Alumni Newsletter
May 2024

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Dear alumni of The Hochschule Niederrhein,

May is always a very popular month at universities. The semester is underway, everyone is here, events can finally take place outside again and public holidays allow for long, relaxing weekends. Speaking of events - the campus festival took place again this year and the first graduation ceremonies were successfully held. As I write this, the Open Day in Mönchengladbach, the MG ZIEHT AN recruitment fairs and the "designberufe rufen" are taking place. Building projects have been completed or are starting. And the racing team will soon be starting the racing season again, hopefully successfully for the first time with the electric car.

 

Enjoy reading!

Karla Kaminski
Alumni Coordinator

Contact person

Dipl.-Biol. Karla Kaminski
Alumni Coordinator University Communications
A successful partnership for many years
NOFFZ and HSNR

What began in 1989 in the basement of Dipl. Ing. Wilfried Noffz's home is now one of the top 100 most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany - NOFFZ Technologies GmbH. The company develops and produces test systems and automation solutions for the entire product development process. The company's test and measurement systems are established in the automotive and telecommunications industries as well as in the consumer electronics, smart home and medical sectors. Headquartered in Tönisvorst, NOFFZ Technologies now has a total of nine locations in Germany, the USA, China, Mexico, Hungary and Serbia and is managed by Tobias Noffz, the son of company founder Wilfried Noffz, Markus Solbach and Manuel von Helden.

For more than two decades, NOFFZ Technologies has been working in collaboration with The Hochschule Niederrhein to provide students with a platform to showcase their talents and incorporate them into practical orientation projects. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dahmen, who has since retired, students have not only acquired, improved and perfected their academic skills, but have also gained valuable experience. These experiences have been of immense value not only for their professional development, but also for their personal growth.

Today, NOFFZ's workforce includes almost 30 graduates from HSNR, which is a testament to the enduring bond between the company and The Hochschule Niederrhein.

On the occasion of the awarding of the current Deutschlandstipendium scholarships, not only was the certificate of thanks presented to NOFFZ Technologies as a sponsor for its repeated support of students from The Hochschule Niederrhein, but the inclusion of former Deutschlandstipendium scholarship students was also emphasized, underscoring NOFFZ's commitment to the promotion of talent and the smooth integration of academics into industry.

The Deutschlandstipendium scholarship

The Deutschlandstipendium scholarship is a funding initiative supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It grants selected students a monthly scholarship of 300 euros. Half of the funding is provided by the federal government and the other half by a company donation.

In addition to financial support, the participating companies are also expected to provide non-material support for the scholarship students. This support offers companies an excellent opportunity for employer branding, as Tobias Noffz explains in an interview. A scholarship student who is already familiar with the corporate culture and working methods does not require time-consuming induction training after graduation and can go straight into employment.

The group photo shows employees of NOFFZ Technologies who obtained their degrees at The Hochschule Niederrhein. Prof. Dr. Dahmen, who made the successful collaboration possible in the first place, is also pictured. The long-standing collaboration between him and Wilfried Noffz was always characterized by mutual trust and respectful interaction. Even today, the two meet for friendly discussions at NOFFZ's new company headquarters.

A positive corporate culture is of great importance at NOFFZ Technologies. As a family business, particular importance is placed on respect and treating each other with consideration. Sustainability is also a central aspect that is actively sponsored in all areas. The move to the NOFFZ campus took place in summer 2023. A gross business area of 5,500 m² was created on a 15,500 m² site, offering space for up to 300 employees. The building, which exceeds the highest energy efficiency requirements, symbolizes NOFFZ's holistic approach to sustainability.

For over 25 years, students at The Hochschule Niederrhein have had the opportunity to get to know and live this corporate culture.

We look forward to this successful partnership and to supporting students!

The Deutschlandstipendium scholarship - also for private don

As alumni of The Hochschule Niederrhein, you know how important studies are for a person's professional and personal development.

Limited financial resources make this path difficult for many students. Not every student receives Bafög or can finance their living expenses through part-time jobs. Scholarships can make a valuable contribution here. It is not only a distinction for achievement and commitment, but also opens up new horizons through networks and idealistic support. We would like to give even more students the opportunity to concentrate fully on their studies.

In addition to companies, which are increasingly using the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship to recruit employees, private individuals can also finance a scholarship. You can be part of it with a small contribution from just €25!

Further background information on the Deutschlandstipendien program can be found here.

