Values of RWTH
Acceptance of the RWTH Aachen values results in the collective alignment of all players. We are committed to the following values:
- The individual is placed at the center of our actions.
- Scholarship is the foundation of our university. It is the tool to understanding and explaining the world and to shaping the challenges of the future.
- Good scholarship distinguishes itself through comptence, relevance, diversity, freedom, a will to succeed, commitment, authenticity, transparancy, and equal opportunity; individuals working in science and academics are committed to these values.
- Teachers, students, and researchers require space to develop their creativity, knowledge, and inquisitiveness. We promote their ability to use attained knowledge. Framework conditions result, in order to provide contributions with scientific, technical, and social relevance based on research that has been recognized.
- We are an integrated technical university. RWTH Aachen is the place where the future of our industrialized world is being thought out. In our work we face the global challenges of our time within active national and international communication.
- We see ourselves as "the communicative university" and are committed to a feeling of "we". This includes valuing others, being prepared to collaborate and participate, and using open communication between all groups and units.
High-Performance Culture
These values form the ethical foundation for the affirmation of all members of our university, including students, which leads to a high-performance culture carried out by everyone. Recognition of higher standards and motivation join together in this culture. Standards for research as well as for teaching and studies addressed.
Competition is recognized as one part of our scientific culture: The increase in resources for higher achievements is just as self-evident as the decrease in resources for declining performance. This is true at all levels.
A benchmark for the transparent assessment of performance is evalution by independent persons and institutions, this include peer reviewing, and consideration of all agreed upon parameters regarding the respective recoginzed indicators in the professional culture, such as publication performance, external funding activities, graduates, teaching and mentoring activities, and participation in self-management.
Crucial elements are appointment policies oriented towards bright minds and broad support for scientists. Individual performance is promoted just as much as team spirit and the creation of structures to help achieve synergy.
Professional Knowledge Management
We believe professional knowledge management is indispensable at all levels of the university for shaping communication and decision processes – the administration supports the interests of research and teaching, fulfilling a partnership function. Our comprehensive goal is to create a work environment with sufficient freedom.
Finally, high-performance culture is only possible, when every indidvidual not only behaves according to rules, but also displays legitimate, responsible, and ethical behavior. Our values are anchored in this behavior.
The ability to lead a team is essential at the management level of academic personnel. One prominent task is the development of nationally and internationally visible managers. The whole team's performance serves as immediate proof that professors are living out a high performance culture.