Internationalisation_Report_(Summary) of RWTH

8/7/2019 Internationalisation_Report_(Summary) of RWTH

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INTERNATIONALISATIONREPORT 2008


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Internationalisation Report 2008- English Summary -

Foreword by the Rector--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2I. International Students at RWTH Aachen University------------------------------------------------- 3

I.1 Development of Student Numbers: Enrolled International Students ------------------------ 3I.2 International Students and their Countries of Origin ------------------------------------------- 5I.3 Distribution of International Students by Faculties (WS 2007/08) -------------------------- 6I.4 Doctoral Students --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7I.5 International Students in Exchange Programmes and Scholarship Students--------------- 9I.6 International Alumni --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10I.7 Mentoring and Special Programmes for International Students ---------------------------- 11I.8 International Student Organisations at RWTH Aachen University ------------------------ 11

II. RWTH Students in Study Abroad Programmes----------------------------------------------------- 12III. Study Programmes with a Strong International Focus------------------------------------------- 14IV. International Academic Staff-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15

IV.1 Overview of the International Academic Staff------------------------------------------------ 15IV.2 Support Services for the International Academic Staff -------------------------------------- 16

V. Partnerships of RWTH Aachen University---------------------------------------------------------- 17V.1 Erasmus Partnerships

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17V.2 Worldwide University Partnerships-------------------------------------------------------------- 17V.3 International Alliances and Networks ----------------------------------------------------------- 18V.4 Activities Abroad------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

VI. International Research Collaborations-------------------------------------------------------------- 20IMPRINTRWTH International Internationalisation Report 20082nd edition, November 2008

Editors:RWTH Aachen UniversityInternational OfficeH. NadererB. PielPhone: +49-241/80-90660Fax: +49-241/80-92662E-Mail: [email protected]

Department of Planning, Development and ControllingH.-D. HtteD. LutzPhone: 0241/80-94091

Fax: 0241/80-92103E-mail: [email protected]

Translation : Ralf Ptz


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RWTH International - Internationalisierungsreport 2008 2

Foreword by the Rector

Dear partners and friends,

Since 2006, RWTH Aachen University has been issuing a report on key data concerning theinternationalisation of the university. This year, we would like to present to you a briefEnglish summary. This summary gives you an overview of the facts and figures most relevantto our partners worldwide. If you are interested in receiving a full report in German, pleasecontact our International Office.

Our internationalisation report will show you how RWTH Aachen is developing into one ofthe most outstanding international universities worldwide and gives you an overview of ourinternational activities, integration measures and services.

Enjoy!

(Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ernst Schmachtenberg)


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RWTH International - Internationalisation Report 2008 3

I. International Students at RWTH Aachen UniversityWith more than 5000 international students, RWTH Aachen University has a distinct internationalprofile. In recent years, it was possible to keep this number roughly at the same level, which is a goodresult, especially in view of the situation at some of the other German universities, where the number

of enrolled international students has dropped dramatically. According to the Wissenschaftweltoffen statistical report, which is published annually by the DAAD and the HIS and offers factsand figures on international students in Germany, RWTH Aachen University is among the sixuniversities most popular with foreign students. Right after TU Berlin (Rank: 4), RWTH has thehighest number of international students.

The following tables give an overview of the overall development of the number of internationalstudents at RWTH Aachen University and provide the opportunity to compare it to the developmentof German student numbers.

I.1 Development of Student Numbers: Enrolled International Students

Figure 1International Students at RWTH Aachen University WS 97/98 - WS 07/08

13,0%

14,7% 15,1%16,5%

17,1%

18,1%

19,0%

19,7% 19,0% 18,4%

17,1%

0

1.000

2.000

3.000

4.000

5.000

6.000

7.000

WS

97/98

WS

98/99

WS

99/00

WS

00/01

WS

01/02

WS

02/03

WS

03/04

WS

04/05

WS

05/06

WS

06/07

WS

07/08

InternationalStudents

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

Percentageoftotalstudents

International Students

Percentage of total students

While figure 1 shows the number of international students and their percentage of total studentnumber, figure 2 shows the development of total student numbers and international student numbersin a comparison. As in the last reporting period, it can be seen that the share of international studentsdevelops in proportion to the overall student number, with a slight drop in international studentnumbers by 7%, mainly due to the introduction of tuition fees.


