The shortage of skilled workers is worsening, global economic interdependencies are increasing - this has also been a concern for the Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) for years. In Krefeld and Mönchengladbach in particular, where the HSNR has three campuses, almost one in four citizens is of foreign origin. The increasingly international regional structure is thus also directly reflected in the diversity of students and prospective students.

For the HSNR, this means that international cooperation with partner universities and companies is becoming increasingly important for science and research as well as for studies and teaching education. It has therefore launched an internationalization strategy. This was a declared goal in the university development plan. It has now been published and is available to download as a document from the website. It defines three specific areas of action that are to be implemented by 2027:

Studies and teaching education are to be made more international

In future, modules are to be taught in English at each of the ten faculties. Low-threshold offers will also become more important in order to enable students who are not or partially mobile to gain intercultural experience. This can be achieved, for example, through digital courses and short-term stays (summer schools, international weeks). Existing programs for international students who are committed to helping other fellow students of non-German origin in everyday campus life will be expanded. In this way, the welcoming culture is to be lived more internationally.

Global orientation of research and transfer

Financial support is needed to implement more projects with a global focus and thus open up new collaborations with universities, companies and organizations. For this reason, further funding bodies are to be brought on board, including at EU level. The HSNR places a particular focus on the topics of sustainability and digitalization.

Implementing the third mission in an international dimension

The dialog with social stakeholders (third mission) is not only to be advanced on a regional and national level. Rather, the HSNR wants to work more closely with universities in disadvantaged countries and initiate projects. There should be more educational and integration opportunities for refugees and prospective students from less privileged regions of origin.

With funding from the DAAD's HAW.International funding line, the structural framework for implementing the internationalization strategy was created at the beginning of 2022. Since then, the HSNR has already built up a network of over 100 partner universities.

The Hochschule Niederrhein's internationalization strategy can be viewed on its website: https: //www.hsnr.de/internationalisierungsstrategie