SRH universities open campus in Leipzig - Exclusive interview
A new private university for Leipzig
In October, SRH Hochschulen opens its doors to the first students on the brand new campus at Prager Straße 40. The decision in favour of Leipzig raises a number of questions: Why Leipzig in particular? What are the opportunities and challenges for the university and the region? To answer these and other questions, Invest Region Leipzig (IRL) met with Ms Raluca Modoiu (R.M.) from SRH Universities for a personal interview. In her role as Head of Regional Market Development, she is jointly responsible for the launch of the Leipzig SRH Campus.
IRL: What made SRH Hochschulen decide to open a new location in Leipzig?
R.M.: The decision in favour of Leipzig was not difficult for us, as we see great potential in the region. Leipzig is becoming an increasingly attractive location for companies and skilled workers, and the city is also becoming better known internationally.
In addition, Leipzig still offers affordable living space compared to other major cities such as Berlin. In this context, we have also entered into a co-operation with Basecamp to support our students in their search for accommodation.
We were also impressed by the location of our new site in Reudnitz. The park in the immediate vicinity offers students a green oasis in the centre of the city.
IRL: What role does Leipzig play in the strategic development of the SRH universities?
Our aim is to combat the shortage of skilled labour in the region and at the same time offer our students the best possible conditions for a successful career. To achieve this, we rely on a strong practical focus and dialogue with regional companies in order to identify the need for skilled workers and cover this with a suitable study programme. In addition, students are closely supported by our Career Service. The graduation rates of our students speak for themselves - 90% of our students successfully complete their studies. 97% of our students find a job within 6 months of graduating. This also means that there is great potential to keep and retain trained specialists in the region.
IRL: Which degree programmes are offered at the new SRH location in Leipzig?
R.M.: SRH operates universities at a total of 16 locations in Germany alone. From October 2024, we will be offering various Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Leipzig in the fields of management, technology, digitalisation and life sciences, such as Computer Science B.Sc. or Supply Chain Management B.Sc. But also Social Work as a full-time or dual study programme.
We plan to continuously expand our portfolio of degree programmes to meet the needs of the region.
IRL: What special features will the new location in Leipzig offer?
R.M.: We want our students to be able to decide for themselves where they want to study. Whether Leipzig, Heidelberg or Hamburg - students can expect the same quality at every SRH campus.
In addition to the new, modern facilities, a positive learning environment and a strong international student community, the CORE principle is one of the reasons why students choose SRH. The teaching and learning principle is unique: we analyse the requirements of the companies, then define what the graduate needs to bring to the job and design the course content accordingly. In addition to technical expertise, we emphasise personal skills.
We implement our CORE principle, which was honoured with the Genius Loci Award for excellent teaching by the Stifterverband in 2018, at all SRH universities.
In Leipzig, we have the unique opportunity to create an exciting mix of technical and life sciences degree programmes as well as management degree programmes.
IRL: What collaborations are planned with companies and institutions in the region?
R.M.: In the field of social work, we are planning to launch a dual study programme from autumn 2024. We are actively looking for other practice partners in the region who are looking for dual students at short notice. We know that it takes time to build up partnerships and are therefore looking for partners with whom we can work on a long-term basis.
Our experience with dual study programmes in Dresden shows that this form of training is very attractive for both students and companies. We are planning to offer further dual study programmes in other subject areas from 2025.
IRL: How would you describe the cooperation with Invest Region Leipzig?
R.M.: The collaboration with Invest Region Leipzig has been imaginative and trusting right from the start. It's not that easy to establish a new private university in a region. With the help of the IRL, we have a strong co-operation partner at our side who supports us in building up networks in relevant industries, companies and institutions. This increase in visibility in Leipzig and Saxony will help us to quickly raise our local profile.
Are you interested in the SRH? Read our success story and visit the SRH Universities website to find out more about the practical degree programmes that are tailored to the needs of Leipzig's companies. We would like to thank Mrs Modoiu for the interview and wish SRH Universities a successful start in Leipzig!
