The history of our university

2020

February 2020: Pilot project Cybersecurity Campus NRW

The Cybersecurity Campus NRW (CC NRW) is a pilot project of the universities Niederrhein and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. A degree programme will start at the Niederrhein University in autumn 2020, and a programme will be developed at H-BRS in the Department of Computer Science, drawing on the many years of expertise in the existing Bachelor's programme in Computer Science.

2019

December 2019: Family equity permanently certified

After successfully passing the audit process five times, the university is now allowed to bear the certificate "audit familiengerechte hochschule" permanently. It attests to the exemplary measures taken to enable employees to combine work and family life and students to combine studies and family life.

December 2019: President re-elected

Shortly before Christmas, the University Election Assembly confirmed the President of the University in office by a large majority. This provides continuity, especially in the continuation of the Higher Education Development Plan 2021 to 2025. The vote means that Ihne will continue as President until 31 October 2024.

November 2019: New Library Cooperation

Three libraries, one event series. Bonn University and State Library (ULB), Bonn City Library and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and District Library (HuKB) have joined forces under the title Bibliothek³. One event per year is planned by each partner.

November 2019: Best apprentice of the chamber

Dominique Diehl's outstanding performance during her training as a biology laboratory technician continues the series of the chamber's best trainees, as awarded by the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Chamber of Industry and Commerce. After completing her training, Diehl will start working at the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Ageing.

October 2019: Africa middle class index presented

The BRS Institute for International Studies, an affiliated institute of the university, presents the Africa SME Index. It offers small and medium-sized companies assistance for a market entry on the African continent by means of a country rating.

September 2019: Teaching and learning laboratories are expanded

The university receives 300,000 euros from the state for its project h-brs.digilab.nrw. With this money, it can now expand its teaching and learning laboratories and provide students with state-of-the-art digital tools.

September 2019: Innovation Award for work in psychology

Christine Syrek, professor of business psychology, together with her co-author from the University of Rostock, receives the Innovation Award granted by the Section of Work, Organizational and Business Psychology of the German Psychological Society. The awarded work deals with the effect of unfinished tasks.

August 2019: Teaching on two wheels: CSR tour

A group of business management students visits companies in NRW by bicycle and talks to them about sustainability and business ethics. They learn about different aspects of corporate social responsibility. New didactic paths through the joint trip are intended to deepen what the students have learned in the discussion.

August 2019: EU bronze in Taekwondo

Martin Stach, a prospective business psychologist, wins the bronze medal at the European Taekwondo Championship for students. On his return, Ulrike Lüneburg from the Executive Board of the Hochschulgesellschaft congratulates him. The society has set up an account  from which competitive athletes from the university are supported in competitions abroad. Stach was the first to benefit from this.

July 2019: b-it-bots win world championship title

It is as if they had made a start-up in May: After the German championship, the b-it-bots are now also taking the world championship title in the @work league in Sidney. In this league of the RoboCup, logistic tasks in particular have to be mastered, with robots having to carry out work in warehouses and production facilities independently.

July 2019: Respect wins

The "Respekt!" initiative receives the Innovation Award of the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis in the category of preventive measures. The prize was first awarded in 2019. "Respekt!" addresses various aspects of diversity and sustainability with formats such as workshops, lectures or exhibitions. The events are open to the public.

June 2019: H-BRS now Fairtrade University

Transfair/Fairtrade delivers the certificate so that the university can now adorn itself with the Fairtrade-University label. The initiative for applying came from students who at about the same time founded a Green Office to support the university on its way to more sustainability.

June 2019: Showroom Visualisation opens

With funds from the Innovative University Initiative, the Institute for Visual Computing has set up a visualisation showroom. It serves to provide information and advice to companies as well as to facilitate the exchange of information. Interested citizens can also participate in workshops and other participatory formats.

June 2019: Udo Scheuer new in the President's Office

The long-standing head of the Centre for Science and Technology Transfer (ZWT) is appointed to the President's Office as Vice-President Regional Development, Transfer and Innovation. He will retain the project management of "Campus to World".

