In the 2020/2021 winter semester, around 1,300 students began their studies at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences after the enrolment deadline had passed. This brings the total number of students to around 7,100, which is slightly below the previous year’s figure.
Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is reporting high student numbers despite the coronavirus pandemic. The figures are based on the university’s latest forecast; final results will not be available until the end of November. Last week, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia had already reported that this trend was evident across the state. According to the report, the most striking change was among international students enrolling at a German university for the first time. This figure fell significantly by around 30 per cent, whilst the overall proportion of international students declined only slightly, by around 1.5 per cent. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) had already forecast a similar trend back in August.
A similar picture is emerging at the university in Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort: whilst around 890 international students chose to study in the Lower Rhine region last year, the figure this year stands at around 600. The overall proportion of international students, however, remains stable at 53 per cent. “It is understandable that, in the midst of a global pandemic, slightly fewer young people are choosing to study abroad or are willing to leave their families. Economic developments in various countries as a result of the pandemic also play a role here,” said the Vice-President for Internationalisation and Diversity, Prof. Dr Tatiana Zimenkova. “Nevertheless, Germany remains a popular destination for study and our university an attractive place of learning. Hundreds of students from the EU and around the world have chosen to study at our university, and we are delighted about this. These young people enrich our research and teaching and demonstrate once again that we are a magnet for people from all cultures and countries.”
The President of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen, also sees the figures as confirmation of the university’s consolidation strategy: “Our university has been growing for many years. For the past two years, our focus has been on maintaining a stable student intake whilst continuing to improve our quality.” He is also pleased with the enrolment figures despite the coronavirus pandemic: “We are delighted to welcome every single new student to our university. Nevertheless, we very much hope that next year we will once again see enrolment figures that are not affected by the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic. The university’s core mission is to give young people, regardless of their background, the opportunity to receive a practice-oriented education and thereby train skilled workers for the regional and wider labour market.”