You can also contact

Ellen Gerarts on +49 2151 822-2941 or by e-mail ellen.gerarts(at)hs-niederrhein.de and

Dr. Joachim Schick at +49 2151 822 2944 or joachim.schick(at)hs-niederrhein.de

are available as contacts for further information.

Enlarge image »

HSNR racing team - Now in Elektro

New challenges and a fixed season plan

Following the successful development of the racing car, the focus is now turning to the production of the first electric racing car in the racing team's history. While the frame is already in the final stages of welding, important parts such as the motors, inverters and battery cells have also already arrived. With the rollout approaching on June 28, the team is optimistic that the car will be ready by then.

From August 5 to 10, the event will take place in Most, Czech Republic, an event that the team already attended in 2019. There, we hope above all that the car will drive and that we can successfully participate in all disciplines. Immediately afterwards, we will head to the event in Germany, at the Hockenheimring from August 12 to 18, which we have already attended the last two years. Both consecutive events mark the highlight of the season and give it a great end.

Save the date: Roll-out on 28. June!

Enlarge image »
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Campus Festival 2024

The Wednesday before Ascension Day, this year on May 8, is traditionally the day for the campus festival at the Krefeld-Süd site on the meadow next to the J-building.

The Hochschule Niederrhein Campusfest is an event for students and all employees of the university. Alumni are also very welcome here.

Perhaps the festival is just the right date to meet up again with fellow students from "back then"? Then save the date for next year. If nothing comes up, we might see you on May 28, 2025!

Of course, you can also just come to the Campusfest. This year you not only missed the music on stage and cooling drinks, but also delicious ice cream with freshly baked ice cream cones (my favorite is now hazelnut coffee ice cream!), cakes, sweets, tacos and chips and many more treats. Our racing team, sports teams from the university, equality, our HNX team on the topic of starting a business, the theater with its costume fund, the sports teams from the Krefeld Ravens and the Penguins, many small and larger activities and and and..... were also there again.

And here are a few more impressions of Campusfest 2024

Karl-Otto Albrecht

In 1970, Karl-Otto Albrecht graduated from the Textile Engineering School in Krefeld, Department of Textile Production. He had his professors at the time sign a record sleeve of the well-known song "Gaudeamus Igitur" ("So let's be happy" - perhaps the most famous student song in the world). He has now made this available to the archives of The Hochschule Niederrhein. When handing over the record, he naturally also talked about his time in Krefeld. Surprisingly, we learned that there was another student fraternity, the Sikaria, at the university. It was not a fraternity and did not have a fraternity house. The fraternity brothers therefore met in the so-called Konstante, the "Et Bröckske", where they were given free beer by the members of the Rhenania student fraternity on Father's Day. When they met at the "Pitt Herbst" in Markstraße in Krefeld and were recognized as textile students by employees of the Verseydag company, they were also given free beer.

Karl-Otto Albrecht's career began after his secondary school leaving certificate with a commercial teaching education and a six-month internship in a weaving mill in Berlin before he completed his studies in Krefeld. His internships during his studies took him to companies such as Hösch in Dortmund, Schlafhorst in Mönchengladbach and Ford in Cologne. Among other things, he worked for Monsanto for four years until he became a teaching education specialist in mechanical engineering and worked at the vocational college in Moers until his retirement.

He has fond memories of his university teachers / lecturers and describes the relationship as comradely. Perhaps someone still recognizes the surnames of the university teachers / lecturers from back then? Immortalized on the record sleeve are the university teachers / lecturers Schnegelsberg (textiles), Soika (economics), Münterfering (economics and organization), Roder (art), Cremer (technology of fabrics), Dean Koch (fibre theory), Theune (chemistry, physics), Demus (weaving machines), Frommert (pile weaving), Trappe (chemistry), Thomas (math), Plüddemann (math) and the assistant Ms Sauerborn.

Franz Krebs

Mariasole Krebs contacted us in search of traces of her grandfather. Unfortunately, we don't have any archive data from back then. Back then - in this case, studies from 1951 to 1955 at the textile engineering school in Krefeld. Franz Krebs, born in Weißwasser in 1926, attended a course for textile engineers in the textile engineering department specializing in business administration. "Thanks" to water damage in the house, Mariasole Krebs had to clear out the cellar and found old pictures and her grandfather's degree certificate.