June 2019: Professor Giso Deussen passes away

At the age of 78, Professor Giso Deussen succumbs to the consequences of an accident. Deussen had developed the concept for the degree programme Technical Journalism and held the professorship for media politics and media ethics until his retirement.

May 2019: b-it-bots German Champion

In the @work league of the RoboCup German Open, the university team wins by a large margin and takes the championship title to Sankt Augustin. The service robots in the @home league are also well programmed: They achieve fourth place in the overall ranking with robot lady Lucy.

April 2019: Project office for "Campus to World" project

With a new project office, the university moves closer to the citizens and companies of Neukirchen-Seelscheid. It is a widely visible step in the pilot project Communal Innovation Partnerships (KIP), a sub-project of "Campus to World", the winning project in the Innovative University competition.

April 2019: Recognition for fundraising work

The university had used the Germany scholarship in an exemplary manner as a door opener and an adhesive for cooperation with companies. The German Association of Universities and other Higher Education Institutions awards the university a recognition prize.

April 2019: Successful Internationalisation

In a study on the internationalisation of higher education institutions conducted by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Rectors' Conference and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg comes off well. The Master's programmes are the beacons here.

March 2019: Deposit system instead of disposable cups

In its cafeterias in Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach, the Studierendenwerk Bonn is replacing the environmental sin of disposable cups with the so-called LogiCUP, a deposit and returnable cup. Outside opening hours, a vending machine exchanges cups for a deposit.

February/March 2019: Graduate Institute and University take position

The planned amendment of the NRW Higher Education Act has prompted the NRW Graduate Institute and University President Hartmut Ihne, one of the initiators of the GI NRW. On the way to the rededication of the GI NRW into a Research Training Group, they demand an independent doctoral law for the Universities of Applied Sciences.

January 2019: Angela Fischer is the new Chancellor of the university

The office had been vacant since summer 2017 and until this point headed by deputy chancellor Barbara Schubert.

2018

November 2018: Federal Cross of Merit for deserving sponsor

She was chairwoman of the University Council and the University Society, a member of an expert committee that accompanied the development of the university and she is a successful entrepreneur: Ines Knauber-Daubenbücher is now being awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon.

November 2018: Teaching Award presented

Irene Rothe receives the Teaching Award, which is endowed with 5,000 euros. The jury praised Rothe's concept of involving students from several degree programmes in the project work when preparing and implementing the robot nights for pupils. They learn and train interdisciplinary cooperation, project planning and knowledge transfer.

November 2018: Rain of money for IT infrastructure

The state of NRW provides the university with 1.8 million euros for the renewal and expansion of its IT infrastructure. It will invest the money in three projects, which will benefit all parts of the university: teaching, research and administration. The measures are part of the university's digital strategy.

October 2018: ZAF with first tenant

The company Innovatec Gerätebau is the first research partner to move into a laboratory in the Centre for Applied Research (ZAF) on Rheinbach Campus. Innovatec brings along an ultrapure water system for the examination of ozone generators, for example.

September 2018: Good noses on Rheinbach Campus

Around 300 experts from authorities, research and practice will discuss and lecture on the distinctive sense of smell of sniffer dogs at the 4th Odorology Symposium in Rheinbach. It is about how the animals' sense of smell works as well as the way they learn, possible training methods and new areas of application.

September 2018: Stammzellnetzwerk.NRW institutionalised

19 universities and non-university research institutions - and the only University of Applied Sciences (HAW) is the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. The competence network for stem cell research, which was supported by these institutions, is transferred into the association Stammzellnetzwerk.NRW.

September 2018: Tailwind for teaching

With a new institute, the university wants to create a basis for securing previous successes in teaching and further developing teaching. The "Centre for Innovation and Development in Teaching" (ZIEL) has now been founded for this purpose.

August 2018: Karate-Bronze at Student World Championship

Jenny Warling, also known as Karate-Jenny, wins the bronze medal for the university at the student world championship in Japan. The Luxembourg Master's student (Analytical Chemistry and Quality Assurance) was only able to participate by having her travel expenses covered by the university.

