Looking outside our own back yard

Aachen University of Applied Sciences Looking outside our own back yard

To infinity and beyond: not just the dream of every sci-fi junkie, but of a lot of the world’s scientists too.

In numbers: FH Aachen

220 professors
450 staff
approx. 8,700 students
47 courses

Aachen University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule Aachen) described it in no less glowing terms than the “start of a new era” when, on 28th April 2008, it picked up Morse-code signals from an altitude of 400 miles. For the very first time, a team of students sent a pico-satellite they’d made themselves into space from India’s Sriharikota space centre. “Compass 1” is still orbiting Earth at a speed of 15,000 mph, crossing Aachen between 4 and 6 times a day.

Looking outside its own back yard is a big feature of Aachen University of Applied Sciences. Applied research and a practical emphasis on teaching – plus an international approach – mean it’s finding solutions to the pressing issues of the 21st century. For example, can the sun’s rays be used to turn sea water into drinking water? Can you make fuel from composted waste? And how can life in townships be made more bearable?

Cross-border collaboration and an international perspective

A globalised world requires courses with an international perspective. For example, at Aachen University of Applied Sciences, students can gain their degrees in Aachen and at the same time at one of its partner universities, there is cross-border collaboration with the International Faculty in nearby Maastricht (NL), international businesses complement teaching and research work, and over one in five students comes from abroad. But it’s not just in a physical sense that boundaries are being crossed – in many ways the range of joint honours degrees and sandwich courses – offering academic and vocational qualifications at the same time – is a real model for the future.

Excellent mentoring, an application-led approach, an international ethos and innovative organisational approaches mean Aachen University of Applied Sciences has won the hearts and minds not just of local and international students, but also of the provincial government, thanks to which it will be undergoing a 10% expansion in coming years.