Environment
The RWTH Aachen is one of the leading European scientific and research institutions. In the education of students it emphasizes the application-orientation on the basis of solid basic scientific knowledge. Especially in the engineering sciences, the University provides job-related skills to a high degree by encouraging the involvement of students in the project works of research groups. Therefore, graduates from the RWTH are highly in demand in the economy as junior employee and executive. National and international rankings certify the graduated students a strong ability to solve complex problems, to solve problems constructively in a team and to take on leadership roles.
The work of the research centers of the RWTH is strongly orientated to the current needs of the industry; therefore numerous developments, patents and licenses come about. Examples include the artificial insulin or the cochlear implant for the deaf. The competence centers of the RWTH perform on the one hand a strong technical differentiation and specialization and on the other hand a very effective interdisciplinary and interdepartmental cooperation in collaborations and forums. The natural research fields computer science and biology and the social sciences both have a clear reference to the engineering focus of the university. This forms the basis of the decisions of international research organizations (e.g. Microsoft, Ford, United Technologies and Philips) to settle in the region of Aachen. The innovativeness of the RWTH is also reflected in the large number of start-ups.
High quality in teaching and research is also the starting point for international cooperation of the RWTH. In networks such as the IDEA League – a group of the Imperial College London, the University Delft, the University Zürich and the RWTH Aachen – the RWTH sets and discusses the quality standards for courses of studies and scientific training in cooperation with leading technical universities of other countries.