Fifty Stories

Over the past 50 years, our FH Aachen has written many stories. So many people - teaching staff, employees, students - have contributed to making us one of the leading universities of applied sciences in Germany when it comes to teaching and research. On this page, we have prepared 50 stories from five decades of FH Aachen for you.

50

Our "EM"

FH Aachen owes Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Gisela Engeln-Müllges a huge debt of gratitude. She has shaped the university like hardly anyone else.

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49

Pro8

Solving a task that even experts have to rack their brains over - "pro8" makes this possible. The weeklong project of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics focuses on students' and pupils' approaches to solving problems.

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48

"You just know what's what."

As an FH alumnus and long-time building contractor, Hubert schlun still feels very connected to the Engineering School and, therfore, to FH Aachen as well. For him, the practical training at FH Aachen, in particular, is a great advantage.

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47

Six Universities establish HAWtech

On 11 December 2009, six leading universities of applied sciences (HAW, Hochschulen für Angewandte Wissenschaften) - including FH Aachen - establish the nationwide "HochschulAllianz für Angewandte Wissenschaften" (HAWtech, German Alliance for Applied Sciences) in Darmstadt.

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46

Layer by layer

At FH Aachen's GoetheLab, intensive research on rapid prototyping is underway with the aim of creating not just basic models but also individual products, with the help of 3D printers.

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45

Teaching Award

In 1997, FH Aachen presents the Teaching Award for the very first time. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Gerz is honoured posthumously for the development of the study collectives.

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44

FH Aachen Passes the 10,000 Mark

In the winter semester 2011/12, there were exactly 10,143 young men and women registered as students at FH Aachen. A milestone event for the university of applied sciences - to this day, the number of students has never dropped below the 10,000 mark again.

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43

Walking around the Cathedral Wearing a Gown

FH Aachen has 218 cooperation agreements with partner universities in 52 countries all over the world.

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42

Largest project ever

Campus Jülich is the largest construction project ever undertaken at FH Aachen. 87 million Euros have been invested by the federal and state governments, with a total of 23,000 square metres of gross floor area created over a construction period of three years.

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41

From scholarship holder to project manager

"I'm fascinated by the way you accompany a building from the design to the execution of the works, watching it grow." This is how Franziska sums up the fascination she has for her profession. From 2014 to 2020, she completed her architectural studies at the Faculty of Architecture at FH Aachen. Nowadays, she works as a project manager at Brainergy Park in Jülich.

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40

Helping People to Help Themselves

Early on, and in numerous projects, FH Aachen has taken up the cause of getting involved wherever help is needed. In doing so, it is of particular importance to FH Aachen to provide assistance in a sustainable manner by helping people to help themselves.

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39

Towards the Sun

From Darwin to Adelaide: 3,022 kilometres across Australia in a self-built racing car - powered by the sun.

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38

From Hohenstaufenallee to Outer Space

With COMPASS-1, a pico-satellite developed and built in-house, FH Aachen students managed the leap into space.

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37

Strong in Research and Practically Relevant

At FH Aachen, the institutes stand for interdisciplinarity, research and proximity to the industry. The first in-house institute was founded in Jülich in 1992: The Solar-Institute Jülich.

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36

The course is set

He is head of FH Aachen during a time when the course for the success of the university is being set: From 2005 to 2009, Prof. Dr. Manfred Schulte-Zurhausen presides over FH Aachen as Rector.

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35

In the service of beauty

FH graduate Horst Robertz is head of the international cosmetics company Babor. In the 90s, he began his Chemical Engineering course of study at FH Aachen.

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34

From "Pioneer" of Studies Abroad to Professor

There is hardly anyone who knows the Faculty of Business Studies as well as Professor Dr. Hans Mackenstein does, because he did not just spend his student days here. By now, he can look back on 20 years of teaching at the faculty.

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33

A period of Upheaval

400 students had set out for the FH location Goethestraße (with a further 200 heading towards Campus Jülich) to give the then NRW Minister of Science Hannelore Kraft a piece of their mind, back in January 2004.

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32

Ocean Worlds in the Solar System

At FH Aachen, a melting probe by the name of “IceMole” has been developed, which is to be used on future space missions.

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30

Doing is Gold

FH Aachen is a university of applied sciences that places great importance on giving its students the opportunity to gain practical experience in studies and teaching - for example, within the framework of student projects.

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29

"Extraraum"

In the early 2010s, the joint "Extraraum" campaign of the City of Aachen and local universities draws attention to the tense housing situation.

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28

Energy from Nature

"Biogas production plays a key role in the targeted energy transition," Prof. Dr. Isabel Kuperjans, head of the NOWUM-Energy Institute, emphasises. The institute was founded in 1998, initially with a thematic focus on mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.

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26

Successful Business Start-ups

Over the past 50 years, there have been many successful business start-ups initiated at FH Aachen.

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25

Lady in MINT

Until the autumn of 2020, Professor Doris Samm was Vice Rector for Research and Innovation at FH Aachen, an office she held twice.

