechanisms used by this state in the implementation of its educational policy on an international scale. The main basis materials for the study were a few works of Russian and foreign authors, which, one way or another, raised the issues of education in Germany in the context of “soft power” in their works, as well as German information and analytical educational international resources. The study was conducted using the historical, chronological method, as well as structural and functional analysis, which allowed to determine the specific mechanisms of international educational policy in Germany. The study was also conducted on the basis of didactic method - the problem was considered from the General (EU educational policy) to the private (German educational policy). As a result of the study, the author came to the conclusion that the key factors of Germany's successful use of education as a tool of “soft power” are the following: correctly and systematically built educational strategy based on the promotion of German interests in other countries and regions under the auspices of numerous NGOs; the establishment of a comprehensive system of management and realization of educational programs of different levels in the international scale; correct the direction of propagation of influence through education. All these factors allow us to say that in the near future Germany will remain one of the European leaders in the export of education, attracting foreign students and, as a consequence, the spread of its influence in various regions of the world.

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