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UNIC
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UNIC
UNIC for Researchers and Teachers
Teaching and research at RUB are internationally networked - the UNIC network offers teachers and researchers numerous opportunities to exchange ideas with colleagues from ten European universities, develop joint teaching projects and design innovative mobility formats.
Whether through virtual cooperation, challenge-based learning or international funding programs – UNIC supports the implementation of new teaching and research approaches and promotes interdisciplinary exchange.
Teaching Cooperations in UNIC
Finding Cooperation Partners - but how?
Collaborative teaching formats such as Virtual Exchanges, BIP and Summer Schools require partners at other universities. There are various ways to find partners.
- via UNIC Virtual Campus as a matchmaking tool (RUB LoginID and an ORCID-ID required)
- By participating in UNIC events, for example in the InterTeach program for lecturers
- Via the RUB UNIC team (unicteam@ruhr-uni-bochum.de)
Funding Opportunities in Teaching
The funding program UNIC Fund for Virtual and International Educational Projects (UNIC VIP Fund) aims to integrate international, collaborative and virtual formats as Virtual Exchanges into regular courses. Lecturers from UNIC partner universities can apply. The deadline for applications is 30.09.2025. Further information: UNIC Fund for Virtual and International Educational Projects
The UNIC@RUB funding program is available to RUB lecturers all year round . Here, too, the focus is on promoting virtual cooperative teaching. Further information: UNIC@RUB
The UNIC Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is a network of all teaching support units of the UNIC partner universities. The network works on materials and training courses on the UNIC core topics of innovative mobility, challenge-based learning, education for sustainable development and inclusive education.
The program for developing professional teaching skills "UNIC InterTeach: intercultural and innovative Teaching and Learning" is an internationally organized continuing education program aimed at all teachers in the UNIC consortium.
It addresses key topics for shaping post-industrial change: innovative international mobility, challenge-based learning, education for sustainable development and inclusive education.
All workshops take place online and in English and involve exchange with international colleagues.
Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning: International teaching cooperation for the realization of collaborative virtual exchange formats is a core topic in UNIC.
To this end, the ZfW offers workshops and advice as part of the UNIC Center for Teaching and Learning.
Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs) are a combination of collaborative online learning and a short physical exchange.
Three partners cooperate with their respective student groups.
As the physical mobility is funded by Erasmus+, appropriate lead times must be planned.
- Organization of BIPs
- Methodical planning of BIPs
Open Online Courses are courses that take place online and are open to students from UNIC partner universities.
- To the course catalog: Portal
Individual students have the opportunity to discover interesting topics that are not offered at their university and to get to know new perspectives on their subject.
- If you would like to open one of your courses, please contact laura.schiffmann@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is a multidisciplinary approach to teaching and learning in higher education in which students are expected to test their theoretical knowledge by working on actual problems to be solved in exchange with non-university partners.
The problems to be worked on are called "challenges". Challenge-based learning formats enable students to use problems to test the transfer of their academic knowledge into professional and social practice.
Through the joint work of UNIC universities and cities on urban challenges, challenge-based learning plays an important role in UNIC.
Further Offers for Lecturers and Researchers
Lecturer Mobility
All partner universities offer their employees the opportunity to visit their colleagues from the same or neighboring fields of work for a few days as part of job shadowing and to exchange best practices. In principle, the activities can be financially supported by Erasmus and can be organized either as one-on-one offers or as group visits on request.
- If you are interested or have any questions, please contact the RUB UNIC team by e-mail: unicteam@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
In addition to job shadowing, mobilities for teaching purposes are also possible, which can also be financed via Erasmus. Further information can be found on the pages of the International Office (under “Erasmus”).
Online Language Courses
Members of the Ruhr University Bochum can take online language courses free of charge to learn the basics of the languages of the various UNIC partner universities. All language courses are designed for beginners. They are digital self-study courses in which entire modules can be completed or individual content can be learned according to interest.
Centre for City Futures
The Centre for City Futures supports teachers and researchers in involving local non-academic actors in teaching and research and in implementing engaged research.
Thematic Lines
The seven Thematic Lines are topic-related, interdisciplinary networks within UNIC and offer opportunities for cooperation along topics that concern our post-industrial cities in their transformation.
These topics include health and well-being, sustainability, resilience and digitalization, security, inclusion, entrepreneurship, arts and culture. Thematic Lines see themselves as UNIC communities of researchers and teachers who work on joint projects and offers.
UNIC