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Figure 2Number of Enrolled Students at RWTH Aachen University WS 97/98 - WS 07/08

SelfAssessment International

SelfAssessment International is a web-based consulting system for prospective studentsconsidering to take up studies in a science or engineering discipline in Germany. Supportedby the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the automated assessment system wasdeveloped by RWTH Aachen University in cooperation with the other TU9 universities. Thetest system, which is in operation since 2007, intends to acquaint international students withthe requirements of engineering and science degree programmes offered by the TU9

universities. By using SelfAssessment International, which comprises several tasks in the areasof mathematics, engineering, and logic, a language test as well as a motivation andorganisation skills questionnaire, students are enabled to get to know their respectivestrengths and weaknesses. The results of the assessment test are automatically evaluated andreturned to the student, who thus gets detailed information to support his or her decision onwhether to take up a study course at a German technical university.

0

10.000

20.000

30.000

40.000

WS97/98

WS98/99

WS99/00

WS00/01

WS01/02

WS02/03

WS03/04

WS04/05

WS05/06

WS06/07

WS07/08

all students

international students


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I.2 International Students and their Countries of OriginTraditionally, RWTH Aachen University has a very high number of students from Asia. Thehigh number of students from the Peoples Republic of China was one of the main reasonsthat RWTH Aachen University has established a representative office in Beijing, where

prospective students are being consulted in their own language and provided withinformation on RWTH Aachen, courses of study, study requirements as well as admissionscriteria and procedures.

Table 1Countries with more than 100 Students at RWTH Aachen University WS 02/03 WS 07/08

RWTH Students WS 02/03 WS 03/04 WS 04/05 WS 05/06 WS 06/07 WS 07/08 Compared tothe previous

year - %China, P.R. of 667 818 875 884 922 849 - 7,9%Turkey 426 455 413 440 476 469 - 1,5 %Luxembourg 163 169 181 195 202 209 + 3,5 %Belgium 219 217 193 193 194 182 - 6,2 %Bulgaria 185 226 239 223 208 181 - 13,0 %Iran 201 206 172 182 183 178 - 2,7 %Cameroon 161 201 212 205 185 166 - 10,3 %Russia 125 152 154 159 162 163 + 0,6 %Greece 239 239 205 181 178 157 - 11,8 %Poland 180 196 188 207 174 151 - 13,2 %Spain 143 145 125 129 129 149 + 15,5 %India 190 258 274 239 195 137 - 29,7 %Netherlands, The 188 174 151 165 150 129 - 14,0 %Marocco 257 234 175 175 160 125 - 21,9 %Indonesia 161 169 174 151 148 121 - 18,2 %South Korea 143 152 125 120 122 114 - 6,6 %

Students from Asian countries are of great importance to RWTH Aachen University, as they comprise39% of all international students at RWTH. Compared to the figures of the last survey (WS 2005/06),the percentage of Asian students has slightly dropped (2005: 40.3% of all international students),

while the percentage of students from the EU (2005: 26.2%), South America (2005:2.7%) and NorthAmerica has increased.


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I.3 Distribution of International Students by Faculties (WS 2007/08)In the present section, the distribution of international students by faculties is delineated. As expected,most students are enrolled at the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Science andat the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Over 40% of the international students belong to thesefaculties.

Figure 3International Students of RWTH Aachen University by Faculties WS 07/08

Fac. 2

5%

Fac. 3

3%

Fac. 5

11%

Fac. 6

13%

Fac. 8

5%

Fac 10

7%

Fak. 7

10%

Fac. 4

20%

Fac. 1

21%

Studienkolleg

4%

Faculty 1: Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural ScienceFaculty 2: Faculty of ArchitectureFaculty 3: Faculty of Civil EngineeringFaculty 4: Faculty of Mechanical EngineeringFaculty 5: Faculty of Georesources and Materials EngineeringFaculty 6: Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information TechnologyFaculty 7: Faculty of Arts and HumanitiesFaculty 8: Faculty of Business and EconomicsFaculty 10: Faculty of MedicineStudienkolleg: Preparatory Course for International Students

In table 2, the study courses are ranked according to their number of international students inthe winter semester of 07/08, also showing their respective percentage of female and malestudents. It can be seen that even though Mechanical Engineering has the highest number ofenrolled internationals students, its percentage of international students of 14% is below theaverage percentage of international students. With a quota of 30%, Computer Science hasthe highest percentage of international students.


