Your onboarding journey starts here
About us
We support you in professional and personal matters
With the Welcome Center, WHU aims to further develop and strengthen the warm culture that characterizes its diverse, international community. Embracing WHU's four core values of Community, Cosmopoliteness, Entrepreneurship, and Excellence, we offer information, support, and customized services to new faculty and staff members, as well as to their families.
Once you’ve signed your work contract with WHU, you can count on our support and expertise in the following four main areas:
Onboarding
The Welcome Center and the various departments of the school work hand in hand to ensure that all your needs as new WHU members are covered. We have developed supportive documents for both the new members and the teams welcoming them. For instance, on their first day, Newbies will receive a structured overview of the next steps and a copy of the WHU Handbook as part of the welcome package. The Handbook has been designed to help you gain a better understanding of WHU as an institution and prepare yourself for your start on campus.
New WHU members can take part in trainings and improve their German and English skills by signing up for in-class and/or online language courses at WHU. The Welcome Center also organizes coaching for new assistant professors, and informative events for both national and international WHU employees.
New in town
We provide you with the information essential to preparing for your arrival
When moving to Germany, there is a lot to organize and to consider. You may find it difficult to even know where to start. The Welcome Center provides all new members of the WHU Community with essential information on how to prepare for their arrival. For instance, we support you in your interactions with the local public offices and field questions concerning visas and residence permits.
Our “New in Germany” checklist offers information on all such formalities and registration processes upon your arrival. It is meant to give you a little guidance for where to start and where to find more details. The administrative side of things is complex, but not insurmountable. It can be successfully managed by following the appropriate steps. We will also provide you with the information essential to preparing your arrival in the region (see list of topics below).
- Formalities (visa, residence permit, etc.)
- Accommodation (rental contract, utilities, etc.)
- Finances and taxes (bank account, income tax, etc.)
- Social security (health insurance, pension, etc.)
- Family matters (education system, schools, etc.)
- Medical care (doctors, pharmacy, etc.)
- Travel (car insurance, BahnCard, etc.)
- German culture / Helpful tips (festivities, food, etc.)
Let the Middle Rhine Valley, with its beautiful landscape and many castles, enchant you! Whether you are coming from abroad or from another region of Germany, feel free to get in touch with us. We can provide you with a wealth of information on a myriad of topics from accommodation and childcare to public transport, parking, leisure opportunities in and around the Koblenz area (including sightseeing attractions and hiking spots), and much more!
More information about the campus in Vallendar, the town itself, and the region can be found here.
Düsseldorf, home of North Rhine-Westphalia’s government, is a lively, international city on the Rhine River. With its diverse community reflecting more than 180 different nationalities, there is always something happening in Düsseldorf! Whether you are coming from abroad or from another region of Germany, feel free to get in touch with us. We can provide you with a wealth of information on a myriad of topics from accommodation and childcare to public transport, parking, leisure opportunities in and around the Düsseldorf area (including sightseeing attractions), and much more!
More information about the campus in Düsseldorf, the city itself, and the region can be found here.
WHU Toddlers – We support working parents
After participating for the first time in a competition that evaluates local businesses, WHU has been recognized as one of the most family-friendly organizations in Mayen-Koblenz County. The university was honored with this award in the “100+ employees” category for 2022. In addition to WHU’s pre-established diverse portfolio of family-friendly offerings, the school’s Welcome Center started WHU Toddlers, the daycare near WHU’s Vallendar campus, to help working parents achieve a better work-life-balance. The daycare facility is located in an apartment close to campus and offers professional daycare services for children aged ~1 – 3.
Networking
As part of your onboarding journey, we want to help you integrate into your new workplace, learn about the institution, and meet your new team members. WHU holds an orientation day twice a year, offers mentoring programs to new faculty and staff members, and organizes various get-togethers throughout the year!
To facilitate your integration into the WHU community, the Welcome Center further fosters the exchange between new members by offering a “flying breakfast” to all new members. It also supports and promotes pre-established leisure activities (e.g., MeetMe@WHU). These are great opportunities to connect with colleagues regularly and on a more informal and personal level.