After his studies, Franz Krebs became an assistant at Helmut Horten, one of the largest retailers in Europe at the time, and was then CEO at Hettlage in Münster.
We would like to thank Mariasole for the photos and great insights into her grandfather's life.

Anyone who has photos or souvenirs from the early days of the Hochschule Niederrhein or the universities of applied sciences Niederrhein and their predecessors: Please get in touch! We would love to include pictures and the stories behind them in our archive!

Chemistry technical center and textile campus

In Krefeld, the construction of the new Chemistry Technology Center has been completed, in Mönchengladbach there was a ground-breaking ceremony. The Hochschule Niederrhein in transition:

This is what it should look like
Starting signal for the renovation of the textile campus

Mönchengladbach has a long tradition of regional textile industry. The industrial brick buildings from the early 20th century characterize the image. The replacement of the new textile hall at the Mönchengladbach site marks the start of the renewal of the entire complex. The aim is to create a functional network of research and teaching buildings across the entire campus. The State Secretary of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Science, Gonça Türkeli-Dehnert, broke the ground.

The modern technical center for textile finishing of the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology will move in as early as 2025 with machines for low-emission, digital production on an industrial scale. Students, as well as partners from industry and science, will learn the foundation course of coloring, finishing or coating textiles in this new building, while also gaining direct access to innovation and research such as water-free plasma treatment or textile drying with hydrogen.

The new replacement building will be built sustainably. With the exception of the basement and staircase, the building will be constructed in solid wood. The advantages of this construction method over a reinforced concrete structure are that it is lighter and has better thermal insulation properties. Recycled clinker bricks will be used for the façade of the new textile hall. By reusing recycled clinker bricks,CO2 emissions can be saved compared to newly produced bricks. According to the manufacturer, modified manufacturing processes and concrete formulas will also reduceCO2 emissions by around 30 to 50 percent in the shell construction. The roof will be greened and equipped with a high-performance photovoltaic system.
The special feature of the new replacement building will be its transparent design. The four large windows will give passers-by a view into the textile hall.

After completion, the spinning mill will move into the new building so that further sub-projects can start on the Mönchengladbach campus. The vacant listed spinning mill will then be completely renovated. Parts of the spinning mill and the former textile finishing facility will be demolished, but the basic building fabric will be retained. The spinning mill as a research and teaching building will also be modernized and upgraded in terms of energy efficiency. Newly designed green spaces will also create a high quality of stay for students and lecturers. After completion, the modernized spinning mill and the new building will provide the faculties with a total of around 2,500 square meters of usable space with state-of-the-art conditions for research and teaching education.

Chemical pilot plant opened in Krefeld-West

The Hochschule Niederrhein's budding chemists and chemical engineers and their lecturers now have access to a state-of-the-art new building with the latest technology. The two-and-a-half-storey building between Adlerstraße and Frankenring on the Krefeld West campus has been officially opened. The final construction work was completed in February.

Since May 2022, the best conditions for learning and teaching education have been created on around 1500 square meters of usable space. Modern, in some cases highly specialized Chemistry Laboratories offer equipment that makes experimentation and research even more exciting.

Directly adjacent to the laboratories on the upper floor are the light-flooded staff offices equipped for agile working. Students can learn directly on site in learning landscapes in the entrance area and on the gallery on the upper floor.

The entire technology that provides ventilation and air conditioning for the building is housed on the top floor. This is also where the control system for the photovoltaic system mounted on the green roof is located, which makes a significant contribution to the building's power supply. In addition to the highly insulated outer shell, this ensures 27 percent higher Energy Efficiency than required by law.

The new building was necessary in many respects. Firstly, Building P on Hagerweg, where the instrumental analysis department was previously housed, did not have adequate escape routes. Secondly, the physical chemistry laboratories in the listed Building R on Adlerstrasse had reached their structural and technical limits.

Another important aspect was the merging of the campus: previously, the two Faculties of Chemistry (Adlerstraße) and Design (Frankenring) located in Krefeld West were separated by an unattractive parking lot. With the completion of a parking garage on Adlerstraße in 2022, space was created for the technical center. The pedestrian boulevard designed as part of the new building and flanked by green spaces now offers a higher quality of stay and connects both faculties.

Alexandra Plewnia honored with the Wilhelm Lorch Prize

Graduate Alexandra Plewnia has been honored by the Wilhelm Lorch Foundation. Plewnia received the prize in the Technology category for her Master's thesis on the design of a manufacturing process for a water-repellent yarn, for which she was awarded 5000 euros.