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Table 2Subject Areas with more than 100 International Students, ranked according to InternationalStudent Numbers (WS 2007/08), including Percentages of Male and Female Students

I.4 Doctoral StudentsFigures 4 and 5 show the numbers of enrolled national and international doctoral studentsbetween the winter term of 1995/96 and the winter term of 2007/08, distinguishingbetween the genders. The numbers show a very positive development: within the last twelveyears, there was an increase from 289 doctoral students in the winter term 1995/96 to 788doctoral students in the winter term 2008/08, which amounts to an increase by 270%. In thesame period, however, the number of German doctoral students decreased from 3,368 in thewinter term of 1995/96 to 3,117 in the winter term of 2007/08 a slight drop by 7.5%.

Subject

Mechanical Engineering 7.132 1.026 14,4 147 14,3 879 85,7Electrical Engineering andInformation Technology 2.678 692 25,8 145 21,0 547 79,0Computer Science 2.149 632 29,4 154 24,4 478 75,6Medicine 2.153 312 14,5 136 43,6 176 56,4Architecture 1.500 257 17,1 132 51,4 125 48,6Metallurgy and MaterialsTechnology 899 248 27,6 60 24,2 188 75,8Economics and Business 1.550 245 15,8 154 62,9 91 37,1Studienkolleg/GermanLanguage Course 217 207 95,4 72 34,8 135 65,2

Chemistry 905 174 19,2 85 48,9 89 51,1Raw Materials and WasteDisposal Technology 757 169 22,3 49 29,0 120 71,0Civil Engineering 1.076 165 15,3 36 21,8 129 78,2German Studies 1.490 156 10,5 126 80,8 30 19,2Political Science 581 151 26,0 105 69,5 46 30,5Physics 1.158 113 9,8 24 21,2 89 78,8Geography 798 111 13,9 61 55,0 50 45,0Biology 1.065 100 9,4 58 58,0 42 42,0

%

male

internationalstudents %

total no ofstudents

internationalstudents %

female

internationalstudents


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Figure 4International Doctoral Students at RWTH Aachen University, WS 1995/96 - WS 2007/08

International Doctoral Students

0100200300400500600700800900

WS95/96

WS97/98

WS99/00

WS01/02

WS03/04

WS05/06

WS07/08

Semester

Quantity

Female

Male

Figure 5German Doctoral Students at RWTH Aachen University, WS 1995/96 - WS 2007/08

German Doctoral Students

0500

1.0001.5002.0002.5003.0003.5004.000

WS95/96

WS97/98

WS99/00

WS01/02

WS03/04

WS05/06

WS07/08

Semester

Quantity Female

Male

Figure 6 shows the countries of origin of the international doctoral students in the winter term of2006/07. In this figure, only countries sending more than 20 doctoral students to RWTH AachenUniversity are taken into account. Again, as with student numbers, China contributes the highestnumber of international doctoral students at RWTH Aachen. Further important countries in thisrespect are Iran, India, Poland, Russian, and Turkey.


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Figure 6International Doctoral Students of RWTH Aachen University by Nationality

International Doctoral Students WS 06/07 (>20 per country)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Chin

aIra

nIn

dia

Polan

d

Russia

Turkey

Gree

ce

Egpy

t

Romania

Thailan

d

Indo

nesia

Nationality

Quantity Female

Male

I.5 International Students in Exchange Programmes and ScholarshipStudentsApart from students who intend to complete a full study course at RWTH Aachen University, there

are also a large number of students in exchange programmes or so-called free movers, who come toRWTH Aachen University just for one or a couple of semesters but do not intend to graduate atRWTH.

Table 3 gives an overview of international scholarship holders and students in the various exchangeprogrammes. The list is ranked according to the importance of the respective programme. Thenumber of scholarship students is a good indicator of RWTH Aachen Universitys internationalvisibility and reputation, as scholarship students quite frequently choose their host universitythemselves.

Table 3

International Students of RWTH Aachen University by Funding Programmes,Academic Years 2001/02 - 2007/08

Programme 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08

Total 4.536 4.927 5.371 5.612 5.640 5.555 5.183Out of which

DAAD scholarshipholders

176 231 288 295 298 311 180

Students in EUProgrammes*

350 360 308 288 281 395 442

Partnerships andFoundations

145 120 129 120 120 118 125

*EU Programmes comprise the Erasmus, Leonardo, TIME, Unitech, and IDEA-League fundingprogrammes.


