In its anniversary year, the university once again warmly welcomed friends and supporters, lecturers, staff and students to the Audimax on the Kleve campus to mark its fourth annual academic ceremony.
Prof. Dr Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, delivered a welcome address on the topic ‘10 years of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences: international, innovative and interdisciplinary – ideas from the region for the region and the state’. In his speech, he paid tribute to the university’s development to date and highlighted its role as an outstanding educational institution and a major source of inspiration: “Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is a success story and a role model for applied science. It is committed to an international focus and close collaboration with the regional business community. Equally noteworthy are the programmes on offer for school pupils: here, the university lays an important foundation and awakens the spirit of discovery in young researchers from an early age.”
In his subsequent speech, Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen, President of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, reflected on the past 10 years of the university’s history and its successful development. He thanked everyone involved not only for their support, but also for the great interest shown in the university from a wide variety of quarters over the past few years. In the context of the 50th anniversary of universities of applied sciences, the President pointed out that this successful model has become an integral part of today’s educational landscape and now plays an indispensable role as a centre for science and innovation. Under the motto ‘i4 or University 4.0’, the President explained the significance of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences and cited a number of examples. ‘Looking back and looking ahead, University 4.0 means: international, interdisciplinary, innovative and “i”n the region,’ said the President. He also emphasised how important the themes of pluralism and respect are to the university and that it plays a significant role in addressing societal challenges. The President also addressed the topics of digitalisation and start-ups in his speech and explained that Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences would continue to drive these forward.
As in previous years, students were honoured during the event for their outstanding achievements and exceptional social commitment, whilst a professor from the Faculty of Communication and Environment was recognised for his exceptional dedication to teaching.
Teaching Award 2019
The 2019 Teaching Award, based on the theme ‘Regional collaborations in teaching – learning with and through practice’, was presented by Prof. Jörg Petri, Vice-President for Studies, Teaching and Academic Continuing Education, to Prof. Christoph Zielke, Professor of Media Design at the Faculty of Communication and Environment, for the ‘Wesel Identity’ project. The project is a student competition led by Prof. Zielke in cooperation with the City of Wesel to design a new logo and visual identity for the city. The Teaching Award, worth 4,000 euros, was presented for the eighth time.
‘Best-Idea-Cup 2019’ Award
As part of the IGNI Lower Rhine Innovation and Start-up Initiative, students at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences were once again invited this year to submit ideas for a start-up or an innovation project to the ‘Best-Idea-Cup 2019’. A total of 66 business ideas were submitted. Last year, the figure was 53. “We are delighted to see our students’ growing interest in this competition. It shows us that we are living up to the concept of a practice-oriented university,” said the President. At the annual academic ceremony, twelve selected ideas were presented, accompanied by prototypes, videos and posters, amongst other things. The Förderverein Hochschule Rhein-Waal e. V., the Förderverein der Hochschule Rhein-Waal – Campus Cleve e. V. and the Förderverein Campus Camp-Lintfort e. V. each donated prize money of 500 euros for the three best entries. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Kisters, Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, presented the awards. The Kleve District Junior Chamber awarded a special prize to mark its 50th anniversary.
Daniela Carolina Venegas Carreno (Master’s programme in Usability Engineering, Faculty of Communication and Environment) impressed the jury with her ‘Art glove’. This stylish glove features a massage function that helps to relieve pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Marcos Vazquez Hernandez (Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology and Bionics), Francesco Aresi and Rushan He (both on the Bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture, Faculty of Life Sciences) were selected for their ‘Phytosponge’ project. The scalable container system enables the purification of wastewater using special plants and is therefore particularly environmentally friendly.
Third prize went to Anna Michel (Master’s programme in International Management and Psychology, Faculty of Communication and Environment) and Pedro Ribeiro, a research assistant and PhD student at the Faculty of Communication and Environment, for their project ‘STREEN’. The digital application of this technical system supports reading motivation and the development of reading skills among primary school pupils. The acronym stands for ‘Story Reading Environmental Enrichments’.
The special prize was awarded to Oana Dorobantu, Aylin Klisura and Zama Madondo, a team of three female students from the Bachelor’s programme in Gender and Diversity, for their academically oriented podcast, ‘Spill the Thesis’, which facilitates the transfer of knowledge between the university, society and the business world.
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Prize
With the DAAD Prize, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences recognises the outstanding academic achievements of international students completing their studies in Germany. The prize winner was Elizabeth June Richardson, a student on the Bachelor’s programme in International Business and Social Sciences at the Faculty of Society and Economics. Ms Richardson is the first student from the US partner university, Ferris State University, to have completed the double degree programme in Business Administration/International Business and Social Sciences. She proved herself to be a pioneer of the programme and quickly found her feet in the unfamiliar academic system at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. She made the most of her opportunity to study abroad at the university. Prof. Dr Tatiana Zimenkova, Vice-President for International Affairs and Diversity, presented the DAAD prize, worth 1,000 euros.
Before the evening gave way to a festive reception, Pascal Thölke, the first student (on the Bachelor’s programme in International Business and Social Sciences, Faculty of Society and Economics) at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, spoke to the guests about his first years at the university. In an entertaining and insightful manner, he reflected on his experiences from that time.
