Managing Director of Graduate School Rhein-Neckar takes over chairmanship of the Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland regional group of the German Association for Continuing Education and Distance Learning (DGWF)
In view of changes in the world of work and demographic developments, continuing education has become the focus of education policy throughout Germany. Institutions such as the Deutsche Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung und Fernstudium e.V. (DGWF), the network for lifelong learning at universities, are responsible for this. The last meeting of the German Association's regional groupRhineland-Palatinate and Saarland took place on May 5, 2023 at the Graduate School Rhein-Neckar (GSRN) in Ludwigshafen. Ralf Blasek, Managing Director of GSRN, was elected as the new Chairman, replacing Margot Klinkner, Deputy Managing Director and Marketing Director of the Center for Distance Learning in Higher Education (ZFH) after 10 years of commitment.
Blasek has spent twenty years as a manager in various areas of the IBM Group in Germany and abroad, learning to recognize and promote the potential of employees. He knows how important employee development is for companies and organizations. As a lecturer in leadership, strategy and organizational development, he has provided education at various universities in the region. "Further training can solve our skills shortage and creates impetus for innovation. It is therefore important to represent continuing education politically and to ensure quality standards and financial support opportunities," says Blasek, explaining the importance of the DGWF.
As Managing Director of GSRN, he is familiar with the challenges of offering continuing education cost-effectively while keeping an eye on quality and student satisfaction. As a subsidiary of Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG Ludwigshafen), GSRN bundles all of the university's part-time degree programs. Both on-campus and distance learning courses enable students to balance their career, studies and private life. According to Blasek, "the task now will be to adapt university continuing education to the new circumstances following the pandemic."
This will be one of the tasks of the newly elected Speakers' Council. Sebastian Ruf from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz was also a new member. Alexander Bruns from the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau and Andrea Bütterich-Rink from Saarland University will continue in their roles as spokesperson. Like Klinkner, Christine Jordan-Decker from Saarland University of Applied Sciences decided not to stand for re-election.
Further information on the regional group: https: //www.dgwf.net/rheinland-pfalz-und-saarland.html
About the Graduate School Rhine-Neckar:
The Graduate School Rhine-Neckar runs part-time MBA and Master's degree programs with a state university degree for the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society and the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences. Since its foundation in August 2006, it has been offering academic continuing education in small groups and with personal support. Shorter continuing education courses, seminars and in-house training courses round off the offer. It is a non-profit institution of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society. www. gsrn.de/
About Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society
With around 4,500 students, HWG LU is a well-connected institution in the diverse university landscape of the metropolitan region. It offers a wide range of interesting degree programs in the fields of business administration, social sciences and healthcare, from Bachelor's and Master's degrees to dual and internationally oriented courses. It is characterized by its practical orientation, research strength and regional and international networking with institutions, partner universities, social institutions and commercial enterprises, opening up the best opportunities for students to start their careers later on.
