International Office of RWTH Aachen University First-aid for culture shock

“Hi from Jakarta. Business going great. Would you do me a favour? Could you pin up my flyer to help me find good interns?!” The staff in the International Office of RWTH Aachen University smile as they recall such messages and love hearing from ex-students now making their way in the world.

Where do RWTH Aachen University students come from?

International: 5,164 (16%)
from

  • China: 918
  • Turkey: 505
  • Luxembourg: 215
  • Belgium: 199
  • India: 192
  • and 114 other countries

Helping make your studies a success is the goal of a large number of hard-working staff at the International Office and the Career Centre. International students and academics are now a standard feature of the city.

Drawn by local contacts and RWTH Aachen University’s fine reputation, students from China, India, the US, Korea and many other countries in Europe and beyond receive a royal welcome here. Right after admission, students are sent a welcome letter explaining key matters to do with visas, accommodation, finance and travel to Aachen.

The Office gives individual support to foreign students

Once here, their first trip is to the Information Service Centre in the “Super C” complex for a helpful chat about what the next steps are. As they find their feet in the Freshers’ Week (Orientierungstage) here, Aachen’s newest residents discover all they need to know about the university, curriculum and advice centres. A particular favourite is the Campus Tour – a guided tour calling in on the various institutes, admin offices and service centres. Another really important element is an introduction to “intercultural communication” where students discover that cultural differences still exist, even in a globalised world, and that – after an initial euphoric phase – a degree of culture-shock is perfectly natural.

Whether an exchange programme, a PhD, Masters’ degree or a traditional degree syllabus – RWTH Aachen University will never leave foreign students on their own with questions or insecurities. Accommodation bookings at the Studentenwerk (student service), German courses at Humboldt House, group outings to Aachen cathedral and help with red tape are all features of this winning approach. And now that the Immigration Authority has set up a satellite office in the “Super C”, even intricate matters can be sorted out quickly. As all Aachen alumni can attest, the city welcomes international visitors with open arms, and the International Office loves hearing from the people it calls “our” graduates.

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External links

International OfficeOrganisation, information, literature and Humboldt House Dual Career ServiceHelps domestic and foreign RWTH Aachen University students and academics and their families settle in and find their feet in Aachen and the surrounding area (German only) My home is your castleAccommodation swaps for exchange students INCAS - intercultural center of students in AachenLanguage Exchange, House-Hunting, Events