From the beginning of the winter semester 2025/2026, international students will be able to settle their residence matters directly on Campus thanks to a collaboration, cooperation between the Foreigners' Office of the City of Aalen and the International Center of Aalen University of Applied Sciences. This saves time, simplifies processes and facilitates the integration of students from all over the world who have decided to study in Aalen.
Anyone who has lived, worked or studied abroad can certainly confirm that dealing with the authorities of the respective country in matters of residence and bureaucracy can pose certain challenges. Not only language barriers, but also uncertainties with regard to previously unknown administrative procedures or submitting the right documents to the right Office must be overcome. In order to simplify these processes as much as possible for the many international newcomers to Aalen University of Applied Sciences and thus enable them to get off to a smooth start, the IMPAACT project was launched at the beginning of the current winter semester.
IMPAACT stands for "International Mobile Point Aalen for Assistance, Care & Titles", which translates as the mobile, personal counseling service of the Foreigners' Office Aalen. The collaboration, cooperation came about due to the increasing number of international students who find their way to Aalen every year. "We were already in close contact with the authorities and then decided together that it would be worthwhile to offer office hours, consultation hours for international students directly at the institution of higher education," says Dr. Lola Bulut from the Embrace Service Center for International Students. Sharath Babu Lokesh, who supervises, counselling, mentoring, the project for the International Center, adds: "This has the advantage that our team can also support the students on site with any questions they may have." From now on, in addition to fixed appointments at the start of the semester, appointments, dates and times can be arranged with the Foreigners' Office at any time. These will now take place on the premises of the International Center in the WIN building of Aalen University of Applied Sciences, instead of in the Town Hall as before. Sanchita Goswami from India, who has been conducting research at the Department, Institute for Materials Research at Aalen University of Applied Sciences (IMFAA) since the beginning of the year, attended one of these appointments and is delighted: "Thanks to the collaboration, cooperation, the extension of my visa became a simple administrative act and not a complicated challenge as I had feared." Laura Spichala, deputy, assistant assistant manager of the Foreigners' Office of the City of Aalen, is also convinced by IMPAACT: "The new foreigners' rights and laws, laws regarding foreigners services office not only increases the efficiency of our office by bundling appointments, but also speeds up the application processes and thus contributes to the integration of international students in the city of Aalen."
Spichala and the authority's staff are also well equipped outside of the Town Hall with their so-called citizen case. This contains all the equipment needed to collect biometric data such as fingerprints, signatures and passport photos, which in turn are essential for the issue or extension of a residence permit. In addition to the submission of applications, requests and documents, advisors are also offered on this occasion, for example for students who have completed their degree (awarded) in Aalen and now want to find out about job opportunities and prospects for staying. "Together with the institution of higher education in Aalen, we give graduates the best possible advice and thus contribute to securing skilled workers in the region," explains Laura Spichala with regard to the broad range of advisory services offered by her office.