July 2018: University builds in silver

A representative of the independent examination office of "Zertifizierung Bau" presents the university president and the head of the building and real estate department with a certificate for their extensions in Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach. This certifies that the criteria of the silver rating system for sustainable building have been fulfilled.

July 2018: Hecklings on Social Policy

Under this heading, the Department of Social Policy and Social Security is launching a lecture series. Off the beaten track in social policy, the external speakers will present new and unconventional socio-political perspectives.

June 2018: Science Region at the Villa Hammerschmidt

On the Open Day at the Federal President's official residence in Bonn, the science region and thus also the H-BRS presents itself to the public. The central theme is sustainability, using renewable resources, electromobility or car sharing as examples.

June 2018: Field test for cargo checks in port

The port of Rotterdam is the venue for the final field tests in the multinational EU project C-Board. The Rheinbach scientists of the Institute for Security Research are testing five new or improved detection methods for the inspection of sealed containers in particular.

June 2018: Institute for genetic analysis founded

With the Institute for Functional Genetic Analysis (IFGA), the university has another research institution. The central tool of the researchers at the IFGA is Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in DNA analysis. The IFGA not only has natural scientists, but also computer scientists among its staff.

June 2018: Redrockets off to a brilliant start

Only a few months after its foundation, the university's hacker team takes part in the international "Capture the Flag" tournament MidnightSun in Stockholm and immediately takes second place. Reinforcements for the team are very welcome, for the team RedRocket is anything but a secret organisation.

April 2018: Knowledge transfer and labour market orientation

A DAAD-funded project with four German and two Kenyan higher education institutions, which is funded by the DAAD with around 600,000 euros, is planning reforms in order to strengthen.

February 2018: Ars legendi Prize for Chemist

Professor Klaus Lehmann from the Department of Natural Sciences receives the renowned Ars-legendi Faculty Award of the Stifterverband für Chemie (Donors' Association for the Promotion of Chemistry). He owes the award to his students, who first encouraged him to apply because they were convinced of their professor's teaching ideas and didactics.

January 2018: Initiative BildungsMehrMut receives patron

Educational equity and a university-wide network are the goals of the initiative BildungsMehrMut, founded by Professor Elvira Jankowski and Manfred Bretz, research assistant. It supports students who are the first in their families to study in a variety of ways. Now the NRW Ministry of Science has taken over the patronage.

January 2018: Campus to World: Subproject Municipal Innovation Partnerships launched

Together with the municipality of Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, the university wants to develop a model of how positive effects of the university can radiate even further into rural areas. If possible, the strategies of the pilot project should serve as a kind of template for other municipalities in structurally weak regions to increase their attractiveness.

2017/2018

December 2017/January 2018: New university buildings inaugurated

After the blue ribbon had been cut by Secretary of State, University President, District Administrator and Mayor, the new building on the Sankt Augustin Campus - already the second extension - was officially inaugurated. A new building was also constructed on the Rheinbach campus and celebrated with a New Year's reception in January. A total of around 36 million euros was invested.

2017

October 2017: New Bachelor's degree programmes

International Business, Sustainable Engineering and Sustainable Social Policy are the names of the new Bachelor's degree programmes, which also immediately attract high numbers of applicants. The Department of Social Security takes into account the expansion of its study programme and changes its name to "Social Policy and Social Security".

October 2017: Partner of the World Climate Conference

With the "Green Pieces" exhibition, the university, together with the Jablonsky Collection, is the official climate partner of the COP23 World Climate Conference. The vernissage also provides the setting for the presentation of the IZNE's Responsibility and Sustainable Development Award. The artist Hilla Jablonsky had already expressed her concern about the threatened environment in a series of large-format paintings in the early 1980s.

September 2017: Volunteer year in science

For the first time, the university is offering a high school graduate an FSJ (volunteer year) in science, technology and sustainability. The FSJ student works in the research group on congenital metabolic disorders and learns basic laboratory skills. In addition, he or she gains insights into the degree programmes of the biomedical sciences  and vocational fields.

September 2017: University organizes University Championship

Around 60 students from all over Germany will start in Siegburg at the German University Championships in the road race over ten kilometers. The university's cooperation partner is TV Kaldauen. At the same time, the first NRW championship in this discipline takes place as well as the HIT-Citylauf in several categories.

