According to the report which has now been published, 7,390 young people were studying at the interdisciplinary and internationally oriented university during the last winter term. International students accounted for 53 per cent of the student body. Women made up 45 per cent of the total student population.
Since its foundation in 2009, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences has steadily developed and strengthened its profile as an international centre for teaching and learning at its two campuses in Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort. “All this has taken place against a backdrop of rapid growth in recent years. National policy measures such as the Higher Education Pact have had a reinforcing effect. It is important to view the university’s figures against this background,” explains President Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen.
The recently published statistical overview (figures from Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences) contains information exclusively from the areas of teaching and human resources and therefore does not provide a comprehensive picture of the university’s figures. The report is based on data from the university’s management accounting department. Some of the key figures require detailed knowledge of the data collection methods in order to be interpreted correctly. The report thus provides an initial quantitative overview to highlight trends and anomalies that may be the subject of a more in-depth and qualitative analysis. Particularly in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, exceptional circumstances are to be expected, which will make it more difficult to interpret future figures – certainly for all universities.
The range of degree programmes is interdisciplinary and internationally oriented. A key factor contributing to the university’s international appeal is that 75 per cent of degree programmes are taught in English. The consistently high number of enrolments, which has averaged around 1,950 per academic year since 2016, is a further indication of the university’s appeal.
Following an initial phase of rapid growth, the total number of students has hovered around 7,350 over the last three years, which is significantly higher than the number originally projected. What is striking is the disproportionate distribution of students between the faculties of Life Sciences and Technology and Bionics on the one hand, and Society and Economics, and Communication and Environment on the other.
The composition of the student body clearly demonstrates the university’s international profile. International students account for 53 per cent of the total; women make up around one-third of this group. If we consider only German students, the proportion of women – at
58 per cent – is well above the average. In relation to the total number of students, the proportion of women is 45 per cent.
The picture regarding the duration of studies is more nuanced. Whilst in some degree programmes most students complete their studies within the standard period of study, a disproportionately high number of students – particularly, though not exclusively, in degree programmes taught in English – require more semesters than the standard period of study allows for. “There are many reasons for this. The university is already tackling potential causes through measures implemented particularly in the first few semesters, such as an induction phase. We need to provide students with even more sustained support,” said the Vice-Chancellor.
In line with the university’s international focus, a large number of students come from countries both within and outside Europe. The fact that a total of 126 different nationalities are represented at the university demonstrates just how diverse the international student body is. Alongside the traditionally well-represented nations from the Asian region – in particular India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, Nepal and Vietnam – African countries of origin, notably Egypt, Nigeria and Cameroon, are emerging as a second key focus. “To achieve greater diversity in this area, we will increasingly target the German and European regions with specific measures in the coming years,” emphasises Vice-President Professor Dr Tatiana Zimenkova.
The proportion of students from the districts of Kleve and Wesel demonstrates just how firmly the university is rooted in the region: 44 per cent of German students – just over a fifth of the student body as a whole – come from one of these two districts. However, the university’s appeal to North Rhine-Westphalia and the whole of Germany is also evident.
As expected, the number of university degrees has been rising steadily since the university was founded and, in the 2019 academic year, exceeded the 1,000 mark for the first time. The university will continue to monitor the graduation rate – that is, the proportion of a cohort that leaves the university with a degree. “We will implement a package of measures to increase this rate. In doing so, we will focus more closely on students who change degree programmes or have doubts about their studies,” explains the President.
You can download the full report here.
