Internal networking
The active exchange and networking within TU Dresden and with the participating partners enables the quality of teaching and research to be increased in equal measure in the long term by identifying overlapping research interests in a meaningful way and using them for collaboration. Courses offered by all participants are opened up to learners from all participating institutions in order to enable both a broader overall educational process and one that is more focused on the interests of individual learners/teachers.
What do we want?
TU Dresden is networked between the individual Faculties and with related partners such as SLUB and DIU with regard to the development and use of interactive learning/teaching offers, further education opportunities and lifelong learning offers. The result is a searchable catalog with offers, credit transfer options and contact persons, which is actively maintained and further developed by all parties involved.
Where do we want to go?
Various perspectives open up in this context. Students, lecturers and employees of participating organizations are aware of the networking opportunities available to them and have the opportunity to actively participate in the (further) development of these networking opportunities.
Communities of practice are accepted and actively supported and promoted in the institutions as well as in terms of time, technical and organizational resources. There are rooms and budgets for holding networking meetings. The maintenance and moderation of large networking groups is funded in a similar way to research projects on the basis of applications. The results of funded networking projects are documented and discussed transparently on a central platform.
In addition, degrees and credits are to be made more flexible. Students have the opportunity to receive credit for teaching and further education courses offered by the participating institutions in the subject area of their studies (e.g. courses from DIU micro-certificate courses as well as courses and projects on media literacy or the use of prototyping methods in the SLUB MakerSpace). Teachers at the participating institutions are encouraged to actively exchange information about interfaces in the courses on offer. Identified cooperation offers are jointly financed by a corresponding budget on the part of TU Dresden and the participating partners.
With regard to interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange, all Institutes strive to generate common interfaces across departments and faculties in order to advance interdisciplinary studies and research. For this reason, projects with an interdisciplinary and intercultural focus are particularly encouraged and supported by already established networking structures at TU Dresden. In addition to the existing networks for interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange at TU Dresden, exchange formats with external partners are also supported at all levels.
In the area of supervision/mentoring, there are also a wide range of opportunities for individual support for final and qualification theses. Students and doctoral candidates have access to a wide range of qualified supervisors/mentors, who also take personal circumstances into account and provide tailored solutions where necessary. Workshops support supervisors/mentors in providing professionalized supervision.
Interprofessional teamwork is also established as a standard of scientific collaboration in teaching. The necessary exchange formats have been developed at the university and are used in various areas of activity depending on requirements. Competencies for interprofessional teamwork are already acquired during studies (for example in internships or interdisciplinary seminars).
In order to encourage students to help shape their university with confidence and to break down possible barriers in the academic communication and mediation process, there are flat hierarchies, particularly in teaching. Students are able to implement their work projects largely independently - with the help of existing services. Students see themselves as stakeholders in a self-learning culture. Teachers provide course offerings, materials and formats, but increasingly moderate the teaching settings and support students in an accompanying and, if necessary, advisory capacity. Appreciative interaction between professors and students (in both directions) forms the foundation of a productive and motivating teaching/learning culture.
How do we achieve this?
- Detailed joint analysis of all stakeholders and interests
- Coordination of structures and responsibilities to implement the necessary organizational, personnel, financial and technical requirements to achieve the above-mentioned state.
- Establish a board to coordinate the implementation measures with all institutions involved and create appropriate framework conditions (resources, legal basis, motivation) to encourage active exchange.
- Take possible barriers seriously: Lack of personnel or financial commitment from one or more participating institutions, possible conflicts of interest with target achievement/resource allocation in other areas
- Prioritize the measure and obtain commitment from both the top organizational level and the employee level.