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Professor Dr. Harald Riegel (on the left), together with HAW BW Managing Director Benjamin Peschke and Charlotte Brenn (FH Personnel Project), represented the Universities of Applied Sciences from Baden-Württemberg in Boston. Photo: HAW BW e.V.

Last weekend, the annual conference of the German Academic International Network (GAIN) was held in Boston, USA.
Representing the Rectors’ Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences Baden-Württemberg (HAW BW e.V.), Professor Dr. Harald Riegel, Rector of Aalen University and member of the Executive Board of the Rectors’ Conference, provided researchers active in the United States with insights into career opportunities, with a particular focus on positions at German Universities of Applied Sciences.

The German Academic International Network (GAIN) annually brings together over 300 researchers, predominantly of German origin, working in the United States with around 300 representatives from academia, politics, and industry in Germany. This year, the HAW BW e.V. was again represented with a booth in Boston. Visitors received comprehensive information about the Universities of Applied Sciences in Baden-Württemberg (HAW) as well as current professorship vacancies.

Professor Dr. Harald Riegel, Rector of Aalen University and Executive Board Member of HAW BW e.V., traveled to Boston to participate. “With GAIN, our goal is not to undermine existing ties through poaching, but to strengthen connections with the United States through close cooperation, especially in these challenging times,” Riegel emphasized. He added, “This is particularly important for American universities, which greatly appreciate these current positive signals.”

Two workshops, organized not only by HAW BW e.V. but also in cooperation with the University Alliance for SMEs, the HAW group within the German Rectors’ Conference, and the UAS7 network, focused on career paths, appointment procedures, and research-related aspects at Universities of Applied Sciences. Complementing the workshops, themed discussion tables during lunch and breakfast provided opportunities for informal exchange with representatives of the German higher education system.

“I had the pleasure of engaging in many very interesting conversations,” Riegel summarized enthusiastically. In particular, he exchanged ideas with American researchers from institutions such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “They are highly interested in learning about the career opportunities offered by the German academic system,” Riegel explained.

Already prior to the GAIN conference, Professor Riegel participated in the renowned Career Lunch at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where universities and Universities of Applied Sciences from Baden-Württemberg jointly presented themselves. “The event was incredibly well attended. It had to be moved to a larger lecture hall—and even then, not everyone was able to find a seat,” Riegel remarked, highlighting the strong interest in the Baden-Württemberg higher education system.