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June 29, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY From teaching and research

The state of Hesse has invested €18.4 million in the new building for the Degree Courses in Media Informatics, Business Information Systems , Facility Management, and the distance learning center of the University of Applied Sciences in Friedberg. "With this extension, we are ensuring a noticeable improvement in the infrastructure and thus the study conditions at the university," said Eva Kühne-Hörmann, Hessian Minister for Science and Art, at the handover ceremony. "The University of Applied Sciences is exemplary with its demand-oriented study programs and cutting-edge applied research. The impressive increase in student numbers over the past few years also demonstrates this."

President Prof. Dr. Günther Grabatin noted that with the extension in Friedberg, following the new building for Applied Biosciences (2007) and the extension for Computer Science (2008) at the Giessen campus, three large buildings have now been put into operation within a short period of time at the university's two main locations. "This is no coincidence, but rather a sign that our university is on a stable growth path."

Friedberg's mayor, Michael Keller, expressed his great satisfaction with the university's expansion near the city center. He stated that the university of applied sciences now has not just a campus in Friedberg, but a "city center." Referring to the new building's location on Hanauer Straße, Keller added, "The university of applied sciences has its own train station."

Klaus Behler, Dean of the Department of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Data Processing, saw the new building as a basis for improving the working conditions of the students. He also pointed out that the additional space significantly improved the prospects for applied research in Friedberg.

The new building, designed by Prof. Herbert von Wehrden, offers 3,800 square meters of usable space for offices, seminar rooms, laboratories, and two lecture halls. "The building boasts high functionality and maximum flexibility. This ensures that it will meet the demands of modern and open teaching and research in the long term," said Minister Kühne-Hörmann.

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June 23, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY ...and also

A central archive has been established at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences, making all activity reports of state and federal data protection officers accessible online at a single address. Publications from data protection supervisory authorities are also available there.

Hajo Köppen, the data protection officer at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences, heads the "Central Archive for Activity Reports of the Federal and State Data Protection Commissioners and the Supervisory Authorities for Data Protection (ZAfTDa)" project at the university. He explains the reasons for establishing the new internet portal as follows: "The activity reports are a veritable treasure trove for anyone dealing with data protection issues, whether for professional, academic, or private reasons. ZAfTDa provides, for the first time, a central access point to these data protection reports."

A multitude of data protection problems, as they arise in public and private practice, are described in the collected activity reports. These reports not only present the facts of the various cases but also demonstrate how, in the opinion of the data protection authorities, those responsible should have acted in compliance with data protection regulations.

The online document collection currently contains over 160 of the approximately 400 published activity reports from official data protection officers at the state and federal levels. The portal is continuously updated and is being gradually expanded back to the early days of data protection legislation (1970). For Dr. Kai von Lewinski of Humboldt University, co-initiator of ZAfTDa, the internet portal also offers valuable support for academic research on data protection law: "With its offering, ZAfTDa.de makes the activity reports of data protection authorities reliably accessible and authentically citable in the form of parliamentary documents. This enables comprehensive access to the history of data protection and the information society."

This makes ZAfDTa.de a useful resource for research for various purposes. The internet portal offers quick and practical assistance for data protection officers in the public and private sectors, for management of authorities and companies, employee representatives, the trade press, academics and research institutions, as well as interested laypersons.

The central archive can be found on the internet at www.thm.de/zaftda and www.zaftda.de .

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June 22, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY From teaching and research

In the field of Physical Engineering, the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences is also preparing to convert its existing diploma program into a bachelor's degree program. The new program, offered on the Friedberg campus, will continue the proven approach of providing a broad foundation in the natural sciences and, as before, will focus on laser technology.

The first three semesters of the reformed degree program focus on the core subjects of mathematics, natural sciences, and computer science, as well as introductory courses in engineering and methodological skills. From the fourth to the sixth semester, practical, technology-oriented modules dominate. A comprehensive range Elective will allow students to specialize in areas such as materials science or optotechnology and image processing. The practical training phase and final thesis, completed in the seventh semester, offer students the opportunity for a smooth transition into the professional world.

Laser technology and materials science, the core subjects of the Bachelor of Science degree program, are among the most innovative and growth-promoting cross-cutting technologies worldwide. Germany is a leading nation in these fields, and the demand for academically qualified young professionals is very high. Over 90 percent of graduates from the Physical Engineering diploma program at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences typically secured their first job offer while still completing their studies. The new Bachelor's program is also strongly aligned with the qualification profile of industrial managers in production and research. Teaching will commence in the winter semester of 2010/11 at the Friedberg Department of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Data Processing.