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I.6 International Alumni

Figure 7 shows the distribution of former international students of RWTH AachenUniversity according to their current home or contact addresses. The figure only takesinto account those former students who are still in contact with RWTH Aachen and thusdoes not reflect the actual number of international students and graduates of theuniversity.

Figure 7

Alumni* of RWTH Aachen University from Abroad (status: March 2008)

Today, RWTH Aachen University has 20 alumni representative offices in 20 countries:

Egypt Argentina Brasil Chile China

Great Britain Greece India Indonesia Iran Jordan Luxembourg The Netherlands South Korea Turkey Tunisia

Taiwan Thailand USA Vietnam

Asia Australia

Europe

South America

North America

Africa

573

195

131

10

20

33

Total Alumni Abroad: 962


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I.7 Mentoring and Special Programmes for International StudentsAdequate mentoring, support and supervision of international students at RWTH Aachen University isguaranteed through institutionally defined service programmes which contribute significantly to thevisibility of RWTH Aachen University as an international educational institution. In the report period, ahost of measures were tested and implemented which are to extend the universitys already

substantial support services. Some of these measures are introduced in the following sections.

Info Service Centre for International Students and ResearchersSince the winter term of 2006/07, the Info Service Centre of the International Office assistsinternational students with completing the necessary formalities after their arrival in Aachen by takingthem along to the Residents Registration Office, the Foreign Nationals Office, a health insuranceoffice and a financial institution where they can open a bank account. The International Office alsoorganises Orientation Days for newly enrolled international students, offering events andpresentations in English and German which are to introduce international students to importantpersons of contact and facilitate a successful start to their studies. Further, within the so-calledLeisure & Pleasure programme, the ISC organises various events and cultural activities for

internationals students and guest researchers. INCAS, the Intercultural Centre for Students in Aachen,is funded by and works on behalf of the International Offices of RWTH Aachen University and theAachen University of Applied Sciences. It is the aim of INCAS to take care of international students byorganising cultural events and activities as well as by promoting intercultural dialogue betweenstudents from all over the world.

Humboldt HausThe Humboldt Haus on Pontstrae functions as a lively meeting point for German and internationalstudents of RWTH Aachen University. First and foremost, it is a place where international studentscan meet and get to know each other as well as their German fellow students. The activities of thehouse are coordinated by a social education worker who sees to it that there is a lively programme ofstudent activities and events with an international focus and is the first person of contact for therepresentatives of the various international student organisations. An advisory board, consistingequally of students and representatives of the university administration, provides advice on and co-determines the houses activities. By hosting events, organising workshops and lectures, theHumboldt Haus contributes significantly to enhancing the quality of student life in Aachen.

Summer School for Students of Keio University, JapanIn 2007, the first three-week Summer School on Engineering, German Language and Culture tookplace at RWTH Aachen University, whose programme was designed exclusively for students of KeioUniversity, Japan. The programme consisted of courses in engineering and the natural sciences, anintensive course in German, and a number of cultural and social events which provided the Japanesestudents with the opportunity to meet committed German students. A large part of the courses was

offered by the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), complemented byseminars held by the Chairs of Process Systems Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Physics, andInorganic Chemistry. In addition, the students visited several companies in the region. The intensivelanguage course provided by the Language Centre of RWTH Aachen University gave the students theopportunity to improve their German language skills in daily lessons. A comprehensive culturalprogramme organised by the International Office provided ample opportunities to get in contact withGerman students and enabled the participants to get to know the region of Aachen.

I.8 International Student Organisations at RWTH Aachen UniversityCurrently, more than 5000 students from all over the world are enrolled at RWTH Aachen University.Many of those students are engaged in various international student clubs and societies, who take

care of international students especially newly enrolled ones and contribute to the cultural life inAachen and at the university. Currently there are 30 societies registered with RWTH AachenUniversitys International Office, which are eligible for funding.


