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Current and past events

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.

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!

A calculator, a laptop, and forms. © Jakub Żerdzicki​/​Unsplash

Please note: This event is organized by RWTH Aachen University. Participation is open to researchers from other universities in NRW.

23 April 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 Europe. You will also receive information about the statutory German pension scheme (DRV) and the occupations pension scheme (VBL) for employees in public services. 

Registration is now possible until 19 April 2026 via the following link: Find Your Pension.

 

researchers listening to a scientific presentation © Pia Kluth ​/​ Welcome Services

Please note: This event is organized by HHU Düsseldorf. Participation is open to researchers from other universitites in NRW.

9 June 2026, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 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 via the following link: German Academic Landscape.

researchers listening to a scientific presentation © Pia Kluth ​/​ Welcome Services

Please note: This event is organized by RWTH Aachen University. Participation is open to researchers from other universities in NRW.

16 June 2026, from 5 p.m. (online via Zoom)

This online info event will provide you with information on the German academic system, its specific cultural standards, and their impact on scientific work. You will also learn about obstacles you might face as well as how to successfully communicate within the academic environment. 

Registration is now possible. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to: anne.kroeger@zhv.rwth-aachen.de

A group of people in front of the shaft tower at Zeche Zollverein. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
Zeche Zollverein

20 June 2026, from 11 a.m.

Are you interesting in broadening your knowledge of the Ruhr's history? If so, visiting the UNESCO heritage site Zeche Zollverein is just the right thing for you! Take part in an exclusive guided tour with other international researchers from TU Dortmund University, Ruhr University Bochum, and the University of Duisburg-Essen and learn about the structural change in the Ruhr. 

Registration for this event will be possible soon. 

Unsure what to expect? You can find impressions from our previous visit on our website as well as on Instagram

A statue of Justitia and an open book, on which a gavel has been placed. © Sasun Bughdaryan​/​Unsplash

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

The Dortmund U. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
City Tour

16 September 2026, 2:00-6:00 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 yourself with other international researchers in Dortmund.

Further information regarding this event as well as the link for the respective registration can be found on the Website of the Economic Development Agency Dortmund

Past Events

People walking below the H-Bahn. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
Campus Tour

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.

People are looking into a soccer stadium from the ranks. © Lina Dohmeyer​/​TU Dortmund
BVB Stadium Tour

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.

People sitting in front of a big screen playing video games. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
Games Evening

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.

People are standing on the premises of Zeche Zollverein and listening, with the shaft tower in the background. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
Zeche Zollverein

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.

A group of people standing in front of the huge metal barrels of a brewery. © Hövelsbrauerei​/​TU Dortmund
Brewery Tour

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. 

The trophy of the soccer world championship in a glass display. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
Soccer Museum

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.

The Dortmund U. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
City Tour

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. 

A big lit-up Christmas tree with an angel and Dortmund 2025 written on it. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
Christmas Market

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. 

People looking into an industrial hall. © Mirja Kanowsky​/​TU Dortmund
DASA

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.

People standing in front of the copper kettles of a brewery. © Hövelsbrauerei​/​TU Dortmund
Brewery Tour
People are standing in the stands of a soccer stadium and are cheering. © Welcome Services​/​TU Dortmund
BVB Stadium Tour