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24

"It all comes down to the people"

No place is better suited to tell a story about Namibia than Sossusvlei, 400 kilometres south-west of Windhoek in the middle of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. In the salt pan of Sossusvlei, there are dead acacia trees, some of them more than 500 years old. The ghost trees rise out of the cracked, encrusted ground, surrounded by bright red sand dunes, above them the endless sky. Namibia is located in the south of Africa, surrounded by Angola in the north, Botswana in the east and South Africa in the south. The biggest challenge is water - not only for the acacias in Sossusvlei, but also for humans and animals. For years, precipitation has been declining and it has become increasingly difficult to secure water supplies throughout the country. An exciting task for civil engineers - just like other infrastructure sectors such as roads, railways, energy and housing construction.

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23

Music Unites People

University - that' s more than studying, teaching and research. Since 2007 at the latest, music has been an integral part of campus life at FH Aachen.

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22

How Covid-19 is Changing Everyday University Life - Innovative Digital Teaching Formats

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is changing the world, and it is affecting FH Aachen as well. At the beginning of the summer semester, within a very short time, the ten faculties switched their teaching operations to online formats - resulting in innovative digital teaching formats.

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21

Guests at the University

Models, writers, astronauts — they all accepted FH Aachen’s invitation to enter into a discourse with the interested public.

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20

The Guardian of 1,200 Years of History

Cathedral architect Helmut Maintz knows the cathedral like no other. For more than 35 years, the FH graduate has been taking care of the preservation and maintenance of the cathedral. A great honour, but a task that also entails a huge responsibility.

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19

An Aircraft Makes History

It is almost 8.5 metres long, has a span of 23 metres and carries high-precision measurement instruments under its wings. This is the Stemme S-10 VTX, the motor glider of
FH Aachen. A high-tech aircraft, which was acquired in 2011 for research purposes and for practical studies at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, then quickly gaining fame.

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18

Learning, Teaching, Living

In the middle of nature, yet close to the city, that's how Campus Eupener Straße presents itself. Where the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and the Faculty of Business Studies are located today, was once home to a country estate. The history of the so-called "Gut Bodenhof" dates back to the 15th century.

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17

Key Technologies of the 21st Century

More than 600 conference papers, upwards of 450 publications in scientific journals and third-party funding of more than €12 million - that's the kind of record numerous scientific institutes dream of.

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16

End of working day

In 2016, Shawn Bu achieved a huge success with his final thesis at the Faculty of Design: the Star Wars fan film “Darth Maul: Apprentice” with currently 29 million
views on YouTube. Bu is now working on his first series, which will be released on Netflix.

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14

Knowledge never goes extinct

Why are libraries in such demand despite the digital flood of information? Andrea Stühn, head of the FH Aachen Library, knows the answer.

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13

Knowledge transfer

"FH Aachen sees itself as a research university with regional, national and international networking. There is an intensive knowledge transfer between research, science, industry and society in order to strengthen the region's competitiveness." This is a statement from the current FH Aachen University Development Plan.

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12

No Sailor's Yarn

Ahoy! When you look at Rector Prof. Dr. Marcus Baumann, you immediately think of a genuine shellback, an experienced veteran sailor. You don't think so? Then come with us - at least in your mind - out onto the high seas!

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11

A success story at all levels

The Good Start to Studies is a unique cooperation between RWTH Aachen University and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences throughout Germany.

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10

A bright Idea

Institute for Microwave and Plasma Technology (IMP) develops new plasma spark plug for more economical gasoline engines

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09

Lord of the Rings

German civil engineer and FH Aachen alumnus Hermann Tilke is the world's number one in racetrack construction

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08

It's about Justice

In the mid-1980s, there was a call for greater promotion of women at FH Aachen.

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07

A Time of Transition

When Prof. René Flosdorff took over the office of Rector of FH Aachen in 1987, the Berlin Wall was still standing, and the thought of German unification was just as distant as the notion that the post-war world order, characterised by antagonism between East and West, was collapsing in on itself. For FH Aachen, too, it was a time of transition, far removed from the course of time.

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06

"Time and again, painting continues to renew itself."

The Aachen artist and FH graduate Eric Peters is one of Germany's most successful painters. The FH graduate studied product design with a focus on fashion design at the Faculty of Design and completed his degree with distinction in 1974. Read here how he came to painting after his studies.

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05

An Institution's Calling Card

If it is true that the main building is an institution's calling card, then FH Aachen took a big step forward in the spring of 2015: After a construction period of only a year and a half, the new main building is opened. Thanks to its shining silver façade and its prominent location at the intersection of Bayernallee/Robert-Schuman-Straße, it is visible even from afar.

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04

Blackout

In a single stroke, science meets harsh reality. A screenplay could not describe the scene any better. Bang. The lights go out. Beamer, computer, loudspeaker system - nothing works anymore. Power failure. Blackout.

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03

50 Years of Corporate Design

Over the past 50 years, the university's public image has evolved from one single logo in 1971 to a successful corporate design with brand recognition. The development includes a total of four logos that have characterised the university over the past 50 years.

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02

Studying at FH Aachen - Then vs. Now

What makes studying at FH Aachen so special? Then as now, it is the strong practical relevance...

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01

Founding History of FH Aachen

"We had an open, liberal, democratic university in mind," Prof. Dr. Helmut Strehl, founding Rector of FH Aachen, recalls.

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