FH Aachen

The FH Aachen – Aachen University of Applied Sciences is one of the biggest Fachhochschulen in Germany with roughly 15,000 students, 250 professors, 470 contract lecturers, and 340 assistants. It is specialized in certain topical areas (e.g. technology, engineering, business, design).

Not to be confused with RWTH Aachen.
FH Aachen – University of Applied Sciences
MottoPraktisch gut. Theoretisch auch.
Motto in English
Good in practice. And in theory.
TypePublic
Established1971
ChancellorMarcus Baumann
Academic staff
520
Administrative staff
700
Students15.100 (WS 2020/2021)[1]
Location
Aachen and Jülich
,
North Rhine-Westfalia
,
Germany

50°45′25.11″N 6°5′42.77″E
Campus4 Urban Campus in Aachen
1 Rural Campus in Jülich
ColorsMint, White and Black    
Websitefh-aachen.de

The FH Aachen ranks as the first best among the Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany in the fields of Electrical, Mechanical engineering and Informatics.[2] Ten Faculties offer 53 Bachelor's, 22 Master's and three cooperative degree programmes.

The FH Aachen is situated in Aachen and in Jülich.

History

The FH Aachen was established in 1971 as a result of the amalgamation of several universities of applied sciences and vocational training centres.[3] Thus, it can look back on a practice-oriented educational tradition going back more than 100 years.[4] The Federal Framework Law for Education in 1976 raised the legal status of all Fachhochschulen to a position equal to that of traditional universities. Within the context of law, the FH Aachen, like all other FHs, is autonomous, meaning that freedom of teaching, research and academic self-administration are guaranteed rights.

Faculties
  • Faculty 1: Architecture
  • Faculty 2: Civil Engineering
  • Faculty 3: Chemistry and Biotechnology
  • Faculty 4: Arts and Design
  • Faculty 5: Electrical Engineering and IT
  • Faculty 6: Aerospace Engineering
  • Faculty 7: Business Studies
  • Faculty 8: Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
  • Faculty 9: Medical technology and Applied mathematics
  • Faculty 10: Energy technology

Degree Programmes

FH Aachen offers 48 Bachelor's, 22 Master's and three cooperative degree programmes. Dual degree programmes have been developed in recent years at the FH Aachen in close cooperation with the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Some of the degree programmes have an international focus[5] (IOS), which means that the courses are given in English during the first two semesters and in German in the following semesters.[6]

Locations

Seven of the ten faculties, with a total of over 8,000 students, are located in Aachen: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Design, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Aerospace Engineering, Business Studies, Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics. Furthermore, the Rectorate, the Head Office and the Central Library are also here. Three faculties with more than 3,000 students altogether are located in Jülich: Chemistry and Biotechnology, Medical Technology and Applied Mathematics as well as Energy Technology. All services for students, such as academic counselling, the Department of International Affairs, the Registrar's Office, department libraries, student dormitories and cafeterias, are available both in Aachen and in Jülich. While the Jülich site displays a campus atmosphere since all facilities are together in one place, the Aachen site is not a campus university. Its facilities are spread across the city of Aachen in seven buildings, some of which have a long tradition.

International Activities

The FH Aachen maintains partnerships with 170 universities around the world. The students benefit from this cross-border network because it enables them to gain valuable overseas experience in the framework of their studies. The Department of International Affairs[7] is the contact concerning all international topics at the FH Aachen.

Department of International Affairs

The Department of International Affairs provides services for international students, researchers and academic staff, as well as for students of FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences who would like to spend a period abroad. Furthermore, it centralizes, coordinates and handles international cooperation activities at the university.

Some of the activities offered include: support for international students and academic staff, advice for German students who plan to study abroad, coordination of cooperation with international organizations, support in cooperation and partnership agreements with universities worldwide, allocation of scholarships to international and German students, advice to faculties regarding third-party funding and international recruitment, information to the university community about the various international programs available within the scope of higher education, and ensure the presence of the Aachen FH University of Applied Sciences at international educational meetings and forums.

Freshman Institute

The Freshman Institute is a central academic organization within the FH Aachen (Aachen University of Applied Sciences). Its aim is to enable international applicants to qualify for a place on a degree program in Germany. Due to the program's special status, the regulations of the German Central Office for External Education Systems (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen, ZAB) are replaced by the program's own entrance examinations, not only for the programs in German, but also those offered in the English language. After successfully completing the Freshman year, students can apply to universities in Germany. Similar in form and function to the first year of a four-year bachelor's degree programme that is common in the Anglo-Saxon educational system, the freshman year is financed solely from the fees paid by its students.