September 2017: New university council appointed

Six go, two stay, six come - that means continuity as well as new impulses. New university councillors are lawyer Sylvie Hamblock-Gesinn, Rainer Otto (Wirtgen Group Holding) and university professors Simone Bürsner, Karin Hummel, Klaus Deimel and Pete Kaul. Andrea Niehaus (Deutsches Musum Bon) and Jakob Rhyner (Vice Director of the United Nations University in Europe) continue in office.

July 2017: Change in the President's Office

Michaela Schuhmann, in office since 2013, is voted out of office by the University Election Assembly. Barbara Schubert takes over as deputy chancellor until the position is filled.

July 2017: "Campus to World" wins

With the award of the contract for its "Campus to World" concept, the university may not only use the label "Innovative University". It also receives around nine million euros for the next five years from the Bund-Länder (federation-states) programme for a total of nine sub-projects. During this time, it will completely restructure its science and technology transfer and continue to open itself up to civic science.

June 2017: Land of Ideas: University is an "Excellent Place

With the EPICSAFE project, the university is one of this year's winners of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's innovation competition. EPICSAVE is a so-called Serious Game, with which prospective emergency paramedics can train less frequently occurring but life-threatening cases in virtual reality.

May 2017: Cybersecurity learning lab opened

Under the umbrella of the Fraunhofer Academy, the university and the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics (FKIE) open the Cyber Security Learning Lab with a focus on high security and emergency response. The lab offers training in the fields of detection, analysis and reaction to cyber attacks.

March 2017: Competence for medium-sized businesses

The university is awarded the contract for one of sthe everal nationwide competence centers Mittelstand 4.0. It will establish the topic "usability" - which is divided into four locations - for the northern section. The competence centers are to support medium-sized companies on their way to digital transformation.

March 2017: University with role model character

This designation is given to the university by the current founding radar. The ranking of this donors' association for the promotion of sciences and humanities in Germany places the H-BRS in 8th place among medium-sized colleges and universities nationwide. Among the universities of applied sciences, H-BRS occupies the 3rd place. The radar looks at the anchoring of start-up foundations and the promotion of start-up activities.

January 2017: Butyric acid all over again

The renewed attempt to sabotage the H-BRS Company Day fails, because the person responsible may have been interrupted. Exhibitors and organizers are glad that the odour nuisance was kept within limits and the career fair could be held.

January 2017: Fellowship for digital teaching

Professor Marco Winzker is the first member of Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg to be sponsored as a "Fellow for Innovations in Digital University Teaching" for a period of one year by the NRW Ministry of Science and the Stifterverband. His Remote Lab enables laboratory experiments from a home PC.

January 2017: Professor Reiner Clement passes away

Sadness and dismay spread like a cloak over the entire university when it learns of the death of its beloved Vice President Reiner Clement. At the age of 58, he succumbed to his short, serious illness. Clement had already come to the university in 1996 as a Professor of Management Sciences.

TBD 2016 - November 2014

2014

November 2014: Africa conference at the Rheinbach Campus

The conference "Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa" at the Rheinbach Campus addressed itself to researchers, business representatives and other actors interested in the interplay between education, business life and economic development. More than 200 guests from 23 countries, including 80 African states, visited the conference.

September 2014: HuKB joins Rhein-Sieg-Onleihe (online borrowing facility)

The University and District Library Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (HuKB) joined the offerings provided by public libraries, thus expanding its stocks of borrowable electronic media of all types.

June 2014: Re-certification as a "Family-Friendly University"

Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University has already been certified as a "Family-Friendly University" since 2007. In June 2014 it was re-certified for the second time, after 2010, for the next three years.

February 2014: Universities sign Agreement on Objectives and Performance

The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the universities of applied sciences under public law signed what is known as "Agreements on Objectives and Performance". The agreement, which is valid until the end of 2015, includes, among other things, provisions on the universities’ research focuses and new study programmes alongside work.

