Welcome Week offered a wide range of opportunities to get to know the programme, the participating universities and the campus, as well as to connect with fellow students.

The international Master’s programme addresses the challenges and opportunities facing cities undergoing post-industrial transformation. The two-year programme is jointly delivered by eight partner universities within the UNIC European University Alliance. By studying at different university locations and drawing on diverse disciplinary perspectives, students learn to investigate urban transformation processes and develop approaches to sustainable urban futures.

To mark the start of the programme, Prof. Dr. Thomas Feldhoff, Programme Coordinator and Co-Director, and the coordination team welcomed the new cohort. Activities focused on introducing the Master’s programme and its partner universities, alongside opportunities to exchange experiences with students from a previous cohort. Introductions to UNIC and the UNIC City Labs highlighted opportunities for international collaboration and for connecting academic research with urban practice. A campus tour, intercultural sensitivity workshops and shared social activities helped students settle into Bochum and get to know one another.

An initial field trip to Herten provided an early opportunity to explore the programme’s core themes in practice. Through presentations on city centre development projects and a visit to the former Ewald Colliery, students gained insights into the transformation of a city shaped by coal mining. The visit also offered an opportunity to discuss questions of post-industrial change on site. Throughout the two-year programme, students will encounter different European university and urban contexts and work with local stakeholders in practice-oriented formats such as CityLabs to develop new approaches to the future of post-industrial cities.

The Institute of Geography wishes all new RePIC students a successful start to their studies and two rewarding years filled with new insights, collaborative projects and international encounters!