Company brief description

Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts is one of the ten largest universities of applied sciences in Germany. Almost 14,000 people study here in eight departments.

Applied Social Sciences

Architecture

Design

Electrical Engineering

Computer Science

Information Technology

Mechanical Engineering

Economics

The University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1971 and is located in the Westphalian Ruhr region. Structural change in the working and living environment characterises the university and the university shapes the region with its teaching, research and transfer.

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Company and ECG

1. university orientated towards the common good in NRW

Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts is the first university in North Rhine-Westphalia and the second university in Germany to draw up a common good balance sheet for all its activities. It was awarded the certificate on 18 January 2024.

What is the Economy for the Common Good?

When we think of business, most people probably think of large companies, profits and competition. The Economy for the Common Good wants to change that. Its aim is to anchor values such as solidarity, responsibility and exchange, which we practise every day in our interpersonal relationships, as fundamental values in the economy too. The Economy for the Common Good is therefore an alternative economic system. It is no longer primarily about profits, but the common good takes centre stage in this form of economy. Companies and organisations that actively do something for the common good and strive to preserve nature are rewarded.

What is a common good balance sheet?

In an economy for the common good, the common good balance sheet is the main balance sheet. It is a form of sustainability report. It measures the extent to which a company – in our case Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts – contributes to the common good. For example, the balance sheet indicates the extent to which the UAS enables employees to reconcile work and family life, whether ecologically sustainable products are used in purchasing or whether barrier-free studying is possible. The common good balance sheet therefore provides answers to the question of whether and how social and ecological sustainability is actually practised at the UAS and where there is still a need for action.

How was the Common Good Balance Sheet drawn up at the FH Dortmund?

Under the guidance of the CSR Office and external public interest consultants, the public interest balance sheet was drawn up by the employees and students of the UAS themselves. It was therefore a participatory process in which all interested members of the UAS could take part. Workshops were offered to familiarise themselves with the common good balance sheet and to work out together which things should be included in the report. The workshops also provided an opportunity to develop concrete ideas on how things could be done better in certain areas. The aim of the whole process is to engage in dialogue with as many people as possible about how we can shape our university for a sustainable future. At the end of the process, the UAS received a certificate confirming that it had drawn up the common good balance sheet.

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