TU Dortmund University Welcomes First-Year Students at the Stadium

Professor Manfred Bayer, President of TU Dortmund University, extended a warm welcome to the new students in SIGNAL IDUNA PARK: “This year, too, we are delighted that so many young people have chosen to study at TU Dortmund University. I hope you enjoy your studies, work well with your fellow students and successfully complete your degree. Please make use of our wide range of services that will help you kick off your studies with an excellent start.”

In total, around 28,000 students are currently enrolled at TU Dortmund University – about 4.5% fewer than last year. As already forecast by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, the drop in the number of new and first-time enrolments is due to changes in school policy: Because of the transition from the eight-year system (G8) back to the nine-year one (G9), high school students in NRW are again taking their final exams after 13 rather than 12 years of schooling. As a result, the cohort of students graduating from high school this year in Germany’s most populous federal state was far smaller: around 45,000 less than in the previous year. With 4,200 new and first-time enrolments, TU Dortmund University is seeing a decrease of just under 15% compared with the previous year.

New degree programs and an increasingly international profile

The enrolment figures for Bachelor’s degree programs show the impact of this missing year of school leavers particularly clearly. By contrast, the figures for teacher training programs, where the number of new and first-time enrolments is only around 4% below that of the previous year, are comparatively stable. There are new opportunities at TU Dortmund University this winter semester for applicants interested in teacher training: For the first time, there was no restricted admission for many subject combinations across almost all types of school.

A positive trend can be seen in the Master’s specializations outside teacher training, where the total number of students has risen by around 7% compared with the previous year. At the same time, the university is becoming increasingly international: Over a quarter of students are from other countries. This development is particularly evident in the Master’s specializations, where more than half the students come from abroad. The course portfolio is also becoming more international: “Political Conflict Studies” – TU Dortmund University’s first Bachelor’s program taught entirely in English – is starting this winter semester. Aimed at prospective students from Germany and abroad, it opens up career prospects in policy advice or international organizations, for example.

Lively program to welcome the new students

Christoph Edeler, Head of University Sports, emceed the event. Professor Manfred Bayer, President of TU Dortmund University, welcomed the new students, alongside Thomas Treß, a member of Borussia Dortmund soccer club’s management board. Alexander Kalouti, Mayor of the City of Dortmund, Professor Maximiliane Wilkesmann, Vice President International Affairs and Diversity, and Annika Ricke and Darius Weitekamp, chairpersons of the General Student Committee, also extended a warm welcome to the new students. The deans of the 17 departments also introduced themselves, which gave an insight into the wide diversity of the university’s degree programs.

Opera singer Morgan Moody from Oper Dortmund set the mood for the start of the semester with “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. The Dortmunder Philharmoniker (Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra) provided further musical highlights, such as a performance of “Amazing Grace”, among other pieces. Corinna Ludwig, Press Officer of Konzerthaus Dortmund (Dortmund Concert Hall), and Tobias Ehinger, Managing Director of Theater Dortmund, welcomed the students to the city on behalf of Dortmund’s cultural institutions. 

A special highlight: Together with Johannes Zedel, Managing Director of Dortmund Student Services, former Borussia Dortmund soccer player Kevin Großkreutz threw darts to draw three winners of gift packs for new students with vouchers for the cultural program offered by Dortmund Student Services. In line with tradition, at the end of the event and as a symbolic kick-off for the start of the academic year, Professor Manfred Bayer, President of TU Dortmund University, booted a soccer ball into the crowd, which the lucky catcher then exchanged for a soccer shirt signed by the current Borussia Dortmund squad.

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