January 2014: Success in the "Gründungsradar" survey

H-BRS was ranked fourth among medium-sized universities (5,000 to 15,000 students) in the "Gründungsradar" survey, conducted by the German Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft to assess the extent to which higher education institutes support company start-ups. Thus, our university is a "role model university".

January 2014: North Rhine-Westphalian government gives consent to new university buildings

The Ministries of Finance and of Innovation, Science and Research of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia gave their consent to our university’s building programme, which aims to extend the university buildings by approximately 5,400 square metres. There are plans to complete the new buildings at Rheinbach and Sankt Augustin in 2016. The total of the venture, including land acquisition and initial furnishing, is estimated at approximately € 34 million.

2013

December 2013: Dr Michaela Schuhmann appointed Vice President

In December Dr Michaela Schuhmann took office as new "Vice President for Economics and Personnel Management". She was appointed for six years initially. Michaela Schuhmann thus took over the responsibility for the administration and business management of the entire university.

November 2013: Kick-off for "Research Day"

Our university organised a research day for the first time, inviting the public to join in. In December 2013 researchers from all departments presented their research projects at the Rheinbach Campus.

October 2013: First "Kinderuni" in the Rhein-Sieg District

The first "Kinderuni" in the Rhein-Sieg-District, a university programme for children, was kicked off under the motto "Grün, grün, grün sind alle meine Fragen" ("Green, green green are all of my questions", adapted from a German children’s song.) H-BRS and the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences carried out the project for the first time in the 2013/2014 school year. The events were fully booked up – the children were enthusiastic.

May 2013: Second term of office for University President Ihne

With a vast majority of the votes, University President Prof. Dr Hartmut Ihne was re-elected for an additional term of office by the Senate of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.

April 2013: Our university bids farewell to Chief Administrative Officer Hans Stender

Im April 2013 Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University bade farewell to Founder and Chief Administrative Officer Hans Stender, who had reached retirement age, in a ceremonial act held at the Sankt Augustin Campus.

January 2013: National Code of Conduct

The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences joined the "National Code of Conduct on Foreign Students at German Universities".

2012

November 2012: Bonn-Rhein-Sieg District Archive online
Thanks to a partnership between the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and District Library and the Rhein-Sieg District, the Academic Library of the Rhein-Sieg District Library is now available online.

October 2012: Tuition prize awarded

Our university organised a "Tuition Day" for the first time and awarded a tuition prize. Prof. Dr Ursula Konrads was presented with the prize.

September 2012: New study programmes

From the 2012/2013 winter semester, students with an interest in the subject have been able to study Business Psychology at the Rheinbach Campus. There are only a few universities offering this degree programme in Germany. At the same time and at the same place - the Rheinbach Campus -, the first students enrolled in the Master’s degree programme in "Analytische Chemie und Qualitätssicherung" (Analytical Chemistry and Quality Assurance).

September 2012: Opening of the Institute of Visual Computing

The Institute of Visual Computing (IVC) has its origins in the university research centre of the same name. The institute deals with interactive visual processing of information for a wide variety of applications in image synthesis and augmented reality, such as interactive (learning) surroundings.

August 2012: University Council continues its work

The incumbent University Council was confirmed in its entirety and will continue its work for an additional five years. The University Council includes four external and four internal members: Prof. Dr Tobias Amely, Prof. Dr Rupert Gerzer (Chair of the University Council), Prof. Dr Elvira Jankowski, Dr Eckart John von Freyend, Dr Ines Knauber-Daubenbüchel, Prof. Dr Gerd Knupp, Prof. Dr Karl W. Neunast and Dr Andrea Niehaus.

February 2012: Master’s degree programme "Technology and Innovation Communications" launched

Topics from communications, innovation, technology and economics are dealt with on an academic basis and communicative expertise is combined with technical expertise: the study programme leading to the degree of "Master of Science", which has been accredited by AQAS, is aimed at improving the opportunities for journalists in the jobs market and at opening up a completely new field of work.

2011

December 2011: Cooperation between the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the Cologne Chamber of Trades and Crafts (Handwerkskammer Köln)

The Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and the Cologne Chamber of Trades and Crafts sign a partnership agreement aimed at reinforcing the business location in the areas of science and technology, research, production and services, so as to secure it in the long term. The agreement is aimed at developing sustainable structures between science and the trades that enable more intensive cooperation.

