The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) and the Berufskolleg Viersen have signed a cooperation agreement. This makes the vocational college part of the ever-growing network of schools in the region that co-operate with the university. The aim of the agreements is to support pupils in their studies and career choices. Early support is intended to build a bridge to practical and research-orientated studies and thus help to generate the next generation of students.
The cooperation can take many different forms - sometimes the pupils can get a taste of university life, sometimes the HSNR sends personnel to the schools. At the university, for example, pupils can attend open lectures, spend a day looking behind the scenes at Girls' & Boys' Day, take part in campus tours and library rallies and thus get to know the university environment in a "playful" way. Events such as the Engineering Days, the "Long Evening of Student Advice" or the study orientation weeks offer pupils the opportunity to get to grips with the wide range of programmes on offer.
The Hochschule Niederrhein has entered into a special partnership with the Viersen Vocational College with the Central Student Advice Centre, the Faculties of Engineering and Computer Science, Oecotrophology, Social Sciences, Business Administration and Economics and Health Care, as the vocational college itself has specialisations in Business Administration and Economics, Engineering, Social Sciences and Health Care. "This partnership opens up new paths and opportunities for our pupils. They can prepare specifically for their studies and gain valuable orientation for their professional future," says Barbara Stockmann, Headmistress of the Viersen Vocational College.
At the selected faculties, the pupils are given comprehensive information about studies and future career opportunities, they can get a taste of what it's like to study and try out lots of practical things. There will be workshops with the faculties - for example in the high-tech workshop "MakerSpace" - as well as student internships and the opportunity for students to attend lectures and seminars in the selected faculties. In the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, for example, a "mini business studies programme" is possible. "This provides pupils at Viersen Vocational College with comprehensive information about the opportunities we can offer them as a university. We hope to be able to support them effectively on their path to studies or a career," says Dr Donja Amirpur, Professor of Migration Education and Vice President for University Culture and Diversity.
Incidentally, it is not only students who should benefit from the cooperation agreements between the schools in the region and The Hochschule Niederrhein, but also the teaching staff. One important building block is the exchange between teachers at the school and professors at HSNR. In addition, the HSNR supports teachers in getting young people interested in scientific and technical topics.