Autumn 2009 is the last opportunity to begin the engineering studies program in Physical Engineering with the aim of obtaining a diploma. Information on content, procedures, and career prospects can be obtained from the university's website (www.thm.de), the Department 's website (galileo.thm.de), or by contacting the academic advisors directlyThis email address is protected against spambots! JavaScript must be enabled to view it./This email address is protected against spambots! JavaScript must be enabled to view it.).

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June 18, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY From teaching and research

The Giessen-Friedberg University of Applied Sciences has successfully completed the "audit familiengerechte hochschule" (audit for family-friendly universities) for the second time. Back in 2005, the "berufundfamilie gGmbH" (career and family non-profit organization), funded by the Hertie Foundation, had already assessed the university and recognized it as a particularly family-friendly institution.
Hajo Köppen and the women's representatives, Dagmar Hofmann and Catharine Meckel-Oschmann, recently accepted the certificate confirming this renewed success in Berlin from Federal Minister for Family Affairs Ursula von der Leyen and Dagmar Wöhrl, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Students with children face particular challenges. They have to juggle their studies, childcare, and often also working. University staff also have to balance their paid work and family responsibilities on a daily basis. The Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences, where approximately five percent of students have children up to the age of 14, has set itself the goal of making both the academic environment and the daily work routines of its staff more family-friendly.

Following the initial award of the certificate in 2005, the university management and auditors agreed on goals that the university was to achieve by the time of the recertification audit. A steering committee, which included the women's representatives, was tasked with implementation. The committee worked successfully, allowing the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences to retain the title of "family-friendly university" for another three years.

Project manager Hajo Köppen cites children's play and reading corners set up at the university as examples of family-friendly measures. The university offers its employees a flexible working time model with the option of working remotely. For childcare, students and staff have access to the network of registered childminders in Giessen and an emergency kindergarten in Friedberg. A parent-child room will be set up in Giessen for students starting in the winter semester. The crèche on Moltkestraße will gain eight additional childcare places. A family office will also be established there, advising students and staff on all aspects of balancing family life with work and studies.

In addition, Köppen stated that the project "has also led to increased awareness of the issue among university members. This is evident in the active participation of many university members in the working groups. Existing services and increasing support provide a very good foundation for the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences to continue its success on the path to becoming a family-friendly university."

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May 27, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY ...and also

Hans-Heinrich Bernhard, a board member of Volksbank Mittelhessen, presented an internet terminal to the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences. The terminal, which cost approximately 4,300 euros, is located in the foyer of the university's main building in Giessen .

While there are already several hundred internet access points in the central library and the Departments that students can use, these are often only accessible in conjunction with courses, according to Prof. Dr. Harald Danne. The university's vice president pointed out that guests of the university now also have free internet access at a central location. This is a particularly valuable additional service for visitors to the information desk, which is also located in the foyer.

Danne thanked the Volksbank for the donation. The two institutions have a long-standing, constructive partnership, which is also manifested in the fact that a member of the Volksbank's board of directors has been a member of the university council of the FH (University of Applied Sciences) from the very beginning.

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May 26, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY From teaching and research

"Meet the Company" is the name of the company fair organized by the Department of Business and the "Association for the Promotion of Studies and Business" at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences. This year, representatives from almost 20 companies met with students and professors. The discussions covered not only career opportunities and job openings, but also the possibility of participating in projects, completing internships, and finding topics for theses.

The Department views the fair as part of its networking activities, which, according to Dean Prof. Dr. Susanne Müller, also include the alumni reunion and the summer festival, both of which took place on the same day. Networking, Müller explained, means building and maintaining a network of relationships between students, alumni, faculty, and companies in today's world, which can further assist with career and business orientation. It serves to integrate regional companies into the Department work and thus intensify cooperation between the university and industry. "Such a network of relationships doesn't develop on its own, of course, but requires personal commitment, and an event like the fair facilitates making contacts," the dean said.

The patron of the trade fair was FH President Prof. Dr. Günther Grabatin, who also officially welcomed the guests.

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May 25, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY From teaching and research

Simone Eitel and Corinna Scholz are planning a children's village in Mombasa, Kenya. The two architecture students won a competition last summer at the Department of Civil Engineering at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Peter Jahnen, in his Urban Planning/Design course, had assigned them the task of developing a comprehensive design for the project. The children's village will provide orphans and street children with a safe environment and numerous educational and recreational opportunities to grow up.

