Germany: Hochschule Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences appoints new VPs for Teaching and Research

Hochschule Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences (HRW) has appointed Joachim Friedhoff as the new Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Teaching, and Aysegül Dogangün as the new Vice-President for Research and Transfer, it announced on 28/02/2026.

The two candidates were proposed by the university's President, Staude Susanne, and then voted on by the Board.

Their six-year term of office will begin with the President's second term on 20/03, while Chancellor Jörn Hohenhaus is set to leave the German university on 30/09.

Friedhoff is Professor of Computer-Aided Technologies at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, which he headed from 2014 to 2024, and has been at HRW since 2012.

“Given the changing learning behaviour, the heterogeneity of the student body, the declining demand for technical subjects and the drastic changes in the job market brought about by AI, significant changes to our degree programmes are necessary,” Staude and Friedhoff said.

Dogangün has been Professor of Human-Centred Technology Development at the Institute of Computer Science since 2018. She worked in…