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RWTH Aachen University

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RWTH Aachen University
RWTH international logo
MottoZukunft beginnt bei uns
(Future starts with us)
TypePublic
Established1870
PresidentBurkhard Rauhut
Studentsapprox. 30,000
Location
Aachen
,
NRW
,
Germany
CampusUrban
Mascotnone
Websitewww.rwth-aachen.de

RWTH Aachen University is a large university located in Aachen, Germany. "RWTH" is the abbreviation of Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule which translates into "Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University". However, officially, "RWTH" remains untranslated. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities.

Aachen University is one of the most prestigious universities in Germany and one of the leading technology universities in Europe[citation needed]. Its main focus are technological studies, especially electrical and mechanical engineering. Aachen University is internationally renowned for its excellence in engineering education and enjoys a high reputation within German, European and Asian industry. Graduates of the RWTH are well regarded in industry and national rankings and international surveys underline the reputation of graduates having the considerable ability to tackle complex challenges, work successfully in problem-solving teams and display leadership qualities.

According to a survey, every fourth graduate in Germany with a Doctorate in Engineering (known as a Dr.-Ing. in Germany, a standardised qualification, roughly equivalent to a PhD) comes from Aachen and every fourth board member in German corporations is a graduate of the RWTH Aachen University.[citation needed] The potential in terms of available expertise resulting from the quality of engineering and science at the RWTH Aachen was the deciding factor for international research institutions such as Microsoft, Ford, United Technologies, Ericsson or Philips to settle in the Aachen region.[citation needed] The innovation strength of the university is also evidenced in the large number of start-up companies founded over the last 20 years turning the region into a type of German Silicon Valley.

Every year numerous international students and scientists come to the RWTH Aachen to benefit from the internationally recognised world-class courses and facilities. Almost 5,000 international students are currently enrolled within the undergraduate, graduate or PhD programme. The proximity of Aachen to the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg combined with the subsequent exposure to a variety of cultural heritages has placed RWTH Aachen University in a unique position with regards to the reflection and promotion of international aspects and intensive interaction with other universities. RWTH Aachen has partnerships and cooperations with other leading institutions worldwide. RWTH Aachen is also a member of TIME network and the IDEA League, which is a strategic partnership among five of Europe's leading research universities, namely TU Delft, RWTH Aachen University, Imperial College London, ETH Zürich and ParisTech.[1]

Campus

The RWTH is not a campus university. Instead, its buildings are spread over some parts of the city. There are two core areas (midtown and Melaten district), though not very distinct. The Main Building and the Kármán Hall are 500 m away from the city centre with the Aachen Cathedral, the Audimax (biggest lecture hall) and the main refectory are 200 m farther.

The RWTH has external facilities in Jülich and Essen and owns, together with the University of Stuttgart, a house in Kleinwalsertal in the Austrian Alps.

Main Building of the RWTH Aachen

Organisation

RWTH Aachen is run by the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since the summer semester of 2004 the state of North Rhine-Westphalia allowed universities to request a maximum of 500€ per semester as tuition fees. Starting with the summer semester of 2007, all students enrolled at the RWTH Aachen will have to pay these 500€, if they are not exempt for one of several reasons put forth by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the past, tuition fees applied solely for long-term students and second studies. Almost all basic lectures are held in German, but an increasing number of graduate programs are offered in English.

The RWTH is divided into nine (previously ten) faculties:

1 mathematics, computer science, and natural sciences
2 architecture
3 civil engineering
4 mechanical engineering
5 geological resources and material sciences
6 electrical engineering and information technology
7 philosophy (actually all humanities)
8 economic sciences
10 medicines (including the Klinikum Aachen)

Faculty nine was pedagogical sciences, but it was abandoned in 1989.

Fraunhofer-Institutes

Students

Today, approximately 30,000 students attend RWTH Aachen, including graduate as well as post-graduate students, although the number has been subject to some variation. About two-thirds of the student body is male.

Approximately 20% of the students are of non-German nationality, coming in large part (more than 150 students each) from Pakistan, China, Turkey, India, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Greece, Belgium, Iran, Poland, Luxembourg, Morocco, Indonesia, Russia, and the Netherlands.

Annually, 2,200 students graduate and 800 are granted PhDs.

Faculty

There are 260 institutes with chairs, totalling 420 professors. The scientific staff consists of 3,700 people.

Associations

  • RWTH Aachen - North American Alumni Association Prof. Dr. Burkhard Rauhut, President of RWTH, and Prof. Dr. Laszlo Baksay, President of the newly founded "Association of Alumni, Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen University in North-America" signed the founding statement for a new branch of the RWTH Alumni Community in Melbourne (Florida) in May 2006. Ever since, the association has proven to be a valuable source of job and internship offers as well as a reliable organizer of entertaining yet informative alumni meetings in the US, Canada and Mexico.[2]
  • Pakistan Student Association: provides peer counseling and advice to Pakistani students; promotes Pakistan's traditions, values, and the diversity of its people; plans and coordinates social and cultural activities, independently and with other organizations.[3]
  • AStA (Students' Union)
  • AISA (Assoc. of Indian Students in Aachen)[4]
  • GATS (Association of Thai Students in Aachen)[5]

History

RWTH Aachen's Audimax

In 1870 the "Royal Rhenish-Westphalian Polytechnical School of Aachen" was founded. Its primary purpose was to educate engineers for the mining industry in the Ruhr area. At its beginning there were 32 teachers and 223 students.

In 1880 it became a "Technical University" (or college, as there was still a non-'universal' technical bias) and was abbreviated "RWTH". In 1899 it was granted the right to bestow PhD degrees.

World War I was a serious setback for the university, but between 1925 and 1932 was a period of prosperity and expansion. Previous student numbers were reached again and many new facilities were built.

During the Third Reich (1933–1945) RWTH was – like all other institutions – assimilated by the Nazis: The freedom of research and teaching was limited, leading lecturers were forced to quit and many students had to leave the university. Due to the vicinity of the borders to the Netherlands and Belgium the university was closed for a year during World War II.

After the war, the RWTH recovered and expanded very quickly. Some new faculties came into existence.

In 1995 the RWTH was haunted by Third Reich history. It turned out that the previous rector "Hans Schwerte" (rector for the short duration of 1970 - 1973) had a fake identity. In reality he was Hans Ernst Schneider, an SS member who had worked for the Ahnenerbe. Ironically, "Hans Schwerte" had a reputation as a liberal. His pension rights, academic title, etc. were revoked. Summary of the events, in German.

Today the RWTH Aachen, is together with the TU Munich, and the TU Berlin one of three largest engineering schools in Germany.

Notable faculty and alumni

Nobel laureates

References

  1. ^ IDEA League - What is the IDEA League?
  2. ^ RWTH Aachen - North American Alumni Association
  3. ^ Pakistan Student Association
  4. ^ Association of Indian Students in Aachen
  5. ^ Association of Thai Students in Aachen
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