The work of Eitel and Scholz impressed not only the university professor but also Matheka Munyasa. The director of the Dickson Children Centre had come to Giessen specifically to review the urban planning designs at the university of applied sciences. The winning design envisions a series of communicative buildings with a common basic structure. Overlapping, "floating" roofs are intended to ensure a pleasant indoor climate in the school, central meeting hall, and accommodations. The roof structures are designed so that rainwater is channeled through an above-ground culvert into a cistern. Plaza-like green spaces divide and connect public, semi-public, and private areas. A further advantage of this architectural solution, which convinced the selection committee, is that the exterior walls of the buildings also largely form the perimeter wall of the entire site, necessary for security reasons.

The Dickson Children Centre rewarded the competent planners with an invitation to Mombasa, which they accepted together with Prof. Jahnen. They were accompanied by Edgar Zeiss from Lich, who works for the international aid organization Global Aid Network. Matheka Munyasya gave the visitors an impression of the oppressive living conditions in the city's slums.

The main task of the week-long trip for the planners was to explore building sites, construction sites, and building material depots, and to compile a list of locally available materials. Kees Klaassen, who also financed the trip for the Giessen based architectural team, provided the visitors with expert advice. The impressions and experiences gained in Mombasa will form the basis for the detailed planning that will now follow. Construction of the children's home is scheduled to begin as soon as a suitable plot of land has been found.

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May 22, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY From teaching and research

Two new Bachelor's programs in Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics will launch at the University of Applied Sciences in Friedberg this coming winter semester. Both programs lead to a Bachelor of Engineering degree after seven semesters. The Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, and Materials Technology (M) at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences is thus aligning its curriculum with the international study system.

The Mechanical Engineering program trains practically oriented engineers to plan, monitor, evaluate, and manage processes and operational procedures in their field. The option to choose between three specializations during the main course of study allows students to identify and specifically develop their personal aptitudes and interests. The available options are Design and Lightweight Construction, Energy and Drive Technology, and Materials and Manufacturing Technology.

In the mechatronics degree program, an increasingly important link between mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science, students can also choose their area of ​​specialization. Alternatives include general mechatronics and power mechatronics. Both specializations primarily equip aspiring engineers with the skills to develop cross-system solutions in which electronics and software increasingly complement or replace mechanical approaches.

Furthermore, Department M is preparing a postgraduate Master's program in "Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics," which will commence teaching upon the graduation of the first Bachelor's students. It offers all interested students from the department's own Bachelor's programs, as well as graduates with comparable degrees, the opportunity to develop a broader qualification profile for specialized technical and management roles within three semesters.

The review panel of the accreditation agency AQAS gave a very positive assessment of the new curriculum. The Degree Courses are tailored to the needs of the job market and student demand. The range of courses demonstrates the lecturers' close ties to regional and national companies.

Further information on the new Degree Coursesis available from Department M of the FH Giessen-Friedberg (Internet: http://mokey.thm.de/m/index.php, Tel. 06031/604-300) and from the Central students advisory service (06031/604-123).

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May 20, 2009

COM_CONTENT_CATEGORY From teaching and research

A class from the vocational high school at Aliceschule visited the Institute for Biopharmaceutical Technology at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences for a full-day laboratory internship. The twenty students, specializing in nutrition, learned about various biochemical analysis methods and worked with a scanning electron microscope under supervision. In the "Gene in a Bottle" project, the 12th-grade students from Giessen were able to isolate their own DNA from a cheek swab. The genetic information was sealed in a glass tube, which the young researchers could wear as jewelry.

With these laboratory insights Prof. Dr. Frank Runkel, Dean of the Giessen Department of Hospital and Medical Technology, Environmental and Biotechnology, aims to spark interest in the Degree Courses in Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Technology. The day in the lab is just one example of the cooperation with the vocational school, which was formalized with a contract more than a year ago. For instance, his Department offered a week-long summer school in the laboratories on Gutfleischstrasse last year. Twelve students received certificates for their successful participation.

While the university of applied sciences is interested in motivated students who already have an idea of ​​what to expect at the university, the Alice School also benefits from the collaboration. "The expectations and hopes regarding the cooperation have been far exceeded," summarizes headmaster Karl-Heinz Bremer. For example, his school benefited from the university's support in setting up the new "Biological Engineering" class. Professors helped with curriculum development and the planning of a biological engineering laboratory, among other things. The headmaster also cites a series of informational events on the life sciences as another positive aspect of the collaboration.

The partners agree to intensify the cooperation between their two educational institutions, which is also supported by the university's presidium . They particularly want to involve more teachers. The summer school, which is expected to be offered in August this year, is intended to become a regular event.