Internationalization Welcome Office Bochum

Germany is facing one of the biggest challenges of the coming decades: when the baby boomer generation retires, our country will be short of millions of workers. Without the recruitment of skilled workers from abroad, this development cannot be halted. For this reason, the city of Bochum and its cooperation partners are pooling their expertise in the new “Welcome Office Bochum”, in which the Ruhr University and other Bochum universities are involved as network partners. It was opened on March 31 at Universitätsstraße 43 to 49.

One-stop store

As a so-called one-stop store, the new Welcome Office offers information and advice on dealing with authorities, finding accommodation and integration from a single source. Anyone who wants to live, work or study in Bochum no longer has to worry about numerous appointments with various institutions, but can instead contact an experienced team from the city administration, employment agency and chambers of commerce directly. Employees of the International Office of Ruhr University are part of the core team in Bochum who want to contribute to the success of the Welcome Office. The team will benefit in particular from the experience already available at Ruhr University with its established offers and services for new international students and researchers.

RUB International 2030

Intensifying cooperation with local partners in order to shape the welcome and support culture in line with requirements is defined as a goal in the RUB International 2030 internationalization strategy. The establishment of the Welcome Office is a key factor in strengthening Ruhr University's profile as an attractive and welcoming research and study location in Germany.

With the opening of the Welcome Office, the city and the cooperation partners are sending a clear signal towards a welcoming culture.

— Martin Paul

"With the opening of the Welcome Office, the city and the cooperation partners are sending a clear signal towards a welcoming culture. Ruhr University and other academic institutions will certainly benefit from such a facility, as a central point of contact for municipal services and other services will make it much easier for our top international academics to get started in Bochum. For this reason, the establishment of such a one-stop store was also a central wish of the university," says Prof. Dr. Martin Paul, Rector of Ruhr University.