The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) is the creative number 1 in all of North Rhine-Westphalia. This place was awarded by the Art Directors Club for Germany (ADC).

For the university ranking, the jury evaluated the best semester, degree and practical work submitted by students in German-speaking countries to the ADC Talent Award competition for young talent over the past three years. This is the only nationwide competition for young talent that covers all creative Degree programmes and disciplines.

A total of 54 universities were represented. With 39 points, HSNR, with its Krefeld and Mönchengladbach campuses, topped the list of educational institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia - well ahead of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences as runner-up (26 points).

"Design and design departments at universities are the only educational institutions in Germany that do not teach academic or engineering thinking, but applied creative thinking. This gives them a key role, especially in a time of crisis. Because problems need good ideas to be solved," says Prof. Richard Jung, describing the importance of this discipline. He sits on the Executive Board of ADC in the area of research and teaching education, is responsible for the Talent Award and teaches communication design and corporate identity at the Hochschule Niederrhein.

The ADC has around 800 leading figures in creative communication, including designers, journalists, architects, illustrators, directors, composers and producers.