The Higher Education Review

Dating back its early origins to 1386 with the establishment of the University of Heidelberg, German higher education is one of the oldest and most well-established in the world. Innovative pedagogies and the never ending commitment to nurture job-ready graduates have made German higher education appealing for students from across the globe.

The fact that in the 2020/2021 winter semester Germany had more than 400,000 international students goes to show the increasing global popularity of German higher education. Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of the leading names in the German higher education space and it is also a German University of Excellence which further highlights the quality of its education. TUM combines academic education with cutting-edge research to nurture passionate learners who are capable of becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

A Diverse Array of Academic Options
In order to provide the maximum number of program options to the students, TUM offers more than 182 degree programs in a myriad of disciplines including engineering, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, political and social sciences, and management. Many of these programs are taught in English which makes it more appealing for international students. And owing to this, students are not forced to choose a random course but opt for the one that suits them and their career aspirations the most. Faculties play a crucial role when

it comes to determining the quality of education imparted in an educational institution and at TUM, the teaching staff have immense subject- matter knowledge and experience which allows them to not only impart world class education but also to help students realize their true potential.

Apart from this, TUM uses a university-wide Quality Management (QM) tool in order to control all the different aspects that can influence the quality of teaching and learning at the institute. And leveraging this, TUM is aiming to design and implement more challenging and internationally competitive educational programs for their students. Not only does the QM focus on the quality of education, the QM manual for study and teaching at TUM offers detailed information regarding the QM to all members of the institute. And it covers the entirety of the degree programs offered by TUM starting from the introduction of new programs all the way to their evaluation and additional developments. TUM also has an internal quality management that constantly evaluates and improves the quality of study and teaching at the institute.

International to its Core
TUM aims to raise the mobility of German students while at the same time focuses on welcoming more international students into their campus to create a diverse learning environment that can help students with their cross-cultural leaning. The institute offers a myriad of exchange programs and TUM has given major emphasis to make the campus more welcoming to the international students. The language center provides ample opportunities for international students to improve their intercultural communication through seminars. The institute also has ‘Come to Munich - Be at Home’ which is a unique initiative that brings together German and international students through

leisure activities and workshops. Almost all of the departments and schools at TUM offer support to new students through tutoring or buddy programs where international students are paired with a German partner who can help them with both academic queries and questions regarding everyday life at Munich.

Research is an integral part of education at TUM and this allows the institute to offer top of the line education that are not only student-centric but are also aligned towards competency development. And the institute lays major emphasis on uniting excellent research with teaching. With their innovation supportive educational infrastructure and research driven education, TUM has been able to nurture the culture of research and innovation at the institute.

Apart from this, the institute also supports its students, researchers, employees and alumni with a wide array of entrepreneurship services, in turn fostering their entrepreneurial mindsets. And evolving with the changing times, TUM aspires to continue being ahead of the curve and help more students realize their career ambitions.

“In order to provide the maximum number of program options to the students, TUM offers more than 182 degree programs in a myriad of disciplines including engineering, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, political and social sciences, and management”

Thomas F. Hofmann, President
Prior to becoming the president of TUM, Thomas F. Hofmann held the position of Senior Vice President Research and Innovation at the institute. Under his guidance, TUM has been able to become Germany’s top university when it comes to the establishment of startups. Thomas F. Hofmann has also played a significant role in the university’s success in the Excellence Initiative.