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II. RWTH Students in Study Abroad Programmes

Study abroad programmes contribute in an important way to the internationalisation of academicstudies. The most successful programme enabling students to study abroad is the Erasmus exchange

programme. But there are also other exchange schemes organised at faculty or university level. In thiscontext, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) must be named as the most importantfunding body for scholarships enabling students to study abroad. Table 4 gives an overview ofstudents participating in structured mobility schemes and study abroad programmes under thesupervision of the International Office. Stays abroad organised by the students themselves (so-calledfree movers) have not been taken into account.

Table 4RWTH Students in Study Abroad Programmes, WS 2001/02 2007/08

Programme 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08

DAAD Scholarships 100 95 100 95 90 95 90ERASMUS 243 222 221 354 351 399* 400*Fulbright 2 2 0 1 2 1 1ISAP International Study andEducation Partnerships

14 12 9 12 12 6 3

IDEA League** 2 1 5 3LEONARDO 0 23 22 14Otto Junker Foundation 5 5 4 2 1 1 -T.I.M.E. Top IndustrialManagers for Europe

5 10 7 8 11 12 7

UNITECH 7 4 5 5 14 32 18Exchange Programmes with

Japan (Osaka, Sendai, Tokio)

n/a n/a n/a n/a 2 2 2

Total Number 376 350 346 479 507 575 538*ERASMUS outgoings with and without funding support**IDEA League: vertical mobility/research grant

Short description of the individual programmes:DAAD Individual scholarships of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)Erasmus EU-funded student mobility scheme for EU students. As part of bilateral

partnerships between higher education institutions study abroad periods of 3-12 months are possible.

Fulbright Support programme for study abroad periods in the USA. Selection ofcandidates by the university; final decision made by the Fulbright Commission.

ISAP International Study and Education Partnerships programme, DAAD funding,partner universities in the USA and in Japan

IDEA League Collaborative network between Imperial College London, the Delft Universityof Technology, ETH Zrich, Paris Tech, and RWTH Aachen University.

LEONARDO Funding programme for internships within the EUOtto-JunkerFoundation Support programme funding study abroad in the fields of Metallurgy and

Materials Science, Electrical Engineering and Information TechnologyT.I.M.E. Double degree programme with the cole Centrale Paris in the fields of

Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials Technology, and ElectricalEngineering and Information Technology.

UNITECH Study abroad plus industrial placement scheme in the fields of Engineering,Physics, and Computer Science.


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Table 5 shows the number of RWTH students who participated in the EU-funded Erasmus exchangeprogramme in the academic years 2005/06 and 2006/07 by field of study. Stays abroad organised byindividual students outside of formal exchange programmes (free movers) have not been takeninto account.

Table 5Erasmus Students of RWTH Aachen University by Field of Study (Outgoings) 2007

Field of Study Year Number Months funded Total Funding()02 Architecture 2005/06 39 357 43.060,35 02 Architecture 2006/07 49 450 65.266,00

06 Engineering, TechnologyCivil EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMaterials Technology/MiningMechanical Engineering

2005/06 102 846 102.836,55

06 Engineering, TechnologyCivil EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMaterials Technology/MiningMechanical Engineering

2006/07 138 1117 159.740,50

07 Geography, Geology 2005/06 6 35 4.229,75 07 Geography, Geology 2006/07 5 34 4.845,00

08 Arts and Humanities09 Literature and Linguistics

2005/062005/06

1440

66259

8.079,30 31.413,40

08 Arts and Humanities09 Literature and Linguistics

2006/072006/07

1444

78229

11.225,00 42.693,00

11 Computer Science andMathematics

2005/06 24 201 24.290,85

11 Computer Science andMathematics

2006/07 20 151 21.517,50

12 Medical Sciences 2005/06 25 184 22.236,40 12 Medical Sciences 2006/07 29 174 24.795,00

13 Natural Sciences:PhysicsChemistryBiology

2005/06 42 292 35.538,20

13 Natural Sciences:

PhysicsChemistryBiology

2006/07 39 244 35.073,50

14 Social Sciences andEconomics

2005/06 23 163 19.698,55

14 Social Sciences andEconomics

2006/07 22 143 20.377,50

15 Communication andMedia Studies

2005/06 2 14 1.691,00

15 Communication andMedia Studies

2006/07 1 5 712,50

2005/06 323 2452 297.305,00 Total2006/07 370 2754 394.653,00


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III. Study Programmes with a Strong InternationalFocusStudy programmes which involve cooperation with international partner institutions, integrated studyabroad schemes, foreign-language teaching, and joint degree programmes with international partneruniversities can be considered an indicator of the increasing internationalisation of studies andteaching.

