What drives us
We shape change. At Hochschule Offenburg (HSO), we view social and technological changes as a call to action to help develop solutions. Driven by a thirst for knowledge and a spirit of innovation, we turn ideas into tangible benefits for the region and beyond. We aim to empower people to tackle complex challenges with courage and intellect.
About Us
We are one of the leading universities of applied sciences (HAW) specializing in engineering, business, and media. As a source of innovation and a bridge-builder, we integrate teaching with applied research. At our campuses in Offenburg and Gengenbach, we combine a personal touch with global perspectives. We are a community that values diversity and where “Denken wird Machen” is a way of life.
Our Values
HSO Mission Statement
Our Identity
As one of the leading universities of applied sciences with a distinctive focus on engineering, Business, and Media, Hochschule Offenburg sees itself as a high-performing educational institution which, through qualified instruction and in accordance with the principles of equal opportunities for women and men, equips its students to independently apply and further develop scientific knowledgeand methods. Through its research and development initiatives, the university strengthens the innovative capacity of the economy, particularly in the Southern Upper Rhine region. Together with its partners, the university contributes to job creation by transforming business ideas into economic value and by supporting business start-ups.
The University supports the personal development of its students, particularly with regard to independent scientific, artistic, and creative thinking and work, as well as social responsibility, so that they, as tolerant individuals, may view the heterogeneity and diversity of society as an enrichment.
Educational Mission in Teaching and Research
We take into account our students’ individual educational backgrounds, identify and nurture their potential for growth, spark their curiosity and enthusiasm for their chosen field, and equip them with the skills needed for a successful career in professional practice as well as in academia—skills that open up career and life opportunities and prepare them thoroughly for the demands of the national and international job market.
We support students in their academic orientation, enable their participation in research and development projects, impart sound methodological and subject-specific knowledge, and foster their further professional and personal development through a tailored learning environment. Media- and technology-supported teaching and learning methods accompany the learning process and enhance academic success.
High-quality research is the foundation for qualified and up-to-date teaching. The university is therefore strongly committed to further strengthening its own research activities. This includes an increasing number of doctoral programs in cooperation and/or partnerships with universities and colleges. To promote lifelong learning, the university attaches great importance to the development of a broad range of academic continuing education programs.
Organizational Structures and Quality Assurance
The university aims to use strategy-focused organizational structures to plan its performance capabilities in a goal-oriented manner, and further enhance the quality assurance of its academic programs through accreditation and evaluation. In order to ensure the sustainable fulfillment of its educational mission even more effectively than before in the competitive landscape of higher education institutions, the necessary prerequisites for a comprehensiveand organizational measures have laid the groundwork for a comprehensive quality assurance system. These measures are being further developed to enable the University to achieve maximum autonomy and self-directed quality assurance.
Universities and Students
All members and affiliates of the university are committed to actively supporting students on their path to academic success. Advising and support are among the core tasks of the faculties, central offices, and the administration. To ensure that students’ time at the University makes a valuable contribution to their personal educational journey, counseling for prospective students is being expanded; in cases of study discontinuation, students’ reorientation is supported, and the transition to alternative career paths is facilitated. The university supports and promotes entry into an academic career after graduation. It attaches great importance to maintaining contact with its alumni. The existing alumni network is to be further expanded in order to achieve a lasting connection between graduates and their university.
Internationalization and Collaboration
A key feature of the university since its founding has been the successful internationalization of teaching and research. Through a global network of national and international partnerships, the university strongly promotes student exchange. Experiencing other cultures and mastering foreign languages through stays abroad is intended to guarantee students a future-oriented education. By further developing English-language degree programs, the goal is to maintain the university’s recognized appeal to international students. The university aims to expand its offerings of joint degree programs with foreign university partners. In doing so, great importance is placed on attracting highly qualified visiting scholars for teaching and research. The promotion of faculty mobility is also to be strengthened through joint research projects.
Furthermore, the University sees itself as part of specific regional, national, and international networks that, through cooperation between universities and in partnership with companies and institutions, serve to promote research and teaching.
Work Environment and Working Conditions
The university’s decision-making bodies base their decisions on democratic principles.
Visions and strategic goals are communicated through a transparent, open process and integrated throughout the entire organization.
In order to further develop the university’s outstanding potential, the work environment and conditions for all members of the university must be designed, taking gender equality aspects into account, so that they support the achievement of our common goals.
The University is committed to the guiding principle of a family-friendly University in the content and organization of its daily work and supports the process of increasing diversity in society by recognizing the individuality and identity of its members as a source of potential for a vibrant University culture.
