President Dr. Alexandra Bormann welcoming the students to the Furtwangen Campus...
President Dr. Alexandra Bormann welcomes new students to Furtwangen University
"We have something in common," said the president of Furtwangen University, Dr. Alexandra Bormann, welcoming the students who started their new phase of life on Monday in the auditorium on the Furtwangen campus – "I'm new here too". Bormann welcomed the first-year students with warm words and assured them of her full support. "Be curious, try out lots of things, and if you have any problems, contact us at any time," encouraged the president, referring to her own experience – she herself also changed degree programmes once.
Just like at the Schwenningen and Tuttlingen campuses – where the designated Vice President for Academics, Professor Hans-Georg Enkler, and Head of Administration Andrea Linke welcomed the first semester students – the students then had the opportunity to obtain a lot more information at the "Market of Opportunities". From employment agencies to leisure activities, start-up support and student committees, there were advice offers and initial insights into the many prospects available to students. In the morning, the new HFU members had already attended an individual programme in their faculties.
"It's also very exciting for me to start this summer semester," says President Bormann, who has headed the university since 1 March, "and I also needed a little time to get my bearings and get to know everything." In her first few weeks, Alexandra Bormann has already got to know HFU's nine faculties in many personal meetings, as well as many other facilities and departments at the university.
At the start of the semester, the new president invited the members of the University Council and the HFU Senate to an exchange of ideas. In her welcome address to the committee members, she emphasised how strong Furtwangen University's reputation is in the academic world. "We have 174 years of tradition! And we have developed into a top-class University of Applied Sciences", said Bormann, "We know what quality is". The new president would like to build on this and expand the university's strength – among other things with initiatives for cutting edge research, teaching and transfer, a strong social network, the integration of the topic of sustainability into research and the sharpening and flexibilisation of the range of courses.
