Editorial

Dear Reader,

This month, the Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB) celebrates its 50th anniversary with a series of festivities. The RUB was originally promoted as a university for students from the working class of the, at that time, highly industrialized Ruhr area. Now, it has an international focus and a global outreach. The RUB cooperates with over 900 universities and research institutions around the globe, 56 of them in developing countries outside Europe. As one of the oldest institutes at the RUB (we are going to celebrate our 50th anniversary next year,) the IEE is involved in quite a number of these international collaborations. We have on-going collaborations with universities in South Africa, Ghana, Jordan, and the International Institute for Social Sciences in Rotterdam. Looking at our Alumni network, the international reach of the IEE extends to every corner of the world.
It may be the cultural characteristics of the Ruhr area that keep a certain hands-on spirit alive at the RUB. At the IEE, it can be felt in the focus on teaching and research that both aim at contributing to practice, as well as nurturing a willingness to organize assistance for those in need – such as the current victims of the earthquake in the Gorkha district in Nepal.

Sincerely,





Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Löwenstein
Managing Director