International profile of the HWR Berlin reconfirmed
Owing to its "excellent internationalisation strategy", the HWR Berlin was reaccredited for another five years as a member of the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS).
The current report of the NIBS review team, produced in November 2018, certifies that the HWR Berlin has an "excellent internationalisation strategy". This has enabled the university to add another prestigious reference to its outstanding international profile. Internationalisation was lived by all participants, the report says. In concrete terms, "internationalisation is evident in all functions and reflects investment and a tremendous amount of hard work from the senior management, academic and international office teams". Overall, it can be stated that the HWR Berlin has increased the degree of internationalisation since its initial accreditation by the NIBS in 2011. As a result of the evaluations, the HWR Berlin will retain its accreditation through the network from December 2018 for a further five years.
The report praises, among other things, that university members can choose from extensive mobility services. The support from the International Office for outgoing and incoming students was "excellent", the report says. Students rated the quality and professionalism of the teaching staff as particularly positive when it comes to communicating international contexts.
In addition, the report highlights the development of the international profile by the HWR Berlin in the following areas:
▪ Creating an "International Spirit" at the university, which is reflected, among other things, in appropriate financial investment, a creative approach and a supportive atmosphere.
▪ Providing numerous opportunities for students and employees of the university to spend time abroad. Students receive a wide range of options for stays abroad, both in terms of regions, degree programmes and duration of study.
▪ Continuously implementing the motto "International Spirit" locally, for example by creating a diverse international community within the university and thanks to the fact that 150 of the 450 modules are offered in English.
The special strengths of the HWR Berlin are its focus on strategic cooperation and partnerships (which is part of the structure and development plan "Hochschule 5.0"), the establishment of a Welcome Center to support international scholarship holders as well as the fact that the teachers use the mission statement "internationalization" as an integral part of their role within the university.
61 institutions from 30 countries are currently members of the NIBS, of which just under 25 are accredited to the NIBS standards. In 2011, the HWR Berlin was the first German university to accept accreditation - meanwhile, in addition to the FH Bochum, it is the only NIBS-accredited member university.