Helmut Schmidt University

The Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg, located in Hamburg, Germany, is a German military research university. The university was founded in 1973 at the initiative of the then-Federal Minister of Defence, Helmut Schmidt. Teaching first started in the autumn of 1973. It is one of two universities that were established by the Bundeswehr to train and educate its future and current officers. The other one being the University of the Bundeswehr Munich.

In general, it is accessible only to officers and officer candidates of the Bundeswehr, hence its full name. However, since it started teaching, there have been cooperation agreements with allied countries, on the basis of which a handful of selected officers from these states have been able to study in Hamburg.

Since 2002 there has been a small number of civilian students at the university. A prerequisite for studying as a civilian at the Helmut Schmidt University is a business scholarship. These scholarships are usually awarded by foundations with close relationships to industry – thus, these students are at least indirectly being supported by their future employer, usually large companies. As of 2022 tuition costs are currently 2941 euros (humanities), 4403 euros (economics) or 3423 euros (engineering) per academic term.

Academic degrees and titles obtained at HSU are equivalent to those awarded by state universities and are equally valid, since the courses comply with the requirements of Hamburg's higher education legislation. The university is authorised to confer habilitations and doctoral degrees.

History

Chronology of establishment

On 11 June 1970, the Federal Minister of Defense at the time, Helmut Schmidt, for whom the university was later named and who later would become chancellor of Germany, published a decree that a university be established for the purpose of schooling certain members of the German Federal Armed Forces.

On 17 May 1971 the decree, passed a year earlier by Schmidt, was appraised.

The German Federal Armed Forces agreed 29 June 1972 to collaborate with Schmidt's ideas for the university. The agreement was finalised 3 October 1972 and legally concluded.

The first classes of students began schooling on 1 October 1973 and the first graduate left the university on 30 September 1976.

Presidents

Since the beginning of the university in 1973, there have been nine presidents of the institution, including the current president, Klaus Beckmann, who has been in office since 2010.

Renaming

It was in the December 2003 that the University of the German Federal Armed Forces Hamburg was rechristened "Helmut Schmidt University / University of the German Federal Armed Forces Hamburg" to honour the man who passed the decree for the university's establishment. The idea of a university is his brainchild. Schmidt was present at the ceremony and was awarded an honorary degree.

Organisation and courses

At the Helmut Schmidt University there is a specific organizational structure, in addition to the division between the areas of teaching and administration that is common to all universities, there is a military side, to accommodate the HSU's dual function as an educational establishment and a military authority for the students.

Academic division

The academic division takes care of teaching and research, to which end it maintains 4 faculties. The number of departments was designed so as to allow for intensive study through teaching in small groups, and for the pursuing of research at the same time.

• Faculty of Electrical Engineering: 13 professorships
• Electrical Engineering
• Parts of Industrial Engineering
• Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: 7 departments, 19 professorships
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Science and Engineering
• Parts of Industrial Engineering
• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: 9 departments, 28 professorships
• Educational Sciences
• History
• Psychology
• Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences: 19 departments, 40 professorships
• Business Administration
• Economics
• Political Science
• Parts of Industrial Engineering

Notes:

The course Industrial Engineering is not assigned to any one faculty, due to its mixed nature, but the Faculty of Electrical Engineering has taken the leading role in teaching it. The exam board consists of members of the 3 participating faculties in equal number.

The "ISA-Modul", with ISA standing for "Interdisziplinäre Studienanteile" (Interdisciplinary parts of study) is not assigned to a particular faculty. Its classes take place in all faculties. All ISA courses are coordinated by a research associate, who liaises with the teaching staff of the 4 faculties.

Student Body Regiment

The student body of the university is organised in the Student Body Regiment (German: "Studierendenbereich", short: StudBer, lit.: "student area"). The regiment is commanded by an officer of the rank of colonel or captain at Sea (NATO Rank Code OF-5). Apart from headquarters staff, they oversee 3 battalions (German: "Studierendenfachbereiche", short: StudFBer, lit.: "student subject area"). These are commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel or Commander (NATO Rank Code OF-4). To ensure parity between the branches, A battalion is usually commanded by a member of the navy (German: Marine), B battalion by a member of the air force (German: Luftwaffe) and C battalion by a member of the army (German: Heer). They usually also hold the title of Senior Branch Officer (i.e. Senior Naval/Air Force/Army Officer on Campus).

Research focus

In Mechanical Engineering, one of the areas of research is in automotive engineering. 7 professorships work on projects in this area, including:

• Acoustics,
• Propulsion,
• Computer-aided engineering,
• Chassis,
• Production engineering, and

Simulators.

For example, a hybrid drive unit is being researched for industrial trucks in cooperation with industry.

In Electrical Engineering, one of the areas of research is telecommunications, which includes:

Audio coding,

Wireless transmission systems, and

Video recognition systems.

In educational sciences, the focus is on the areas of professional and organizational education, adult education and history. The establishment of a uniform German Qualifications Framework in the context of the European Qualifications Framework may be traced back in no small part to the work of the professor for professional and organizational education in the working group of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, through expert advice and support.

In economic and management sciences, the emphasis is on logistics, business administration and economics, and political science. Gender topics have also been researched for years.

Student life

Campus and accommodation

The HSU is designed as a campus university, and its campus in the Wandsbek district consists of 3 parts. Studying activities take place on the premises of the former Douaumont barracks on the Holstenhofweg in Hamburg-Jenfeld. The university administration is located here, as well as all departments and faculties, lecture theatres and laboratories and central facilities; it also contains sports facilities, the canteen and the management of the Student Division. Students of Engineering are accommodated here in 10 quite modern-looking residential buildings. South of the BAB 24, on the premised of the former Hanseatic barracks in the Stoltenstraße in Horn, is the accommodation for students of humanities and social sciences, and economics, and the medical facility. A third residence, rapidly constructed, is located since 2007 on the Jenfelder Allee and will be used until 2010. In addition, from 2007 to 2010, flats will be rented on the private market, in order to absorb the overload of students, which is due to the unusually well-attended years of 2007 and 2008. In the private flats, 2 to 3 students will be accommodated together. In principle, every student receives a single room with area of 14 to 20 m2 (151 to 215 sq ft), mostly with en-suite bathroom and toilet. During the time of higher than usual student numbers however, there will inevitably be some instances where 2 students share a larger room. Residents may cook in the shared kitchens, where the social life between studies and the Hamburg night life will take place. Due to structural changes in military training, several external residences had to be acquired including the former Lettow-Vorbeck Barracks, which is now used by the Federal Police (Bundespolizei). Another facility frequented by students and staff is the casino, the officer's club of the HSU (not a gambling establishment), located opposite the campus.

Financing

Whilst studying, the soldiers are paid according to their rank and length of service, sometimes including a residence allowance and a family allowance. They pay a fixed fee for their accommodation, which is waived if the student takes up a private residence.

Leisure activities and nightlife

Due to the quite strict study plan, compared with public universities, it is often not easy for students to pursue leisure activities. In the course of the years, however, many different clubs and societies have been formed, to enable leisure activities without clashing with study obligations.

One large event in the academic year is the "TAF ("Trimesteranfangsfeier" or "Start of term ceremony"). This takes place annually to greet the new students. It is organized by the members of the "Studentischer Konvent" and enjoys widespread popularity. The Studentischer Konvent is the students' representation at the HSU. The offers first-term students a possibility to get to know each other, and more advanced students the possibility to swap tales from their holidays.

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