To make the start in Germany and at the HSBI easier, the international office offers information and orientation days, the so-called Welcome Weeks.
During the Welcome Weeks the students of English-taught study programmes will receive important information about studying at HSBI and life in Germany and get to know their fellow students. The Welcome Weeks will take place from 23.03 - 09.04.2026 online, on Bielefeld Campus and in the city.
The first week of the Welcome Weeks’ sessions will be held online only, the second week will bring together all international first-term students at the campus. To attend online, students can click the link below at the specified times. This link will be active for all sessions that are offered online during the orientation days.
Zoom: https://t1p.de/welcomeweeks
The data protection declaration for Zoom usage can be found at the following link (the page is German, but you can download the English declaration): https://www.hsbi.de/dvz/zoom
Programme | Week 1 - Online
Monday, 23 March 2026
- 9.30 a.m.: Welcome and Introduction to HSBI
- 10.30 a.m.: Welcome by the study programme’s coordinator, introduction to the faculty, information on the course schedule and lecture period
- 12.30 p.m.: HSBI IT and Library Services – User account, campus card, wi-fi, printing, e-mail, literature etc.
- 1.30 p.m.: IT Tutorial – How do I use HSBI’s online services?
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
- 9.30 a.m.: Living in Germany – What do I need to consider as an international student in Germany? How do I register at the Citizens’ Registration Office? Do I need an appointment with the Immigration Office? What is the „Rundfunkbeitrag“?
- 10.30 a.m.: Studying in Germany – How does the German higher education system work? What are ECTS and modules? What is the difference between lectures, seminars and tutorials? Where do I find the course catalogue?
- 12.30 p.m.: HSBI’s Support Services:
- Student Advising and Counselling (ZSB) – What is the ZSB and which services do they offer? What is the difference between ZSB and IO? Where and when can you contact ZSB?
- Registrar’s and Examination Office – In which cases should I contact the Registrar’s and Examination Office? Where do I find it? Language Center – What language courses are offered by HSBI? How can I register for a language course?
- Housing – Where can I find accommodation in Bielefeld? What support does the International Office offer?
Programme | WEEK 2 – Campus & City
Tuesday, 07 April 2026
- 9.00 a.m.: Breakfast and Welcome Gifts
- 10.00 a.m.: Welcoming of all new students
- 10.45 a.m.: Guided Tour of Bielefeld Campus
- 12.00 p.m.: Joint Lunch at the Cafeteria
Thursday, 09 April 2026
- 3.00 p.m.: City Tour in Bielefeld, Altes Rathaus, Niederwall 27, Bielefeld
- 5.00 p.m.: Get-together at „Bar Celona“, Schloßhofstraße 73A, 33615 Bielefeld
- 9.00 - 12.00 p.m.: Math Tutorial
- 3.30 - 8.30 p.m.: German Course for Beginners
Contact and more information:
- Benjamin Hans & Anika Steppacher
- +49.521.106-70887
- international.students@hsbi.de