December 2011: Opening of the International Welcome Centre

In October 2010, our university started building the International Office and establishes the International Welcome Centre at the beginning of the 2011/2012 winter semester. The International Welcome Centre is a service and meeting point for international students and guest researchers.

October 2011: Membership of the European University Association (EUA)

Our university became a member of the European University Association (EUA), which includes universities and universities of applied sciences from 47 European countries. The EUA thus provides these universities with a unique forum for cooperation on issues relating to tuition and research. At the same time, the organisation represents the universities towards politics, as well as giving them advice on relevant fundamental issues.

January 2011: Two new establishments

Following the formal establishment, the Graduate Institute and the International Centre for Sustainable Development (Internationales Zentrum für nachhaltige Entwicklung, IZNE) commenced operations on 1st January 2011. Prof. Dr Rainer Herpers is the Director of the Graduate Institute, while Prof. Dr Wiltrud Terlau is responsible for the International Centre for Sustainable Development (IZNE).

Winter 2010/2011: Partnership with the Bordeaux ENSCBP

The partnership with the Bordeaux ENSCBP (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, de Biologie et des Physique) started in the winter semester. Students from both universities practise communication and negotiations in English using new media - for the purpose of promoting intercultural competence.

2010

November 2010: Opening of the Institute for Detection Technologies

The Institute for Detection Technologies opened at the Rheinbach Campus, enriched by a foundation professorship for cooperation partner EADS. In the next few years, new methods of detection research will be developed under the management of Professor Dr Gerhard Holl.

November 2010: University Development Plan (Hochschulentwicklungsplan, HEP)

In mid-November, the University Council passed a resolution on our university's objectives, which were presented by the Office of the President and are to be achieved by 2015. Among other things, these objectives determine our university's strategic orientation in the areas of internationalisation, research, tuition and finance. (University Development Plan - Hochschulentwicklungsplan, 2010 - 2015)

October 2010: Graduate becomes Wine Queen

Mandy Großgarten was not only the best graduate of the year in the study programme "Chemistry with Materials Science", but she was also the German Wine Queen. In addition, the 22-year-old graduate was awarded a prize from the university's Fund-Raising Association (Fördergesellschaft) for her thesis and was granted a scholarship by the German Cusanuswerk. She also intends to complete a Master's degree course.

October 2010: Research focuses

"Security Research" and "Visual Computing" will be at the centre of our university's applied research activities in the future. In a special meeting, the Office of the President defined these topics as our university's research focuses. Our university thus intends to reinforce its research profile, using financial means of just under four million euros over the next five years.

October 2010: Head of the new International Office

Dr Roland Weiß changes to our university in his capacity as Head of the International Office. This is an important step towards implementing the university's internationalisation strategy.

May 2010: Fund-raiser employed

In May 2010, the university employs Fidegnon Adeossi as a fund-raiser. In her new staff position "Fund-Raising and Funding Opportunities", she is, among other things, responsible for finding new ways of funding research projects - with the aim of supplementing our declining financial means from public sources.

March 2010: Professor Klaus W. ter Horst retires

Ter Horst became a member of our university in its founding year 1995 as Founding Dean of the Sankt Augustin Department of Business Administration. Since then, he managed the Department - later in his capacity as elected Dean.

Spring 2010: Two new Master's degree programmes in Business Administration

The Department of Business Administration introduced two new part-time Master's degree programmes to be completed alongside work - Innovation and Information Management as well as Controlling and Management.

January 2010: Two new establishments

The Graduate Institute and the International Centre for Sustainable Development (Internationales Zentrum für Nachhaltige Entwicklung, IZNE) were formally established. They serve to bring together the corresponding cross-departmental initiatives. 

Winter 2009/2010: The Study Fund Foundation (Studienbeitragsstiftung) is established

By consent with the students, part of the tuition fees were used as a deposit for the new foundation. Among other things, the purpose of the foundation is to grant scholarships.

