RWTH Aachen University is a public research university located in Aachen, one of the best engineering universities in the world and one of the three largest universities in Germany in the field of engineering.
The university educates more than 47,000 students, under 150 study programmes, of whom more than 26% are international students, and female students constitute 30% of the student body.
According to the 2019 QS ranking, the university was ranked 19th in the world in the fields of mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering and manufacturing engineering, and 44th in engineering and technology, while in the overall ranking the University of Aachen is ranked 145th globally and 7th in Germany.
In terms of academic recognition, the Technical University of Aachen twice succeeded in the German Universities Excellence Initiative in 2007 and 2012 respectively and was chosen as one of the eleven distinguished universities in Germany as well as selected to receive funding from the German Federal and State Governments in the Third Excellence Initiative, where the University presented Aachen proposed the “Integrated Interdisciplinary University of Science and Technology-Knowledge, Impact, Networks” also its proposal received funding for seven years as well as funding for three Clusters of Excellence.
Faculties and fields of study at the University of Aachen:
- Faculty of Mathematics, Computer and Natural Sciences.
- Faculty of Civil Engineering.
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
- College of Geographical Resources and Materials Engineering.
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.
- College of Arts and Humanities.
- College of Business and Economics.
- Faculty of medicine.
Supporting Young Researchers:
The Young Academics Center is the organizer of all activities that support early-career researchers. The Center follows a holistic approach to skills education and offers ideal framework conditions for researchers to achieve their professional and individual goals.
The university has taken several measures to achieve its goal. So the university has established a center for doctoral studies (CDS) support for candidates to obtain professional and practical training, such as academic integrity, research data management, interdisciplinary research, and teaching. The university also established another center for post-doctoral researchers (Professional Leadership), which in turn offers more workshops and one-on-one training, such as innovation, leadership, teaching and learning, that prepares them for advanced career paths in science, research, and the public sector.
Supporting Foreign Researchers:
The University of Aachen is strongly committed to promoting academic freedom. As a member of the Worldwide Network of Scientists at Risk, it helps scientists threatened and at Risk through collaboration with the Philipp Schwartz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which gives research universities in Germany the opportunity to recruit or accept researchers at Risk with a full scholarship for 24 months.
The University welcomes applications for the Philip Schwarz Fellowship by communicating with the International Scholars Welcome Office at any time of the year. There are two application rounds throughout the year.
Diversity at the University of Aachen:
RWTH Aachen strives to create equal opportunities in research, teaching, learning and aims to create a collaborative and inclusive environment in which anyone can work, conduct research and learn independent of their gender, age, origin, skin color, religion or disability. The Board of Directors for Diversity and a wide range of equality, anti-racism and equal opportunity measures contribute to achieving these goals and promoting the open university culture.
Intellectual property and supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups:
The intellectual property management team at the university is interested in providing support and advice in all stages of innovation, focusing on intellectual property protection, and answering all questions related to patent registration and related administrative matters.
The center also contributes to supporting student entrepreneurs in launching and developing technology-oriented start-ups. The RWTH Innovation Start-Up Center is the first point of contact for any students and researchers at Aachen University who are interested in starting a start-up business, regardless of their level of maturity or sophistication of the idea. Moreover, the center provides customized training for the successful implementation of projects and holds several important events in this regard, such as the ATEC (The Aachen Technology and Entrepreneurship Congress), which brings together entrepreneurs, innovators and decision-makers from business, politics and academia.
The center also supplies opportunities to finance your start-up either through an EXIST grant application or by searching for investors, and connecting you with the right person or place in terms of training, financing, law or any other topics.
Research areas at Aachen University:
Research areas at Aachen University are interdisciplinary, where researchers from different disciplines and faculties work together in different fields to obtain excellent results in their theoretical and applied research. Research at the University is divided into eight basic areas, namely:
- Computational science and engineering:
The field of research enables scientists in computational science and engineering to work more closely together in the fields of mathematics, computer science, and structural mechanics, as well as fluid mechanics and the medical sciences. The long-term goal of the field of research is to expand the theories and applications in the mentioned fields, and to reach advanced stages in the development of products and processes using an integrated approach that includes simulation and mathematical modeling.
- Energy, Chemistry and Process Engineering:
The field focuses on improvements in energy and materials efficiency, as well as the transition to renewable resources, as scientists and researchers from energy and process engineering, chemistry and molecular sciences engage in fundamental research in developing processes for future circular economy concepts. The seven main topics of this field are systems, renewable energy resources, materials resources, network infrastructure, storage, supply and consumption.
- Information and Communication Technology:
Research in the field of ICT has a strong interdisciplinary character and has a world-renowned reputation (as attested by numerous ERC fellowships, several Alexander von Humboldt professors and strong participation in European projects), as this field made significant contributions to all Aachen University of Excellence groups in the latest round of the Excellence Initiative.
The field focuses on five important research areas: (1) Artificial Intelligence, (2) Data Science, (3) Digitization, (4) New Generation Computing and Communication Platforms, (5) Quantum Computing. Each of these areas of research comes with pressing challenges.
- Materials science and engineering:
Activities in this field focus on three main topics: structural materials, functional materials and materials for nanoelectronics and quantum information. These topics are important as they contribute effectively to solving global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility and information technology.
- Medical sciences and technology:
The field of medical sciences and technology aims to adopt new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients and to prepare the University of Aachen to make it a leading and internationally recognized research center for the subject of medical science and technology. The university has identified five multidisciplinary research areas within this field, these are: comprehensive imaging and diagnostics, nanomedicine, hybrid biomedical systems, smart medical devices, and digital life sciences.
- Transportation engineering:
Technological developments such as alternative payment systems, digitization, connectivity and automated driving, as well as innovative mobility services, lead the way in solving problems and meeting the needs and requirements of individuals and society in terms of future mobility.
The research field includes several projects and topics, ranging from the development of new and innovative methods of transport planning and regulation and the development of smart transport infrastructures to mobility systems with different levels of automation for the transport of passengers and goods.
- Molecular science and engineering:
The subject matter of Molecular Sciences and Engineering links the sciences of chemistry, biology, process engineering, industrial engineering, and medicine.
The research topic in this field is the basic and technological knowledge to understand and develop the molecular transformations, processes and materials that interact at all scales in a dynamic and specific manner, in order to form complex adaptive systems, contributing to laying the foundation for innovation and sustainable development in many areas and addressing global challenges, such as health and food Energy and the environment.
- Production engineering:
The field of production engineering is a domestic and international leader in research, education, and innovations for the economy. The field aims to increase competitiveness, secure strengths in production technology, and steadily expand it. The main research topics are digitization and digital production.
Programs offered in English at Aachen University:
The university offers several master’s programs in English for international students, which do not require knowledge of the German language:
- MSc in Applied Geophysics.
- MSc in Automotive Engineering.
- Masters in Civil Engineering.
- MSc in Biomedical Engineering.
- MSc in Data Science.
- MSc in Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Computer Engineering.
- Master of Informatics in Digital Media.
- MSc in Metallurgical Engineering.
- MSc in Physics.
- MSc in Software Systems Engineering.
- MSc in Simulation Sciences.
- MSc in Sustainable Management.
- MSc in Transportation and Mobility Engineering.
For more information about the university, you can visit the official website of the University of Aachen.
