Shaping Change The University Addresses Society‘s Probing Challenges Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences Annual Report 2013 The University Addresses Society‘s Probing Challenges Society‘sProbing The UniversityAddresses 2013 Shaping Change Imprint Published by: The President Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences Editor (responsible): Eva Tritschler Executive Department of Marketing and Communications Content design and editing: Katja Spross, Nele van Leeuwen Trio MedienService, Bonn Translation: Marta Schuman en:comms, Bonn Layout and design: Bosse und Meinhard GbR Wissenschaftskommunikation, Bonn Printing: f & m Satz und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG, Sankt Augustin Paper: BVS matt, FSC-certified Print run / Date: 1,400 / July 2014 Shaping Change The University Addresses Society’s Probing Challenges 4 Contents StudiumDialogue & Lehre Studies and Teaching Research Campus 6 12 24 38 Hartmut Ihne, President of Lecture series on technology DLR/NASA: Flying observatory Campus holds fi rst-ever Day Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and environmental ethics • • Biology: Exploring the causes of Research • Coaching and of Applied Sciences, and Ralf Progressive learning in the of arthritis • Institute of Visual training for foreign students Stemmer, member of Post- Biochemical Science Master’s Computing receives research and graduates • Tips and bank’s Board of Management, programme • Learning English funding • IMEA and TREE: workshops for new students talk about digitalisation, through mock trade fairs New research institutes • women in leadership positions • MINT: Creative teaching Bone regeneration: University and the collaboration between approaches for academic Innovation Prize 2013 • BRSU academia and the business success • Alumna: Sandra funds patent applications community. Bulling reports from the hav- oc-wreaked Philippines » driving application- » cross-disciplinary and » far-sighted and » movers + oriented learning hands-on forward-looking shakers 18 30 44 5 What does change Studium & Lehre Region International Facts and Figures look like? 48 54 64 76 BRSU in numbers • Change Medical tourism: Training Social security: Researchers Programmes of study • First-se- across the disciplines – from for doctors, clinical staff and establish international mester students • Student Business Psychology and tourism experts • Children’s forum • NRW-Middle East numbers • Graduates • Struc- Materials Science to Sustain- University gets kids interested scholarship programme • RISE ture • New appointments • ability and Computer Science in science • BusinessCampus: scholarship holders from the University Council • Employee Three sites with 40 businesses USA in Rheinbach • Internship structure • International part- • Germany Scholarship: BRSU semester abroad: Testimonials nerships • Prizes and awards gains sponsors • University partnerships with Ghana and Kenya » unique and » versatile and attractive 60 dependable 70 » Dialogue 6 Living diversity and social change Hartmut Ihne, President of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, and Ralf Stemmer, member of Postbank’s Board of Management, talk about digitalisation, women in leadership positions and the collaboration between academia and the business community. } Each year Postbank supports eight BRSU students } Is Postbank feeling the shortage of skilled labour? with a Germany Scholarship. What does this scholarship mean for you? Ralf Stemmer: We are an attractive employer – a fact confi rmed every year by independent research institutes Hartmut Ihne: The scholarship provides students not only and Postbank’s low employee turnover: our employees with 300 euros per month in fi nancial support, but is also stay with us for 22 years on average. So our company also extremely valuable because of the contact it provides to refl ects the current demographics in terms of age distribu- top-class companies. Of course it also provides recognition tion. This is a big challenge when it comes to securing a for their achievements. All of this is extremely motivating steady supply of qualifi ed young employees into the future! for the students, and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (BRSU) benefi ts as well. The collaboration on the At the same time we are always looking for new skilled pro- Germany Scholarship often leads to further cooperative fessionals to drive innovation. Mathematicians are in great projects, such as internship semesters, research projects or demand, for example. In Bonn alone we employ 150 univer- Bachelor thesis projects. So the scholarships are also very sity grads whose sole responsibility is to develop risk models. important for BRSU. And we have a lot of demand for talented young people in product development. Digitalisation plays an important role Ralf Stemmer: Postbank is always here. Our employees need to be “at home” in the digital “We need to attract young looking to bring skilled profession- world and be able to develop new digital-world products als