In this context, RWTH Aachen Universitys bachelors programme Business Administration can benamed, which includes a mandatory internship or, alternatively, an integrated study abroad schemeat one of the currently 33 partner universities. Further study programmes with a strong internationalfocus are those which are devised in close cooperation with partner universities (joint degrees) as wellas the English-taught masters programmes.

In the winter term of 2007/08, the following English-taught masters programmes were offered byRWTH Aachen University:

Biomedical Engineering Communications Engineering Electrical Power Engineering Media Informatics Metallurgical Engineering Software Systems Engineering

Further, RWTH International Academy as a private institution offers five further English-taughtmasters programmes:

Automotive Engineering Combustion Engines Computer Aided Conception and Production in Mechanical Engineering

Lasers in Dentistry Production Systems Engineering

In the framework of the IDEA League partnership, a firstjoint study programme of the affiliateduniversities was launched in the winter semester of 2006/07: the English-taught AppliedGeophysics study programme was jointly created by the Delft University of Technology, ETH Zrich,and RWTH Aachen University in order to meet the strongly increased demand for graduates in thefield of applied geophysics. Students stay at each of the partner universities for one semester andwork on their thesis in the fourth semester at a university of their choice.

The European Master in Informatics (EuMI) degree course is being funded by the ErasmusMundus co-operation and mobility programme of the European Commission. The degreeprogramme is jointly run by RWTH Aachen University, the University of Trento and the University ofEdinburgh. The Erasmus Mundus programme offers funding opportunities for students from outsidethe European Union.

In November 2007, six students from RWTH Aachen University were awarded their masters degreesfrom Tsinghua University in Beijing. These students completed one of the English-taught "ProductionEngineering" or "Automotive Engineering" masters programmes jointly created by the prestigiousChinese educational institution and RWTH Aachen University.


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IV. International Academic StaffIV.1 Overview of the International Academic Staff

As can be seen from table 6, in the winter term of 2007/08, the faculties 1 to 8 of RWTH Aachen

University employed a total of 594 international academic staff, which amounts to an increase of 6%by comparison with the last internationalisation report. The greatest increase can be reported in thecategory of international professors within the regular budget: their number has increased by 22%,from 27 in the winter term of 2005/06 to 33 in the winter term of 2007/08.

Table 6International Academic Staff of RWTH Aachen University (counted in persons)Faculty 1 to 8 (Status: 31.12.2007)

Regular budget(public funding)

Third partyfunding

Total

International professors 33 0 33

International academic civil servants 9 0 9

International academic employees 148 303 451

International research assistants 35 42 77

International adjunct lecturers 0 24 24

Total 225 369 594

In the current report, statistical data on international academic staff employed by the faculty ofmedicine are newly introduced. A total of 136 international academic staff are employed in the fieldof medical science. As with the other faculties, most of the international staff employed by the facultyof medicine is financed through third-party funding.

Faculty 10 - Medicine (Status 31.12.2007) (counted in persons)Regular budget(public funding)

Third partyfunding

Total

International professors 5 0 5

International academic employees 50 76 126Total 55 76 136


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IV.2 Support Services for the International Academic Staff

Registering of international Visiting ResearchersSince August 2006, the Info Service Centre of the International Office (ISC) offers a registration formfor international visiting researchers as part of their online services. The ISC offers various services to

registered visiting academics, e.g. advice on visa issues or help with finding suitable accommodation.Further, the staff of the ISC offers to accompany visiting scholars to the Residents Registration Office,the Foreign Nationals Office, a health insurance office and a financial institution where they can opena bank account. Since the introduction of the possibility to register visiting scholars with theInternational Office, 245 academics have been registered, which enabled them to make use of theISCs comprehensive service programme.

The Doc.net Network for Doctoral StudentsIn autumn 2007, RWTH Aachen University has introduced Doc.net, a programme for non-subjectspecific mentoring of international doctoral students. Thanks to the support of the German AcademicExchange Service (DAAD), events and activities such as regular informal meetings of doctoral

students, welcome meetings, German language courses, and workshops in English are on offer.Further, doctoral students may take up Teaching Assistantships to help finance their studies.


