Cologne, 2 September 2026 – From Mexico and Spain to Indonesia: the 2026/27 winter semester at CBS International Business School in Cologne is once again off to a distinctly international start. Around 300 new students are beginning their full-time and part-time programmes at CBS, with more than half coming from outside Germany.
The official start of the semester took place on 31 August at the Gürzenich in Cologne, where around 400 guests gathered to celebrate the new academic year. The Business School forms the international business division of CBS University of Applied Sciences at the Cologne campus. Alongside all full-time students at CBS International Business School, more than 400 dual and part-time business students across CBS University of Applied Sciences are also beginning the winter semester.
Encouragement for the journey ahead
In her opening address, Prof. Dr. Anja Karlshaus, President of CBS University of Applied Sciences, welcomed the new students and offered them encouragement:
“Start your studies with confidence and curiosity. Use the coming years to develop your own ideas, try new things, and discover your path. Set yourself ambitious goals and don’t be afraid to think big. You are the entrepreneurs and managers of tomorrow – a generation whose ideas and skills we need to help tackle the complex challenges of our time.”
Deputy Mayor Teresa de Bellis-Olinger welcomed the first-year students on behalf of the City of Cologne. Vanessa Schulte, Head of Supply Chain Management at Schwalbe and a 2015 CBS alumna, then shared her own career story—which, as she explained, was “not always a straight line”—and gave the freshmen some practical advice for the start of their studies.
A Truly International Cohort
This winter semester, around 300 new students are joining CBS International Business School across its Prep4University, Bachelor’s and Master’s full-time programmes, as well as part-time Master’s programmes. More than 160 of them are international students or non-EU students.
As a result, the new intake brings a rich mix of perspectives and cultural backgrounds to campus. CBS is also welcoming more than 180 international students this winter semester who are coming to Cologne for a semester abroad or joining a double degree programme. One in three students comes from Mexico, followed by Spain (13.4 per cent), Indonesia (12.3 per cent) and France (just under 5 per cent).
Getting to know campus life at CBS
The ceremony at the Gürzenich also marks the beginning of Introweek. Over the next few days, first-semester students will get to know the campus, their fellow students and the university’s various service departments, while also receiving key information for everyday student life.
With students arriving from many different countries, the start of the semester once again highlights the international character of CBS International Business School. During their studies, students encounter a wide range of cultural perspectives — creating an environment that prepares them for an increasingly global and interconnected working world.
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