  • History of the Freshman Institute
2001
• Project Director: Professor Herman-Josef Buchkremer, Rector of the FH Aachen
• The first complete Freshman year under the provisional management of the AcIAS (Aachen Institute of Applied Sciences e.V.) with 30 students from China
2002
• Decrease in the number of students after the establishment of the "Akademische Prüfstelle" (APS) at the German embassy in Beijing and the outbreak of the SARS epidemic
2005
• Establishment of the Freshman program as a model project through the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) Department of Education
2006
• Approved by the "Akademische Prüfstelle" (APS), 60 students, of which 44 are Chinese
• FH Aachen/Freshman Institute offers its own entrance exam in the home countries of prospective students
• Students live and learn on the Linnich Campus.
2007
• Establishment of the Freshman Institute as a central organization of the FH Aachen
• Director: Professor Herman-Josef Buchkremer
• 130 students, mostly from China, Azerbaijan and Turkey
2008
• 190 students from China, India, Indonesia and Iran
• Partner universities expanded to include the University Duisburg-Essen and the Fachhochschule Südwestfalen.
2009
• 240 students
• 45 students live and learn in Geilenkirchen at Loherhof and, for the first time, students are prepared to study business
• The Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences becomes a partner institution
• 40 state scholarships are granted for the first time
2010
• The Geilenkirchen campus expands to include programs in business, humanities and medicine
• The Forschungszentrum Jülich (Research Centre Jülich) offers the first internships for Freshmen
• 285 students
2012
• Campus Bedburg-Hau opens with 85 students
2013
• Linnich campus is closed
• New student housing is built on the Geilenkirchen campus
2014
• Due to limited capacity at the Geilenkirchen and Bedburg-Hau campuses, 40 students live and study in Aachen
2015
• 500 students from 30 countries are enrolled in the Freshman program in the winter semester 2015
2017
• Freshman applicants from China, Vietnam and Mongolia can apply for a visa directly at their consulates without APS, as long as they continue their studies at a university in North Rhine-Westphalia after completion of the Freshman year
2018
• The Freshman year in Kenitra, Morocco opens
• New director as of 1 September 2018: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Josef Hodapp
• The campus Bedburg-Hau is closed
2019
• The Freshman Institute offers now two new study courses "Rail Vehicle Engineering" and "Optometry" with guaranteed study places.
2020
• Everything was different in 2020, but travel bans, closed embassies, and health and security regulations didn’t stop the Freshman Program 2020/2021 from starting in October 2020. By the end of December 2020, more than half of the students were physically present in Germany. All the students attended classes together – either online if they were still in their home countries or in classrooms at the Geilenkirchen campus. Entrance exams were offered regularly online, thus giving more applicants from all over the world the opportunity to join the Freshman Institute.

Institutes

Institutes are scientific institutions of the university. They bundle competencies to carry out intensive research and development. This takes place in cooperation with institutes of other universities in Germany and abroad, with research institutions and frequently with industry. The FH Aachen currently has the following institutes:[8]

  • Institute of Building Materials and Construction
  • I.F.I. institute for industrial aerodynamics GmbH, institute at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences
  • 3win-IfiM – Institute of Innovative Mechanical Engineering, institute at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences
  • Institute for Thermoprocess Technology GmbH, institute at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences

Campus Jülich

  • IAP - Institute of Applied Polymer Chemistry, based at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Jülich.
  • Institute of Bioengineering
  • Institute of Nano- and Biotechnologies
  • Institute NOWUM-Energy
  • Solar-Institute Jülich

Rectors
  • 1971-1984: Helmut Strehl
  • 1984-1987: Hildegard Reitz
  • 1987-1991: René Flosdorff
  • 1991-2005: Josef Buchkremer
  • 2005-2009: Manfred Schulte-Zurhausen
  • 2009-2021: Marcus Baumann[9]
  • from 2021: Bernd Pietschmann[10]


  • Administration
  • Campus Bayernallee
  • Campus Eupener Straße
  • Campus Goethestraße
  • Campus Hohenstaufenallee

References
  1. "Über 15.000 Studierende: FH Aachen vermeldet neuen Studierendenrekord" (PDF). www.fh-aachen.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  2. FH Aachen website covering recent ranking results of the German business publication "WirtschaftsWoche"
  3. "FH Aachen - Aachen, Germany". www.bionity.com. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  4. Brochure: Studying at the FH Aachen
  5. International Oriented Studies
  6. Brochure: Studying at the FH Aachen
  7. Department of International Affaires
  8. Institutes (German)
  9. German Newspaper Article about Marcus Baumann
  10. "Prof. Dr. Bernd Pietschmann zum neuen Rektor der FH Aachen gewählt" (PDF). www.fh-aachen.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-12-03.
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