Offers of the Welcome Services for International Researchers
The Welcome Services for International Researchers regularly organize events, such as campus, stadium, and museum tours, game nights as well as visits to the Christmas market.
You can find information on future events and impressions from past events on this site as well as on the International Office's Instagram page.
If you are interested in receiving information on our events regularly, you can register for our mailing list.
Events of the Welcome Services
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Stadium Tour -
Stadium Tour -
City Tour -
Christmas Market -
Christmas Market -
BVB Stadium Tour -
BVB Stadium Tour -
Zeche Zollverein -
DASA -
City Tour -
Games Evening -
Campus Tour -
DASA -
Zeche Zollverein -
Game Night -
Get-Together & Stadium Tour -
Stadium Tour -
Brewery Tour -
Brewery Tour -
Zeche Zollverein -
DASA -
Zeche Zollverein -
Stadium Tour -
DASA
Upcoming Events
Exciting get-togethers, informative guided tours, or joint activities - here, you can find diverse offers to connect, experience new things, and to take part in an exchange with other researchers. We are looking foward to seeing you!
Please note: This event is organized by the University of Duisburg-Essen. Participation is open to researchers from other universities in NRW.
7 September 2026, from 10 a.m. (online via Zoom)
This online info event will give you an overview of the rights and obligations of university employees in Germany. You will learn about staff categories, employment contracts, job descriptions, working hours, teaching loads, public holidays, and interruption of work. Additionally, you will have the chance to ask your own questions afterwards.
Registration is now possible via the following link: Rights and Duties as an Employee.
Please note: This event is organized by Ruhr University Bochum (RUB). Participation is open to researchers from other universities in NRW.
8 September 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m. (online via Zoom)
Unsure how pension works in Germany? This online info event gives an overview of the accumulation of pension entitlements in Germany and Europe. You will be given an introduction to pension provisions in Europe and the information portal “FindyourPension.eu”. Experts from the German Pension Insurance (DRV) will present key facts about the statutory pension scheme, including entitlements and refund options. The session will also cover the occupational pension insurance with VBL, the supplementary pension institution for public sector employees in Germany. The event concludes with a Q&A session, offering you the opportunity to ask individual questions
Registration is now possible until 31 August 2026 via the following link: Pension Rights for International Researchers.
10 September 2026, 3:30-8:00 p.m.
This special guided city tour will give you the chance to get to know the city of Dortmund. Designed specifically for international researchers and business people this tour is organized by the Economic Development Agency Dortmund ("Wirtschaftsförderung Dortmund"). You will have the opportunity to explore Dortmund from its cultural, touristic, and economic points of view while also being able to connect with other international researchers in Dortmund.
You can find more information and register for this event driectly via the Economic Development Agency: Welcome Tour.
Please note: This event is organized by HHU Düsseldorf. Participation is open to researchers from other universitites in NRW.
24 September 2026, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (online via Zoom)
Germany has a reputation for having one of world's best social security systems. But: How does it actually work? Which insurances are available for international researchers? What differences exist for researchers with a working contract and those with a sholarship? What do you need to consider when seeing a doctor? Which additional private insurances are beneficial for international researchers? These and more questions about the five pillars of the social security system (health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension insurance, unemployment insurance, and accident insurance) will be answered during this informational event. Furthermore, the event will provide time to address participants' individual questions.
Registration is now possible until 23 September 2026 via the following link: German Social Security System.
October, day and time tbd
Are you new to campus and would like to orient yourself? Our campus tour for international researchers will show you all the places you need to know - from cafés and quiet study spaces to sports facilities everything is covered. You will also receive exciting insights and helpful tips in order to be comfortable quickly and get well-connected. During the get-together at the Food Fakultät following the tour, you will also have the chance to connect with other international researchers.
Registration for this event has not opened yet.
Please note: This event is organized by HHU Düsseldorf. Participation is open to researchers from other universitites in NRW.
8 December 2026, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (online via Zoom)
Are you new to academic life in Germany or are you unsure about certain aspects of it? This online info session will give you an overview of the German higher education system, non-university research institutions, as well as possible entry positions and funding opportunities for international junior scientists. You will also receive information about career prospects beyond research positions.
Registration is now possible until 7 December 2026 via the following link: German Academic Landscape.
December, day and time tbd
Christmas markets are an integral part of German culture and loved by everyone. Dortmund's Christmas market is one of the most famous and prettiest of its kind in Germany. Let's enjoy the Christmas season, pause for a moment while drinking "glühwein" (hot spiced wine), and try some delicious cookies - a great opportunity to get to know other researchers in a relaxed atmosphere and to experience the unique feel.
Registration for this event has not opened yet.
Past Events
At the beginning of every semester, we organize a campus tour specifically for international researchers. It allows them to learn about the campus and TU Dortmund University's history as well as to meet other researchers.
Soccer or football is a big part of everyday life in Dortmund. Thus, regular tours of the Signal Iduna Park, the Dortmund stadium of the BVB, are a must. There, our international researchers get the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of the stadium and the sport.
You can find impressions from the last stadium tour on our Instagram page.
Game nights are hosted on a regular basis in cooperation with the Game Lab of the American Studies Department. On these evenings, international researchers have the opportunity to try out a variety of analog and digital games as well as to get to know each other.
International researchers of the UA Ruhr visited the site of Zeche Zollverein together. Starting at the famous shaft tower - or as it is also dubbed, the "Eiffel Tower of the Ruhr area", the group participated in a guided tour of the historical coal mine and its museums. They had the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating history of the Ruhr area's industrial past and its transformation. It also gave them the opportunity to get to know each other and to exchange ideas across different departments and universities.
You can find impressions from this event on our Instagram page.
Germany and Dortmund in particular is known for its beer and the history surounding it. A visit to the historical Hövels brewery allowed our international researchers to not only learn more about the beer brewing process but also to connect with each other in a cozy setting.
Another important part of German culture, which, according to many fans is intertwined with beer culture, is soccer or football. That is why we offer guided tours of the soccer museum on a regular basis, apart from the stadium tours. Together, we embark on a journey through 140 years of German soccer history.
Are you new to Dortmund and have no idea where to find anything? Then the City Tour for International Researchers is just the right thing for you. It is a chance to not only learn more about the city but also to connect with other researchers who are new to Dortmund as well.
You can find impressions from our last city tour on our Instagram page.
Christmas markets are another integral part of German culture. Visiting the Christmas market together offers international researchers the opportunity to get to know this tradition in all its facets, rangig from handicrafts all the way to culinary specialties. Another highlight is the Dortmund Christmas tree, the tallest of its kind worldwide.
During the guided tour of DASA, you receive fascinating insights into the German world of work in the past, present, and future. There is so much to explore and the interactive exhibition offers many possibilities to participate and experiment.
You can find impressions from the last guided tour of DASA on our Instagram page.
