Trier University Of Applied Sciences: Internationally Acclaimed University For High Quality Academics And Exceptionally Diverse Study Environment

Lesly Joseph
Prof. Dr. Norbert Kuhn, President Trier University of Applied Sciences
With a population of more than 82 million, today, Germany is one of the largest countries in Europe. Considered as the land of ideas and opportunities, the country's higher education system encourages technological studies and scientific research and has been enjoying an excellent international reputation for centuries. Unlike any other country, Germany is a higher education paradise where you will find many worldwide ranked universities, countless courses to choose among, globally valued degrees that promise high employability to you, and affordable living costs. Situated in the heart of Europe between Germany, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Trier University of Applied Sciences is a pioneer among German universities in offering unique learning experiences to students through diverse educational programs, such as environmental and sustainability studies, engineering sciences, or art and design without raising tuition fees.

Hosting a high number of international students in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Trier University of Applied Sciences offers a uniquely diverse education program in the region with 88 degree programs in the fields of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Building and Supply Engineering, Food Technology, Computer Science, Therapy Sciences, Economics, Law, Environmental Studies, Architecture, Design, and Media. For international students from all over the world, they offer some special study programs in English, such as Sustainable Business and Technology (B.Eng.), International Material Flow Management (M.Sc.), Environment & Technology, or Sustainable Computer Science.

According to Prof. Dr. Norbert Kuhn, President of Trier University of Applied Sciences, "The globally interrelated perspectives in our special study programs provide future graduates excellent key qualifications and enable them to master the challenges of our time. Real-life business projects, as well as training in organization and communication skills, complete our students' academic and personal profile. As a special advantage in the bachelor program 'Sustainable Business and Technology', German- language and intercultural communication modules are offered in order to pave the way for a possible career in Germany or German companies abroad."

Offering an Intensive Blend of Teaching and Research

The pedagogy of Trier University of Applied Sciences is characterized by a strong focus on application and practice, the close connection between teaching and research, innovative teaching methods, integrated practical semesters, or a semester abroad. In order to ensure the quality of its study programs, the university regularly assesses the curriculum with the help of external experts from the industry and checks whether the academic program is suitable for reaching the desired professional employment positions. In addition, the professors at Trier University of Applied Sciences must have a minimum of five years' of practical work experience before they may become professors at the university. In order to stay up-to-date with the changing trends in the industry, professors can also be released for a sabbatical every four years in order to run certain research and development projects and for further training in practice.

"The pedagogy of Trier University of Applied Sciences is characterized by a strong focus on application and practice, the close connection between teaching and research, innovative teaching methods, integrated practical semesters, or a semester abroad"

The current student strength of Trier University of Applied Sciences is about 7,500, and Trier University of Applied Sciences has almost 170 professors who invariably and vigorously promote research activities among the students. Most of them have a doctorate and are actively involved in research projects addressing current social, ecological or technical problems like safe and energy efficient future mobility or new production and testing techniques. As Prof. Dr. Norbert Kuhn explains, "Our research activities are interdisciplinary, application-oriented and cover a broad spectrum of socially relevant topics from the areas of Applied Material Flow Management, Intelligent Technologies for Sustainable Development, and Life Sciences: Medical and Pharmaceutical Technology, and Biotechnology. The direct participation of our students in the research areas guarantees a practice-oriented academic education with a profound theoretical background." Adding one more feather in their cap, recently, Manju Gondumogula, an Indian research scholar at Trier University of Applied Sciences won an EU Research Competition for her project 'Education for Sustainable Development'.

Three Campuses, One University

Established in 1971, the profile of Trier University of Applied Sciences is characterized by its three campuses. Each campus has specific location characteristics and individual content-related priorities that open up a broad spectrum of study opportunities and research collaborations. The main campus on Schneidershof in Trier combines established disciplines with modern study programs supported by state-of-the-art machines and is home to the faculties Civil and Supply Engineering + Food Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, and Business. At the Campus for Design and Art, more than one thousand students conduct their studies in a vibrant, interdisciplinary, and intercultural exchange. This extraordinary campus consists of two geographical locations: in the heart of Trier city, the buildings Irminenfreih of and Paulusplatz home the departments Architecture, Intermedia Design, Interior Architecture, Fashion Design, and Communications Design; in the traditional city of gemstones Idar- Oberstein, the university's unique curriculum Gemstone and Jewellery Design is taught. And the most recent Environmental Campus Birkenfeld is a Residential Campus located in the middle of the National Park Hunsrück-Hochwald and offers a future-oriented education in the field of environmental economics and technology. In the current Green Metric World University Ranking on Sustainability, the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld ranked 6th Greenest University worldwide and first in Germany.

The members of each of the three campuses are united by a special sense of community that inspires teaching, learning, and working. The international students in the university, who constitute 14 percent of the total student population, are supported and assisted by a proactive student service body. Apart from that, the university also offers free education to all and does not raise tuition fees (except for regular semester fees). "Most courses at Trier University of Applied Sciences are tuition-free. On top of that, we provide a range of scholarship programs, such as the Deutschlandstipendium, the Landesstipendium Rheinland-Pfalz, and the Ariadne Stipendium, with which we support our students to successfully conduct and complete their studies. All students enrolled in a degree program at our university have the opportunity to apply for these scholarships. Specifically for international students, we have a graduation scholarship which supports them in their final months of study, thus allowing them to focus on their final exam," Prof. Dr. Norbert Kuhn states.

Initially transformed from a school for construction into a center of academic excellence, Trier University of Applied Sciences, today, produces thousands of industry-ready professionals every year. Through special pre-placement training and hands-on industry practices, many of the departments in the university have secured an employment rate close to 100 percent. Many graduates are employed by large companies like SAP, Siemens, and Bosch.

In the years to come, Trier University of Applied Sciences will continue to define itself as an internationally oriented university with regional roots. With its partners from business, politics, culture, and society, the university promotes cooperation at all levels and secures the need for specialists in the region. Their partner universities in India are Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore and the Center for Management & Information Technology, Hyderabad. In the future, Trier University of Applied Sciences would like to further develop its international study, teaching, and research culture and intensively promote its internationalization.

Prof. Dr. Norbert Kuhn, President

Prof. Dr. Norbert Kuhn, President of Trier University of Applied Sciences has completed Computer Science and Mathematics at the Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern in Germany and holds a doctorate degree in Computer Science. In addition to his academic career, he has gained extensive experience as a Project Manager at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. In 1995, he became a Professor of Computer Science at Trier University of Applied Sciences. In 2009, he was elected Vice President of the university before taking over the office of President in 2013.

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