Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1995. It is a young university with almost 6,600 students, approximately 144 professors and 191 research associates. They are supported by more than 258 highly qualified lecturers from the fields of academia, business and industry. An additional 164 employees work for the Administration, the Library and the Language Centre. The University campus is located in Hennef, Rheinbach and Sankt Augustin. In Bonn, the University of Applied Sciences runs the B-IT Universities Institute of the Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology jointly with Bonn University and Aachen Technical University (RWTH). The University Development Plan (Hochschulentwicklungsplan, HEP) contains the strategic objectives that our University intends to achieve by 2015 as well as the concrete measures taken to reach these goals - with the main motive being sustainability.

At the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences you can currently choose from 25 practically-oriented study programmes on the basis of the latest research findings. The University's professors have professional experience of both business and academia. Our excellent infrastructure and our well-equipped laboratories are just as integral to our offer as our numerous PC workstations, our university-wide W-LAN, our modern University and District Library and our active campus life.

After the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, Berlin was chosen as capital of the new, united Germany. Thus Bonn lost its status as capital of the former West Germany and most government offices moved to Berlin. In 1994 an agreement was reached to compensate Bonn in various ways for this loss of status and income. As an integral part of this agreement, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences was founded on the joint initiative of the federal parliament of Germany (Bundestag) and the federal government of Germany (Bundesregierung), the parliament of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Landtag NRW) and the federal state government of North Rhine-Westphalia (Landesregierung NRW) - this is unique in the history of Germany. The University of Applied Sciences is specifically aimed at providing new academic tuition and research capacities and at making a contribution to the structural advancement of the economic area through practical projects and co-operation with business and industry. In summer 1999, the first 26 graduates obtained their German "FH-Diplom". As early as in 2002, the University of Applied Sciences reached its original goal of 2,500 students and thus had to be expanded. The University, as it now stands, is not specifically subsidised by the German federal government any longer; it provides excellent tuition, study and research conditions on a largely autonomous basis.

With a view to the changing requirements of the job market, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences sustainably supports periods of study abroad. Summer Schools are already suitable for students during their early semesters (Grundstudium); they are mainly subsidised by theUniversity's Fund-Raising Association (Fördergesellschaft). It is compulsory to study at least one foreign language. The Language Centre, which is an integral part of the University, offers approximately 25 languages, with a focus on technical language. The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences cooperates with approximately 50 foreign universities in about 30 countries. In 2009, the proportion of international students enrolled at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences was roughly 12 %.

We attach a lot of importance to training highly qualified specialists and executive staff for the national and international job market. In addition, we make our students familiar with company foundation as an alternative to employment by providing them with the necessary information and infrastructure at an early stage of their studies. The Alumni Club links alumni and current students within a continuously growing network so as to enable them to jointly and actively shape their future.

We help students and employees to reconcile their study, academia and family commitments by offering family-friendly measures to students and employees alike. The number of female professors and research associates working for the University of Applied Sciences is above average; our manifold measures are also aimed at making the study of technical subjects more attractive to female pupils.

A number of excellent rankings and achievement awards, above all the feedback we receive from satisfied students and alumni, prove that the University of Applied Scicences is already one of the top universities in many respects.