to its headquarters in Bonn, and ideas. Ultimately our success depends on how well we talents and one of the keys so for us it’s a big advantage to combine the bank’s mobile services via online banking with to this is working closely be able to work closely together the traditional services via our brick and mortar branch together with Bonn-Rhein- with BRSU. Many young people offi ces. So we want to bring our IT and Product Develop- Sieg University of Applied want to work in their home city or ment departments closer together, so that questions about region and the Germany Scholar- technical feasibility can be discussed early in the product Sciences.” ship is a chance for us to establish development process – and as a way to promote innovation. Ralf Stemmer relationships with the students while they are still pursuing their Hartmut Ihne: Technology and a global power shift are degrees and interest in our com- going to drive an explosion of change over the next several pany. years. We are already seeing a change in demand for our 7 » Dialogue degree programmes. Last winter, for example, we received area of family, work-life balance, etc. We have been family fewer applications than expected for more traditional certifi ed for several years now and introduced a health disciplines such as electrical engineering and chemistry. This management system (see p. 41) in 2013. BRSU is very fl exi- could be a sign that we need to do more to adapt our de- ble when it comes to working hours and we give staff the gree programmes to today’s challenges and newly emerg- freedom to be responsible for their own work and sched- ing professions – so that we remain attractive for future ules. These kinds of options are extremely important if we generations and employers. The technological sciences, for want to attract and retain good people. Today’s workplace example, are rapidly merging with the computer sciences/ must also provide employees with a sense of belonging, IT, and I see tremendous potential here. a sense of home. I fi nd that a strong sense of community motivates both staff and students to be more engaged } How has the relationship between employer and and successful in their work and studies. employee changed and how are you responding to this change? We maintain an ongoing dialogue with companies in the Bonn region on the changes in the world of work. Our Ralf Stemmer: Ten to fi fteen years ago our employees professors visit the companies to give lectures, and compa- were concerned mainly about money and security. Today ny employees come to BRSU to meet with students and to the focus is more on fl ex-time working models, a modern gain insight into future changes and challenges in the area “The freer a society working environment, family-friendly policies, promoting of human resources development. is from government health and well-being, etc. Postbank is working to supply control, regulation and } this demand with new HR tools. As part of our internal Diversity has “arrived” as an important issue in tradition, the more human resources agenda and our new strategy develop- many companies, but most managers still have ment process, we listened carefully to our employees so very similar educational and career backgrounds. it requires a strong that we could learn as much as possible about their needs What is the role of diversity in business, and what ethical framework.” and where there’s still room for our company to develop is its role in academia? Hartmut Ihne and improve. That was very helpful. Hartmut Ihne: We need to “live” diversity. This is a big Take the example of family. We are a family certifi ed challenge. Our students come to BRSU after graduating company and provide not only a company kindergarten, from high school or after their fi rst few years on the job, but also childcare services for emergency situations – for and very often this is their fi rst time working in an interna- example when a child is sick and the parents don’t have the tional environment. option of staying home. Just recently we created a special family offi ce in both Munich and in Bonn – an offi ce that We very consciously encourage both students and BRSU mothers and fathers can use whenever they have to bring staff to live with diversity – to “live” diversity – and we their child to work on short notice. encourage them to talk about it as well. We offer “Intercul- tural Communication” as a special competency area, where Hartmut Ihne: Of course we’ve seen these changes at students learn about the cultural differences between var- BRSU as well − new standards and requirements in the ious regions around the world. Our Department of Natural » Dialogue 8 Sciences has developed a wonderful employment conditions are still not family-friendly enough. “Out of Campus Day” which, among The family and childcare solutions mentioned earlier are other things, celebrates the tremen- one way we are addressing this problem. At the same time, dous culinary diversity of various we are discussing with the city ways to improve the com- cultures around the world.