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V. Partnerships of RWTH Aachen UniversityV.1 Erasmus PartnershipsIn the spring of 2007, RWTH Aachen University has signed its 500th Erasmus partnership. ERASMUSis an acronym which stands for European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University

Students. The programme was created 20 years ago in order to promote the mobility of studentswithin the European Union. Apart from furthering their academic qualification, students are enabledto experience a different cultural environment, develop their language skills, and improve theiremployability within an international market. Erasmus partnerships facilitate the mobility of studentsand lecturers in both directions. The number of partnership agreements in the winter semester of2007/08 is displayed in figure 8.

Figure 8Sokrates/Erasmus Partnerships of RWTH Aachen University 2007/08

Map legend: first number: partners, second number: agreements. Usually, a partnership agreement is made for

a certain field of study or discipline; therefore several agreements can be signed with one partner institution.In total, there are 278 partnerships with 532 agreements.

V.2 Worldwide University PartnershipsRWTH Aachen University currently cooperates with more than a hundred partners world widethrough official cooperation agreements. The terms of these agreements vary, but in general theyconcern student exchange schemes, the organisation of joint summer schools, and collaboration inresearch.

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V.3 International Alliances and NetworksInternational relations are of great importance to RWTH Aachen University. Cooperation andcompetition with international top-level universities set high standards for internal developmentprocesses, provide stronger links and mutual benefits between teaching and research, and enhancethe international visibility of RWTH Aachen University as a research, educational, and serviceinstitution. RWTH is a member of several international organisations and networks.

RWTH Aachen University considers IDEA League to be its most significant collaborative partnership.IDEA League is a collaborative network between Imperial College London, the Delft University ofTechnology, ETH Zrich, ParisTech, and RWTH Aachen University, which can be considered theleading universities of their countries in the fields of engineering and technology. For eight years now,IDEA League has been promoting the collaboration between the universities through joint degreeprogrammes, research initiatives, joint strategy papers, and quality management initiatives.

Further networks of RWTH Aachen University are as follows:

ALMA Regional alliance between the University of Lige, Maastricht University, Hasselt University,

and RWTH Aachen UniversityCESAER Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and ResearchEUA European University AssociationIAU International Association of UniversitiesIDEA League Network between Imperial College London, the Delft University of Technology, ETH Zrich,

ParisTech, and RWTH Aachen UniversitySEFI Socit Europenne pour la Formation des IngnieursTIME Double degree programme network, coordinated by the cole Centrale de ParisUNITECH Collaboration of leading European technical universities with enterprises to complement

excellent engineering degrees with management skills and intercultural competencies

V.4 Activities AbroadThe projects described in the present section can be subsumed under the heading of OffshoreActivities: not only does RWTH Aachen University participate in the establishment of universities orfaculties abroad, but its study programmes and modules are increasingly being adopted byinternational universities. Further, there are partnerships which allow the awarding of nationalacademic degrees by international educational institutions.Currently, RWTH Aachen University is actively involved in the following projects:

Beijing Office

In 2006, in order to strengthen and extend the ties between RWTH Aachen University and Chineseeducational institutions, students, and researchers, RWTH has opened a representative office in

Beijing. The liaison office, which was inaugurated in October 2006, is located in the German CentreBeijing, which is also the home to further German research organisations as well as the German-Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Apart from strengthening relations with Chinese researchers andtheir organisations, the team of the liaison office is dedicated to recruiting top-level students fromChina. The office provides information on study programmes and opportunities for doctoral studies,and it prepares prospective students who seek to take up a study programme at RWTH AachenUniversity for their stay in Germany. The office is also the first point of contact for exchange studentsof RWTH in China as well as for Chinese graduates of RWTH Aachen. Further, it aims to keep intouch with Chinese visiting researchers and members of RWTH in China.

German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech)

In Muscat, the German University of Technology in Oman is currently being established, followingthe Aachen model of industry-oriented engineering education. Founded on the initiative of theirExcellencies Sheikh Abdullah al-Salmi and Sheikh Saud Bin Ali al Khalili, this technical university will


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enrich and lend a special character to the academic and scientific landscape in Oman. In closecooperation with the Omanian founders, RWTH Aachen coordinates the establishment of thisuniversity, drawing on its experience in teaching, research and innovation. Special emphasis will beplaced on the creation of links between the worlds of teaching, research and business as it isestablished practice at RWTH Aachen University.

