Managing Director of the Graduate School Rhein-Neckar assumes chairmanship of the Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland regional group of the German Association for Continuing and Distance Learning (DGWF)
In view of the changes in the world of work and demographic developments, continuing education has become the focus of education policy throughout Germany. Institutions such as the German Society for Scientific Continuing Education and Distance Learning (DGWF), the network for lifelong learning at universities, are taking care of this. The last meeting of the regional groupRhineland-Palatinate and Saarland of the German society took place on 05 May 2023 at the Graduate School Rhein-Neckar (GSRN) in Ludwigshafen. Ralf Blasek, managing director of GSRN, was elected as the new chairman and hereby replaces Margot Klinkner, deputy managing director and marketing manager of the Center for Distance Learning in the University Network (ZFH) after 10 years of commitment.
Blasek has spent twenty years as a manager in various areas of the IBM Group, both at home and abroad, learning to recognize and promote the potential of employees. He knows how important the further education of employees is for companies and organizations. As a lecturer in leadership, strategy and organizational development, he has taught at various universities in the region. "Continuing education can solve our shortage of skilled workers and creates impetus for innovation. Therefore, it is important to represent continuing education politically, to ensure quality standards and financial funding opportunities," Blasek explains the importance of the DGWF.
As managing director of GSRN, he is familiar with the challenges of offering continuing education in a cost-effective manner while keeping an eye on quality and customer satisfaction for students. As a subsidiary of the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences (HWG Ludwigshafen), GSRN bundles all of the university's part-time degree programs. Both on-campus and distance learning courses enable students to reconcile work, study 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 a task of the newly elected speaker council. Sebastian Ruf from the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz was also a new addition. Alexander Bruns from Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern-Landau and Andrea Bütterich-Rink from Saarland University continue as spokesperson and spokeswoman. Christine Jordan-Decker of the Saar University of Applied Sciences, like Klinkner, declined to run again.
Further information about the regional group: https://www.dgwf.net/rheinland-pfalz-und-saarland.html
About the Graduate School Rhein-Neckar:
The Graduate School Rhein-Neckar conducts part-time MBA and Master programs with a state university degree for the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences and the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences. Since its founding in August 2006, it has offered academic continuing education in small groups and with personal support. Shorter continuing education courses, seminars and in-house training supplement the offering. It is a non-profit institution of the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences. https://www.gsrn.de/
About the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences
With around 4,500 students, the HWG LU represents an excellently networked institution in the diverse higher education landscape of the metropolitan region. It offers a wide range of interesting courses of study in the fields of business administration, social sciences and health care, from bachelor's and master's degrees to dual and internationally oriented courses of study. Practical orientation, research strength as well as regional and international networking with institutions, partner universities, social institutions and business enterprises distinguish the university and open up the best opportunities for students to start their careers later on.