The goal is for all members and affiliates to fulfill the university’s tasks through open dialogue and constructive discourse, based on mutual respect.
University and Society
Offenburg University of Applied Sciences is committed to regional integration. It takes advantage of the opportunities offered by its location on the Upper Rhine while simultaneously tapping into the potential of internationalization for the region. It provides education with a strong sense of social responsibility and, through its international orientation and support, contributes in particular to international understanding.
Theory put into practice
From the very beginning, our students take responsibility for their own results and spend a great deal of time in labs and on projects. There, working both independently and in teams, they seek out approaches and solutions for which there are no set formulas. They learn to think critically and to recognize that mistakes are part of the process. It is this inquiry-based learning that our students take with them: along with their diploma, they leave the University knowing that they are ready to take on any challenge.
We want to know. And then put it into practice.
We conduct research where questions about the future are being asked. At HSO, we combine a pioneering spirit with a practical focus. We are open to new technologies and help shape the scientific discourse—both regionally in the Upper Rhine region and within international research networks.
Our work aims to find solutions that bring about lasting change in everyday life and the economy. This also benefits teaching: current research findings are directly incorporated into the curriculum, and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment brings new technologies directly into practical application.
We pool our expertise in our interdisciplinary institutes and research groups.
For companies, public institutions, universities, and research organizations, Campus Research & Transfer (CRT) serves as the central point of contact. It supports our researchers and partners from the initial idea through to the implementation of joint research and development (R&D) projects.
Knowledge that makes a difference
HSO is one of the state’s leading research universities. We develop solutions to the pressing issues of our time. In doing so, we foster a two-way exchange: we translate scientific findings into practical applications while also drawing inspiration from business, politics, and society.
We see ourselves as a partner and a catalyst for the region. Through our networks, we work closely with businesses, the public sector, and civil society. This collaboration gives rise to marketable innovations and startups. Our goal is a transfer of knowledge that goes beyond purely economic applications: We put knowledge to work where it enables social progress and strengthens the innovative power of the Ortenau region.
Keep learning. For a lifetime.
For over 15 years, we at the Centrum for Lifelong Learning (CeLLO) have been developing part-time programs designed to address the challenges facing today’s business world. As a partner of Bildungsregion Ortenau e. V., we are closely connected to the local community: we identify the needs of local businesses and professionals and use this insight to develop tailored courses for academic continuing education.
Globally connected, regionally rooted
Global challenges require solutions that transcend borders. This exchange is at the heart of our identity: we combine our regional roots with an international focus. In our English-language master’s programs, students from over 20 countries work together to develop the solutions of tomorrow.
We promote the mobility of university staff and advance cross-border projects in teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. Particularly in the Upper Rhine region, we strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem in close collaboration with partners in France and Switzerland. In this way, our students develop the intercultural skills they need in a globally networked economy.
Achieving more together
Networks are our strength. Since 2025, Hochschule Offenburg has been coordinating the European ChallengeEU alliance: Together with eight partner universities, we are developing new standards for the teaching and research of tomorrow. As a member of the European University Association (EUA), we contribute to the dialogue at the European level. This international focus also shapes our daily life in the border triangle: As part of TriRhenaTech and the Trinational Upper Rhine Metropolitan Region, we take advantage of the short distances to France and Switzerland for cross-border projects. We help shape the transformation in our immediate neighborhood as a Climate Partner in South Baden.
In the University Alliance for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, we advocate for strong collaboration between universities of applied sciences and small and medium-sized enterprises. We discuss what this might look like at the annual transfer conferences with (federal) policymakers, SMEs, and associations. Joint position papers and statements on current issues in science and economic policy also contribute to the further development of universities of applied sciences.
Always on the move
Hochschule Offenburg began in 1964 as a state engineering school with just 72 students. Since then, the University has been constantly reinventing itself: in 1978, Betriebswirtschaft was added at the Gengenbach campus. In the 1990s, pioneering media programs and the nation’s first international master’s programs followed. Today, with 4 departments across 3 locations, we bridge the gaps between science, business, and society. As one of the state’s leading research universities, we are working on solutions for the energy transition, mobility, and the healthcare system. We continue to write this success story together with our partners and a global network.
The HSO of Tomorrow
We are constantly evolving our University. We discuss strategic issues and key questions right where they arise: through direct dialogue. Through dialogue series, workshops on the structural plan, and meetings with the AStA student union, we work together to shape our culture and develop new ideas. We create spaces and formats so that everyone has the opportunity to help shape the Hochschule Offenburg of tomorrow.