Student numbers rise once again: Bauhaus-Universität Weimar welcomes more than 1,000 new students
Over 1,000 new students began a course of study at Weimar’s university in the winter semester 2019/20. The new arrivals include more than 250 international students studying at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s four faculties. University President Professor Winfried Speitkamp is delighted about the university’s huge popularity, and the renewed increase in applications and matriculations.
As part of the traditional matriculation ceremony, University President Professor Winfried Speitkamp invited new students to the Audimax in the University Library on Wednesday 16 October 2019 at 5 pm to welcome them to the university. They were also welcomed by the Mayor of Weimar, Ralf Kirsten, as well as representatives of the Student Government. The keynote address was given by Hagen Höllering, alumnus of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism.
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar welcomes more students than last year
Over 1,000 students – around a quarter of which are international students from 58 countries across the world – have matriculated at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar this winter semester, and thus successfully passed through the demanding admissions procedure required for the majority of courses. The application rate was significantly up: more than 3,300 prospective students applied in total.
Gudrun Kopf, head of the Office of Student and Academic Affairs and responsible for study information, application and matriculation processes along with her team, was pleased to once again have good application and student numbers: »We are delighted that the upward trend we have seen in initial matriculation figures over the past several years is continuing, once again exceeding the 1,000 mark for the first time since the 2012/13 winter semester. Our colleagues from the Office of Student and Academic Affairs have been working hard on this in recent weeks and processing applications speedily so that the new arrivals receive their study documents as quickly as possible.« According to Kopf, the »Architektur«, »Visuelle Kommunikation« and »Medienkultur« and bachelor’s degree programmes have been particularly popular, with an increasing number of applicants also interested in art teaching qualifications. However, these numbers are still only provisional. »Some students, particularly international ones, are still travelling and will be registering up until the end of the month. We therefore expect the matriculation figures to rise again slightly by the end of October«, Kopf explained.
In President Winfried Speitkamp's view, this increase is to do with the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s particular profile: »For several years, we have seen a significant increase in people interested completing studies with us. This is because we combine research, art, design and technology, and can therefore provide particularly unique answers to the pressing challenges of the present day, from digitality to sustainability. In addition, we take an interdisciplinary and also intercultural approach. All of this enhances our teaching.«
New Environmental Engineering degree programme launched
The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and its four faculties currently offer around 40 degree programmes at Bachelor, Master, Diploma and State Exam level. A new addition this semester is the fundamental »Environmental Engineering« degree programme at the Faculty of Civil Engineering. »In this bachelor’s degree programme, engineers will be trained to actively tackle the issue of environmentally responsible action, resource conservation, mobility and climate change, and shape them in a sustainable, socially responsible way. More than 50 prospective students have already applied for the degree programme this year«, in the delighted words of the new degree programme’s director, Professor Jörg Londong of the Faculty of Civil Engineering.
Bauhaus.Modules with over 80 classes
For the first time ever, the university is offering what it calls »Bauhaus.Modules« for members of all faculties. These are exploring new forms of joint and interdisciplinary teaching and learning, which together make up a general study programme with over 80 classes. The range of topics spans from digital humanities to the future of cities and traffic. Students are actively involved in designing Bauhaus.Modules and taking on the roles of instructors themselves.
Matriculation ceremony
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Wednesday 16 October 2019
Programme:
5 pm
Matriculation ceremony followed by champagne reception
Audimax (University Library), Steubenstraße 6