What we stand for

The HWR Berlin anchors its teaching and research activities in a wide subject portfolio which spans the disciplines of Business and Economics, private and public Economics, Administration, Legal and Security Management as well as a wide range of Engineering disciplines.

Practically all of the 56 degree programmes have been audited and accredited by the Accreditation Council. The HWR Berlin was awarded the Total E-Quality prize for its work in the area of equal opportunities for eight consecutive years. This prize is awarded to companies and institutions of higher education which pursue a clear policy of equal opportunities in both educational and personnel affairs. Since November 2016, the HWR Berlin has been committed to constantly improving the compatibility of studies, career and family. Recently, it received the certificate as a family-friendly university for the third time in 2022.

Conducting high-level research with a focus on its applicability, researchers at the HWR Berlin work in five departments, one central institute, nine internal research Institutes and six An-Institutes conducting research into topics pertaining to Economics and the Social Sciences, the Administrative Sciences, Engineering and Law. A multi-disciplinary research concept promotes the development of shared research foci. The university also maintains an internal programme of research funding. The HWR Berlin is a member of the Institut für angewandte Forschung Berlin e. V. (IFAF). 

Our international focus is an integral component of our institutional philosophy and informs every aspect of our teaching and research programme. Currently maintaining over 179 active partnerships with institutions of higher education on every continent, we are continually seeking to expand and reinforce existing programmes of co-operation. The HWR Berlin is also a member in the “Alliance for Excellence” (UAS7) an association of seven German institutions of Higher Education dedicated to quality and internationality and working to extend joint research undertakings and develop shared research strategies.

The HWR sets great store in the practical-oriented nature of its teaching. With over 2200 teaching places in co-operative studies degrees, we are the largest such provider in Berlin. The close connections between theory and practice provided by this degree form and the emphasis placed on work experience mean that our students profit from the expertise of both top-quality academia and leading real-world companies.

All Economics students are required to spend at least one semester in practical experience. We are constantly developing our already close co-operation with companies even to the point of assuming positions in company supervisory boards.

The Berlin Professional School (BPS) is the hub of the postgraduate Master's programmes. Management and leadership are taught and trained at the HWR Berlin's institute for continuing education. All degree programmes are accredited and meet the highest quality standards. Professionals who want to explore new paths, receive further qualifications and establish international networks study practice-oriented and interdisciplinary subjects at the BPS - either full-time or part-time. The sharing between students, companies and partners from the public sector is an integral part of the degree programmes. At the BPS, everyone can learn from each other.

At the HWR Berlin, we take joint responsibility for a sustainable and thus future-oriented development of society. In teaching and studies as well as in further education programs, the HWR Berlin imparts necessary competencies and shapes sustainable-transformative processes through innovative research and transfer. Through the qualification of future decision-makers and the broad networking in the field of sustainability, the HWR Berlin actively contributes to the success of the social task of socio-ecological transformation.

The HWR Berlin is a highly-visible player in the International Metropolis that is Berlin. One of the centres of academia, looking back on a long tradition with consisting of names such as Humboldt and Einstein, Virchow and Koch, Meitner and Planck. Berlin’s current reputation as a centre of academic excellence rests predominantly on its four leading international universities, seven Universities of Applied Science, four schools of Art, a range of private institutes of Higher Education and over 70 research institutes not affiliated to a university. Berlin is home to some 200,000 students from both Germany and abroad, attracted by excellent institutions and a vibrant cultural life.