2009

Winter 2009: Anniversary of the University and District Library

The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and District Library (HuKB) has existed for ten years since the former university library merged with the non-fiction library of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg District. The merger has become a role model for success. 

Autumn 2009: Our University becomes a partner in the Bonn Sustainability Portal

The Bonn Sustainability Portal was introduced as an information exchange for Sustainable Development. Needless to say, our university was one of the founding members alongside several other institutions.

Autumn 2009: Two new international Master's degree courses are introduced

The degree course in NGO Management was introduced, which had already aroused lively interest during the planning stages. This is not surprising as no other region is home to as many non-governmental organisations as Bonn.
The second new Master's degree programme is International Media Studies; alongside the university of applied sciences, its partners include the German broadcasting station "Deutsche Welle" and Bonn University.

Summer 2009: b-it-bots become world champions

Robot Johnny showed his strong competitors who was the boss in the RoboCup@Home-league. He was able to adapt himself to new surroundings, to fetch a drink from the dining room and serve it to a guest. In doing so, he recognised his counterpart's mood and responded to it accordingly. 

Summer 2009: Founding of a joint institute with the Aachen University of Applied Sciences

The idea of a joint institute emerged from the joint competence platform "Polymeric Materials". In June a contract was signed to establish the "Institute for Applied Polymeric Sciences" as well as the joint Master's degree programme in "Applied Polymeric Sciences".

Spring 2009: The Office of the President is complete

Alongside the President (Prof. Dr. Hartmut Ihne), there are Vice Presidents for Research and Transfer (Prof. Dr. Volker Sommer), Internationalisation and International Cooperation (Prof. Dr. Wiltrud Terlau), Tuition, Education and Further Education (Prof. Dr. Manfred Kaul) as well as Innovation and New Financial Instruments (Prof. Dr. Reiner Clement); Hans Stender is the Chief Administrative Officer.

2008

Winter 2008: The Senate decides to change our university's name

On 18 December 2008, the Senate of the University of Applied Sciences passed the decision to change our university's name from "Fachhochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg" into "Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg" - with only one dissenting vote.

2007

Winter 2007: The Third Agreement on Objectives is signed

The German State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences signed a new Agreement on Objectives for the period until 31 December 2010. This agreement focuses on measures to ensure student achievement and to further the students' entrepreneurial skills. Our university aimed to promote its image as an "entrepreneurial university" by supporting company foundations by students and graduates. In addition, it made efforts to provide interdisciplinary courses at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (IfIS), which was founded for this purpose. Furthermore, the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research and our university jointly decided to carry out an analysis of the impact the agreed measures had on the university's success and profiling. Our university was to position itself as a "university with a high-quality, individual student advisory service". Furthermore, there were plans to institutionalise the Alumni Club and to obtain a certification as a "Family-Friendly University" from the Hertie Foundation (Hertie Stiftung gGmbH).

Autumn 2007: The shift to Bachelor's degree courses and Master's degree courses is completed

In the 2007/2008 winter semester, the first students enrolled for a Bachelor's degree programme at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism. In other words, the shift from the German Diplom (FH) to the American/British Bachelor's and Master's degree programme system was completed throughout the entire university.

Summer 2007: The University Council commences operations

At the end of August 2007, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University was the first university of applied sciences in the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia to have a university council. Its members were officially appointed by Andreas Pinkwart, then North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Science and Research; afterwards they convened in the Constituting Assembly. At this assembly, Professor Dr. Rupert Gerzer, Manager of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cologne, was elected Chairman of the University Council. The Chairman appointed the future President of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, who was to act as its supervisor at the same time. The University Council is convened at least four times a year. The President reports to the University Council on a quarterly basis - among other things, on the University Development Plan and the Business Plan.
 

Spring 2007: Certificate "Family-Friendly University"

The university has taken numerous measures to support family-friendly work and study conditions for its students and employees. This is why it was awarded the basic certification "Family-Friendly University Audit" on 26 March 2007.