In the first development stage until 2012, four faculties with one bachelors and one mastersprogramme each are envisaged: the Faculty of Sciences (study programme: Information Technology),the Faculty of Engineering (study programme: Production Engineering), the Faculty of EnvironmentalStudies (study programme: Urban and Regional Planning), and the Faculty of Earth Sciences (studyprogramme: Applied Geosciences). A one-year study course which is to prepare students for thebachelors programme is on offer since the winter term of 2007/08.

Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering

Since 1997 RWTH Aachen has been cooperating with King Mongkuts Institute of Technology NorthBangkok, and both institutions have collaborated in establishing the Thai-German Graduate School ofEngineering (TGGS). In the autumn of 2007, the TGGS moved into its own building in the North ofBangkok. In the winter term of 2007/08, 140 students are enrolled in the "Mechanicals and MaterialsEngineering" and "Electrical and Computer Engineering" master's programmes. Adopting RWTHteaching modules, the study courses on offer in Bangkok since 2002 are taught in English, largely byThai lecturers. But also professors from RWTH Aachen are teaching at the TGGS, most often in theform of block seminars. Apart from teaching, they seek to establish research collaborations and buildrelationships with industry in Thailand. At the TGGS, RWTH Aachen University is responsible forquality management in teaching and research.


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VI. International Research CollaborationsRWTH Aachen University has a large number of cooperation relations with prestigious universitiesand international enterprises, a fact which is made evident not only by several joint projectsconducted in cooperation with international partners, but also by the numerous international patentstaken out by the university. In the period between 2002 and 2007, 40 international patents were filed

by RWTH Aachen.

Apart from being a member of the IDEA League collaborative network, RWTH has close and long-standing relationships with a large number of educational and research institutions. In six well-definedresearch areas, joint research projects are being conducted with the NTNU Trondheim, for example.In this context, twenty years of cooperation with the Technion, Israel and the Research Centre Jlichdeserve special mention. In 2007, within this collaborative initiative, internal project funding wasmade available for the first time in the field of nanotechnology. Further, a joint symposium on"Future Energy" was held at RWTH Aachen University to great success. Of especial significance isalso the international collaboration in teaching and research based on the Aachen model of industry-oriented engineering education at the Thai-German Graduate School in Bangkog, Thailand.

Aachen's unique location in the "Euregio" border region is apt to enhance and accelerate researchactivities and technology transfer between Germany and the neighbouring states of Belgium and theNetherlands. As an example, the cross-border cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce andIndustry Aachen (IHK), RWTH Aachen University and the Province of Limburg (NL) within theframework of the "International Clause" can be named. It is the aim of the formal cooperationagreement to promote the interregional technology and knowledge transfer and to facilitatecooperation between research and educational institutions and the business community. As a result, ahost of innovative projects have been jointly defined by RWTH Aachen University and participatingcompanies in the Province of Limburg.

One of the best practice examples of the cross-border collaboration between small-to-medium

enterprises (SMEs) and RWTH Aachen University is the "Kennismakelaar" (knowledge broker)project. Within this project, Dutch SMEs are given the opportunity to receive innovation vouchers (i.e.vouchers worth 20,000) which can be used to commission R&D projects to be conducted by RWTHAachen University. So far, more than 10 collaborative projects have been initiated.

A further example for the on-going knowledge and technology transfer process within the Euregio isthe "Energy Hills" cluster, a collaborative network of regional energy research and productioncompanies and educational institutions. It is the aim of the network to offer a common institutionalframework for research establishments, educational institutions and energy producers as well as tobring together diverse parties and initiatives from both Germany and the Netherlands. RWTH AachenUniversity plays an active role in this unique European cooperative venture: not only is the head of

the Energy Hills cluster a member of RWTH Aachen, but several departments and institutes of theuniversity participate in the activities of the network.

Under the name of ELAT (Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle), universities, cities and other playerscollaborate to realise concrete research projects and to strengthen the potential of the cross-bordertechnology region between Flanders, the Netherlands, and North-Rhine Westphalia. In this context,the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium (Flanders) together with several partners, including theEntrepreneurship Centre of RWTH Aachen University, has organised a joint master class to promoteentrepreneurship in the high-tech industry, acquainting prospective young entrepreneurs with theopportunities of setting up a high-tech company within this European technology region.


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Documents

Internationalisation_Report_(Summary) of RWTH