On 22 September 2025, the time had come: Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences kicked off the 2025/2026 winter semester with its new and returning students. Around 670 first-year students were welcomed to the campuses in Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort at the first-year students’ welcome event and as part of Freshers’ Week.
Around 670 (as at 22 September 2025) first-year students were welcomed to the Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort campuses at the first-year students’ welcome event and as part of Freshers’ Week. From 22 to 26 September, the Central Student Advisory Service and the Welcome Centre organised a varied programme, which gave the new students an excellent opportunity to settle into campus life and get to know their new fellow students.
Freshers’ Week got off to a flying start with a highlight: the first-year welcome event, which took place in both Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort in a hybrid format. University President Prof. Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen welcomed the students at both campuses and particularly emphasised the strength of the HSRW as Germany’s most international university location: “Here, you will learn to think interculturally, to deal with diversity and to overcome mental barriers. These experiences are not only valuable for your personal development – they are also a crucial key to tackling the global challenges that affect us all.”
Sara Khaffaf-Roenspieß and Nele Decker from the Central Student Advisory Service hosted the event in Kleve, whilst Andrea Michels and Anja Große-Kreul did so in Kamp-Lintfort. In addition, the university’s music and sports programmes were presented.
The Freshers’ Week programme was as diverse as the student body itself. Following the official welcome in Kleve, a large breakfast buffet provided the perfect opportunity for an initial get-together. The popular Music Nights in Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort attracted numerous students keen to party and, as in previous years, were a resounding success. Furthermore, events such as the Freshers’ Market, campus and town tours, the faculty open days, and numerous activities organised by the AStA and the university sports department brought university life and the two towns of Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort to life.
The traditional Homecoming Cup – an interdisciplinary relay race comprising canoeing, a sprint, a cycling agility course and the final team challenge of scaling a wall nearly four metres high – will, exceptionally this year, not take place as part of Freshers’ Week. Instead, it will be held on 10 October 2025 from 4.00 pm on the Kleve campus, so that students in later semesters can also take part.