2005

Autumn 2005: 10th Anniversary

Even though the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences was founded as early as on 1 January 1995, the university did not commence operations until October of the same year, when tuition officially started with 30 students each at Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach. In other words, this was the right time to celebrate the university's 10th Anniversary, to look back on the past, but above all, to look ahead.

June 2005

During our university's first summer festival with a large football tournament, the university's band TheBIGlive, which was then still called "Aktionstheke", got the party going. The musicians had met on the initiative of the Founder and President - with a view to the forthcoming festival.

Spring 2005: We move into the annex buildings

We moved into the new annex buildings on the Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach campuses. Alongside the President (Rector), the administration and the Department of Business Administration, the Business Campus GmbH moved into the building in Sankt Augustin. The laboratories of the Department of Applied Natural Sciences are mainly housed in the Rheinbach building.

Spring 2005: The Second Agreement on Objectives is signed

The renewal of the First Agreement on Objectives, which had been negotiatied between the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia three years earlier, confirmed that the university was pursuing the right course and thus shaping its own profile. Moreover, the agreement with North Rhine-Westphalia provided a framework for further development. For instance, our university was about to apply for new research focuses and competence platforms as well as activities to recruit new applicants.  It was also on the point of internationalising the degree programmes, above all at Rheinbach.

2004

Autumn 2004: For the first time, the number of students exceeds 4,000

The university had reached its original goal of attaining the number of 2,500 registered students for a long time. Having more than 4,000 students in the 2004/2005 winter semester, our university then made the breakthrough. It owed this steady increase to the continuous interest in the subjects Business Administration, Computer Science and to the degree course in Business Information Systems, which was introduced in 2003.

Autum 2004: The Business Campus Rhein-Sieg GmbH is founded
To support young enterprises that come onto the market with new ideas or technical innovation, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, the Rhein-Sieg District (RSK) and the District Savings Bank of Cologne (Kreissparkasse Köln - KSK) joined together to form the Business Campus Rhein-Sieg GmbH. This joint venture furthers the foundation and development of new enterprises in the vicinity of our university. The two Centres for Company Founders (Existenzgründerzentren) at Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach are part of the Business Campus.

2003

Summer 2003: A third campus
Hennef was added as a third campus. The university of applied sciences set up its study programme in Social Security Management in conjunction with the General League of Employers' Liability Insurance Associations (Hauptverband der gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften).

1995 - 2002

Autumn 2002: Founding of the Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT)
The Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT) was founded, using the scientific facilities of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.

Spring 2000: A new name
Our name changed to "Fachhochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg" (i.e. "Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences").

Autumn / winter 1999: The new buildings are ready
Our university moved into its new buildings on both campuses.

From winter 1996: New degree programmes
1996: Applied Computer Science programme starts at Sankt Augustin
1997: Chemistry starts at Rheinbach, Electrical Engineering at Sankt Augustin
1998: Materials Science starts at Rheinbach; Mechanical Engineering begins at Sankt Augustin
1999: Technical Journalism starts at Sankt Augustin
2000: Biology starts at Rheinbach
2001: Start of the shift from the traditional German Diplom system to the American/British Bachelor's degree system; introduction of the first Master's degree in Computer Science
2003: Social Security Management is introduced

Winter 1995: Teaching starts
At the beginning, our university was anchored in two towns on the left and right banks of the Rhine: Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach. Teaching started on the Sankt Augustin campus straight away, finding a temporary home in the Technopark of the GDM German National Center for Information Technology. The Rheinbach section was temporarily housed in a building in the town park. New buildings for our university were still at the planning stages on both campuses. Teaching began at both Rheinbach and Sankt Augustin with one degree programme each in Business Administration.

January 1995: Founding of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences
After the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, Berlin was chosen as capital of the new, united Germany. Thus Bonn lost its status as capital of the former West Germany and most government offices moved to Berlin. In 1994 an agreement was reached to compensate Bonn in various ways for this loss of status and income.
As an integral part of this agreement, our university was founded under the name "Fachhochschule Rhein-Sieg" by the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia on 1 January 1995. Its mission was to advance structural change in the region; to provide new educational opportunities; to make a contribution to the further structural development of the economic area through practical projects and cooperation with industry.