Study, career, and children: The Ruhr-Universität is certified as a “Family Friendly University”. The certification was awarded for already implemented policies such as child care, eLearning, a mentoring programme, as well as for agreed aims to implement a personnel development and “Dual Career” programmes.

2006

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of four institutions of higher education in Germany that achieved the first place in the nationwide competition Key Qualifications Plus sponsored by the "Stifterverband" and the "Mercator-Stiftung". With its Options Module (Optionalbereich), Bochum is unique among public sector universities and has a campus wide concept for acquiring key skills. The module involves the participation of nearly all disciplines and is anchored in the Bachelor programmes.

2006

Ruhr-University Research School
The Ruhr-Universität is requested to submit a final proposal for its "Ruhr-University Research School" as part of the Excellence Initiative for promoting top-level research in Germany initiated by the Federal and state governments.

2005

“Get the Best” – The RUB achieves 1st prize in the nationwide competition "Initiative D21" for the best concept for promoting women in research. The RUB concept encompasses all phases of an academic career and brings these phases into a common framework. With this concept the RUB informs, motivates, and supports young women in the choice of their degree programme, to career orientation, to professorship. A special aspect of the concept is the Mentoring Programme.

2005

Centre for Foreign Language Studies (ZFA)
The idea of the Centre for Foreign Language Studies is to offer all available language courses from a single source with quality assured teaching and the highest degree of transparency for students. The RUB has committed itself to a very special service: all students who want to learn a foreign language in addition to their programme of study can do so at no cost.

2004

In line with the motto “In numbers there is strength”, the three universities of the Ruhr area – the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the University of Dortmund, and the University of Duisburg-Essen – have jointly formed a Contact Office in New York: ConRuhr. The Office should make the Ruhr area more known as a place of research and encourage academic exchanges among scientists and students.

2004

The Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE) designated the Ruhr-Universität as a “Best Practices University 2004”. The award committee particularly commended the RUB’s success in adopting the Bachelor and Master system and for implementing quality assurance measures. Personnel development, support for young academics, and knowledge transfer were all considered as exemplary.

2004

The "Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung" provided the financial support for the establishment of the Alfried Krupp-School Laboratory. The 1000 m² lab leaves no wishes unfulfilled: it has sections for biology and chemistry, physics, and mathematical analysis, a 360° projection cylinder and a seminar room. There is plenty of room to experiment. The lab complements classroom teaching and is the ideal place to create enthusiasm for natural science and technology. The aim of the lab is to communicate state of the art knowledge and to develop new methods in science teaching.

2003

The first faculty wide graduate school is opened. The international doctoral programme, the Graduate School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, accepts Master or Bachelor students in chemistry or related disciplines for its 3 or 4 year doctoral programme. The international students undertake their research at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry or the Max-Planck Institutes in Dortmund, Mülheim, or Düsseldorf.

2003

The RUB becomes a member of the University Network for the Promotion of Excellence in Sports. The RUB has a large number of top sportsmen and women, particularly in rowing and athletic sports. In order to support them in combining sports and study the RUB has entered into co-operation with the top sports associations.

2002

Under the motto “We want to get rid of them!” the RUB organized its unique foreign exchange exhibition “Grenzenlos” (Without Borders). Thousands of visitors came to the Audimax to visit the over 30 exhibitors and listen to the many talks and presentations about studying abroad. Funding bodies such as the DAAD and the Fulbright Commission were present as were embassy representatives, language schools, and partner universities. The Shanghai Tongji-University even sent five chefs who engaged themselves in extending the menu in the university canteens. “Grenzenlos” takes place every two years.

2002

All degree programmes in the humanities and the social and natural sciences are converted to the Bachelor and Master system. The University further developed a model that it had already started in the 1990s. No other university in Germany committed itself so early to the creation of a European Education Area. The result: a rich history of experience from which students can benefit.

2001

The University founds its first English language graduate school: the International Graduate School of Neuroscience (IGSN). As an “open faculty” the Graduate School is a joint initiative of the faculties of Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Psychology, and the Institute for Neuroinformatics. The School awards its own Ph.D.

2000

The Ruhr-Universität is the first German university to establish its own Writing Centre to assist students and academics with all aspects of professional science writing. Such centres are standard in US universities such as Harvard and Cornell.