Eager anticipation, curious glances, initial conversations in the lecture hall with strangers who may become friends for life: for many, a new and formative phase of life began today. In the university's largest lecture hall, Prof. Dr Birgit Rösel, Vice President for Studies and Teaching at OTH Regensburg, welcomed the new students personally. In her speech, she emphasised why OTH Regensburg is an excellent choice for studying: ‘You have made a very good choice with OTH Regensburg. This is also confirmed by the student portal ’StudyCheck.de‘ in its ’StudyCheck Award 2025", in which we achieved 1st place among the most popular colleges and universities in Bavaria and 7th place nationwide. So congratulations on your choice of study programme."
In her welcome speech, delivered partly in German and partly in English, Vice-President Rösel emphasised: ‘We are a modern, application-oriented university that offers its students not only excellent professional qualifications, but also numerous opportunities for personal development. Sustainability, internationality and equal opportunities are core values for us – take advantage of the wide range of opportunities on offer and play an active role in shaping your time at university.’
Studying at OTH Regensburg also means living in a lively city with a wide range of opportunities. This was subsequently emphasised by Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, who welcomed the first-year students to the cathedral city. She highlighted how much the students shape the cityscape and how diverse Regensburg's cultural life is, especially for young people.
Simon Chrisostome and Jeremias Herbst from the student council explained how first-year students can get actively involved right from the start. They gave an overview of the student councils, student associations and initiatives and encouraged first-year students to help shape the university outside of lectures. The wide range of activities on offer was already evident in the morning. The Catholic and Protestant university communities had once again invited students to a spiritual gathering at the start of the semester in the student union building.
In addition, Andrea Stelzl, head of the Student Lifecycle Centre, and her team presented the comprehensive support services available to students. These range from initial orientation for studies and careers, to advice on topics such as family responsibilities, studying with mental or physical disabilities, and scholarships, to career planning and networking as alumni.
After the general welcome event, which was streamed to several lecture halls, the deans welcomed their new protégés to their respective faculties. Two new deans also introduced themselves today: Prof. Dr. Andreas Ellermeier took up his post at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and Prof. Andreas Appelt took up his post at the Faculty of Civil Engineering.
With 11,134 students, over 200 international university partnerships, new interdisciplinary courses and a strong practical focus, OTH Regensburg presents itself as an attractive place to study with excellent future prospects for the 2025/26 winter semester.