As part of her Master's studies in Textile Products, Alexandra Plewnia from Mönchengladbach looked into the properties and production of her own innovative yarn. Her "octo yarn" combines many useful properties: it is free of harmful substances, sustainable, cold-insulating, breathable and friction-reducing. The special feature: It is not only water-repellent, but also non-wettable. If a textile made from this yarn is immersed in water, it remains completely dry.

Alexandra Plewnia came across this phenomenon while searching for green alternatives to water-repellent textiles, which are often treated with fluoropolymers or other chemicals. The environmentally friendly products available on the market are often not powerful enough. A situation that the 30-year-old wants to change.

Once the yarn has been produced, it is to be sold to companies. They could in turn use it to produce outdoor clothing or protective equipment, for example.

This idea is currently even giving rise to a start-up. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection has approved around 1.84 million euros in funding for this promising approach. The young researcher has already applied for a patent. The master's thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Robert Groten.

"I would like to use the prize money from the Wilhelm Lorch Foundation to further my education in human resources, especially in team management and patent law," reveals the Mönchengladbach native.

The Wilhelm Lorch Foundation bears the surname of the founder of Deutscher Fachverlag and TextilWirtschaft, who died in 1966. Every year, it honors projects and talented young people in the textile and fashion industry in the categories of creation, business, technology and continuing education in the retail sector. This year, the foundation, whose chairwoman is Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Maike Rabe from The Hochschule Niederrhein, selected seven young men and women from a total of 60 applications for their impressive work.

We congratulate them on their great successes!

New "Applied Psychology" degree programme

The "Applied Psychology - Specialization in Health" degree programme will be available from the winter semester.

The Bachelor's degree programme is regularly designed for six semesters of full-time study and is based in the two faculties of Applied Social Sciences and Health. The lectures mainly take place at Krefeld South Campus, but occasionally also at Mönchengladbach Campus.

The application period is from May 1 to July 15, 2024. Those wishing to apply should register on the HSNR online portal and upload the required documents.

The degree program starts with 50 places for those interested with a subject-restricted or general higher education entrance qualification as well as for those with professional qualifications. Admission to "Applied Psychology - Specialization in Health" is restricted by a numerus clausus. How high this is depends on supply and demand and cannot be clearly quantified in advance.

In comparison to university degree programmes, the application focus clearly stands out as a unique selling point. It offers an interdisciplinary, practical emphasis / orientation in health psychology, which is based on the recommendations of the German Society for Psychology (DGPs).

About the Degree programme »
Design Discussion #92

The next Design Discussion will take place on June 13. All information on the event will be published in good time under the following link:

To the faculties »
120 years of design training in Krefeld!
Anniversary

Designers have been apprenticed in Krefeld since 1904. The Faculty of Design will be celebrating this with a week of festivities under the motto "120 years of design training in Krefeld" from 22.07. - 27.07.2024 and will be looking back, focusing on today and looking to the future in various events. Please check our "Current Information" regularly. The anniversary program will be published there successively:

https://www.hs-niederrhein.de/design/aktuelle-informationen/

Incidentally, the anniversary week will conclude with the designkrefeld werkschau summer semester 2024, in which students and graduates of the Faculty of Design will present their semester and theses.

Applied Social Sciences and Business Administration and Econ

The Faculties of Business Administration and Economics have already done so, and the Faculty of Chemistry is next to bid farewell to its graduates on June 28.

The Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology will celebrate on July 5.

The Faculty of Food and Nutrition Sciences is planning its graduation ceremony for July 27 in Mönchengladbach.

The Faculties of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (November 8) and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (November 21) have scheduled their celebrations for November

Contact your faculty if you would like to register or simply take a look at your faculty's website.

Continuing education@HSNR

Even after your studies at The Hochschule Niederrhein, we would like to support you as a professional in responding to changing professional requirements and updating your knowledge or qualifying for new tasks. Our aim is to accompany you on your personal educational path.

