The Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW) is an institution of higher education and applied research located in Hamburg, Germany. Formerly known as Fachhochschule Hamburg the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1970. In terms of student enrollment, the HAW is the second largest university in Hamburg, with a student body of 13,500 (data as of 2005). Hamburg University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1970 as the Fachhochschule Hamburg which looks back on a long tradition, with roots going back to the 18th century. Four engineering schools and six vocational schools were brought together with the goal to develop a new form of higher education. The focus was to be on the application of knowledge, with degree programmes that included placements in industry, laboratory work and practice-related projects. The Fachhochschule Hamburg started with thirteen departments; its Business School was founded in 1994. In 1998, as part of the increased internationalisation within higher education in Germany, the Conference of Ministers of Education & Cultural Affairs allowed the Fachhochschulen to add "university of applied sciences" to their name.