Studierendenwerke NRW ARGE meeting

• Housing shortage for students and digitalization

• Studierendenwerke NRW working group´s conference in Siegen

Due to the beginning of the winter term, the CEOs of the Studierendenwerke in North Rhine-Westphalia met for a conference in Siegen. Detlef Rujanski, CEO Studierendenwerk Siegen, invited his colleagues to Emmy-Noether-Campus to talk about student housing and digitalization.

“Especially at the beginning of the winter terms, it is very difficult to find living space that is affordable and near the campus, not only in Siegen but throughout Germany,” Detlef Rujanski said. Housing shortage, stop-and-go redevelopment of the existing residence halls and the urgent need of plots or real estates for new residence halls are problems that have to be dealt with by Studierendenwerke. More support from the German states has been demanded for several years.

Further main subject of the conference has been the digitalization. The issue of optimizing the Studierendenwerk´s work field, for example by the use of apps, was discussed. Studierendenwerke take care of dining halls and cafeterias, housing rental, financial support (BaföG, Loan) and childcare.