The Center for Continuing Education has currently planned the following continuing education courses on various topics:

TOPIC AREA KNOWLEDGE FROM DATA

Data Engineering | Designing Data Architectures
Start date : 03.06.2024 with three ONLINE attendance days until 21.06.2024
Certificate course website

In-Memory Databases | Implementing Big Data Applications Efficiently
Start date : 27.06.2024 with three ONLINE attendance days until 30.08.2024
Website certificate course

Big Data Technologies | Developing Scalable, Distributed Big Data Systems
Start date : 06.09.2024 with two ONLINE attendance days until 20.09.2024
Certificate course website

Machine Learning | From Data Preparation to Digital Twins | The Most Effective Techniques for Creating Predictive Models
Start date : 13.09.2024 with six ONLINE attendance days until 15.11.2024
Certificate course website

Data Literacy | Planful handling of data
Start date : 26.09.2024 with three ONLINE attendance days until 07.11.2024
Certificate course website (online soon)

Data Science Management | From Business Model to Project
Start date : 09.01.2025 with three ONLINE attendance days until 04.02.2025
Website certificate course (online soon)

SUBJECT AREA MANAGEMENT

Mindful Leadership | Efficient leadership through self-reflection and resilience
Date : 07.06.2024 (in person)
Website Training

New Recruiting | Finding and retaining qualified employees
Date : 02.09.2024 (ONLINE presence)
Training website

Managing care facilities professionally with the help of the TOPSIM Social Management simulation game
Start date: 14.06.2024 with five (ONLINE) attendance days until 09.11.2024
Website Certificate course

Systemic municipal conflict management | for internal municipal conflict managers
Start date : 20.06.2024 with 10 attendance days until 22.05.2025
Certificate course website

Laboratory management - organizing and leading
Start date : 27.08.2024 with seven days of attendance until 18.09.2024
Certificate course website

SUBJECT AREA SOFTWARE

Software Engineering compact
Start date: 12.09.2024 with 2 ONLINE attendance days until 26.09.2024
Website training (online soon)

Design of digital products
Start date: 08.11.2024 with 2 ONLINE attendance days until 15.11.2024
Website training (online soon)

TOPIC AREA KNOWLEDGE SPECIAL

Acquisition of expertise in accordance with Section 11 of the Chemicals Prohibition Ordinance
Start date : 25.09.2024 with 1.5 days of attendance until 06.11.2024
Training website

Statistical experimental design with Excel | From the foundation course to validation
Start date: 05.11.2024 with 4.5 attendance days until 09.12.2024
Website Certificate course

Obtaining expertise in accordance with Section 11 of the Chemicals Prohibition Ordinance
Date: 20.11.2024 (attendance)
Training website

Animal-assisted therapy and education | A comprehensive continuing education course in the field of animal-assisted work
Start date: 10.01.2025 with online and attendance days until 06.12.2025.
Website certificate course

Further training for teachers

We also offer continuing education for teachers and social workers with detailed information at https://www.hs-niederrhein.de/weiterbildung/paedagogische-und-soziale-arbeitsfelder/:

Depression and suicidality in the school context
Online: half-day on 02.09.2024

Mental disorders in the school context
Online: half-day on 09.09.2024

AI in school practice
Online: half-day on 16.09.2024

ADHD in the classroom
Online: half-day on 28.05.2024 and 23.09.2024

Cannabis at school
Online: half-day on 11.06.2024 and 30.09.2024

Collegial case consultation for everyday school life
Online: half-day on 12.06.2024 and 07.10.2024

Nerves of steel
Presence: full day on 09.10.2024

Contact:
Ulrike Schoppmeyer
Center for Continuing Education
Phone: +49 2151 822-1561
Email: ulrike.schoppmeyer(at)hs-niederrhein.de
Further information can be found here

New Vice Presidents elected

Professor Dr. Gudrun Stockmanns (Department of Studies & Teaching Education), Professor Dr. Kathleen Diener (Department of Research) and Professor Dr. Donja Amirpur (Department of Third Mission and Student Recruitment) will join President Dr. Thomas Grünewald and Chancellor Professor Dr. Fabienne Köller-Marek on the Executive Board of the university on September 1.

Professor Dr. Berthold Stegemerten (former Vice President for Studies & Teaching Education) is leaving the Executive Board at his own request after ten years and will return to the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.

Professor Dr. Dr. Alexander Prange (former Vice President Research & Transfer) has been elected President of the University of Applied Sciences South Westphalia and will take up office in the autumn.

Another professor from HSNR is leaving The Hochschule Niederrhein to take on the office of President: Marion Halfmann from the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics and the university's Internationalization Officer has been elected President of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and will take up office on 1 November.

We wish them all every success!

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