Funded projects 2022

Dr. Patricia Ward: International Conference “Thinking through ‘The Transnational’: A Tumultuous Task?”

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.12.2022 – 02.12.2022
Applicant: Dr. Patricia Ward, Center for Integration Studies
School: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Involved partners: International social scientists

Internationale Konferenz “Thinking through ‘The Transnational’: A Tumultuous Task?”

The conference discussed to what extent transnationalism plays a role in the study of contemporary social transformations triggered, for example, by climate change and displacement crises. To this end, international sociologists engaged in critical research and pedagogy related to transnational social change in the contemporary era gathered in Dresden. The conference aimed to foster or re-establish long-term research partnerships and networks.
Holding the conference at TU Dresden sparked the interest of invited researchers in Dresden as a location for critical research related to the intersections of postcolonialism and postsocialism. The conference has also helped to establish the social sciences at TU Dresden as a hub for critical, international thinking on issues of social inequality and social change.

Internationale Konferenz “Rethinking Relations: Michel Serres and the Environmental Humanities”

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 09.11.2022 – 12.11.2022
Applicant: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Moritz Ingwersen, Institute of English and American Studies, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Involved partners: Prof. Dr. Beate Ochsner, University of Konstanz

The conference brought together leading international scholars from media studies, literature, philosophy, sociology, and history. The aim was to mobilize the work of the late French philosopher of science Michel Serres for an investigation and expansion of the conceptual foundations of the environmental humanities. The interdisciplinary conference also involved scientists from the fields of environmental science, engineering and design.

Internationale Konferenz “Rethinking Relations: Michel Serres and the Environmental Humanities”

The conference, coordinated in collaboration between the Chair of North American Literature at TU Dresden and the Chair of Media Studies at the University of Konstanz, strengthened existing ties between two German universities of excellence with a long-standing commitment to social responsibility.In addition, the conference contributed to making TU Dresden and Dresden-concept partners, such as the German Hygiene Museum, known in the international research field of Environmental Humanities.

The publication of the conference results as a special issue in a renowned international journal is currently being implemented. In addition, cooperations and applications for third-party funding are being pursued. An international follow-up conference in the field of science and technology research is already being planned, which is to be held in 2024 with several partners within and outside the TU Dresden.

Prof. Dr. Uta Berger: Workshop on novel teaching concepts for simulation experiments with agent-based models

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 08.11.2022 – 19.11.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Uta Berger, Institute of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences, Department of Forest Sciences
Involved partners:

Humboldt State University Arcata, USA
Research & Development team of Timberlands Ltd., New Zealand
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Germany

Within the funding a workshop on agent-based simulation models took place. The workshop served to continue a long-standing cooperation and brought world-leading scientists with a special international reputation in the fields of standardization and theory building of agent-based models (ABM). ABMs are computer simulations used to study the interactions between people, things, places, and time. They can account for decision-making, adaptation to changing conditions or social learning.

Workshop zu neuen Lehrkonzepten für Simulationsexperimente mit agentenbasierten Modellen

The workshop laid the foundation for a joint textbook on planning, conducting and analyzing simulation experiments. In addition, the workshop served to plan new teaching concepts. Among others, as part of a restructuring of the Master's program in Tropical Forestry, it is planned to set up a new course in agent-based modelling and also to offer this for the Ecosystem Services program of International Institute (IHI) Zittau. Furthermore, it is intended to revive the series of ABM summer school courses at TU Dresden which took place between 2007–2019.

Prof. Dr. Dominik Steiger: International Cycling Safety Conference 2022

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 08.11.2022 – 10.11.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Tibor Petzoldt, Institute of Transport Planning and Road Traffic, "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners: International Cycling Safety Community (ICSC)

In 2022, the “International Cycling Safety Conference” was held in Dresden for the first time. The conference has been held annually since 2012 and provides a forum for scientists and experts whose academic and practical activities are focused on making cycling safer. The conference attracted international participants from different disciplines such as traffic planning, traffic psychology, traffic medicine or engineering. It consisted of a combination of scientific presentations and posters, so that an active exchange between the participants is promoted. Selected contributions will subsequently be published in a special issue of a relevant peer-reviewed journal.

The organization of the conference contributed significantly to the international visibility of the faculty and the TU Dresden. At the same time, it enabled the participants on the TU Dresden side to network even more closely internationally. In addition, new contacts were established, which offer opportunities for future exchange and collaborations.

Prof. Dr. Uwe Gampe: Project initiation for green carbon fiber production with high temperature solar heat in Uzbekistan

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 18.10.2022 – 16.12.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Uwe Gampe (now retired), Institute of Power Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Involved partners: Institute of Material Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

: Projektanbahnung zur Produktion von grünen Kohlefasern mit Hochtemperatur-Solarwärme in Usbekistan

Within the framework of the funding, two visits were carried out in Uzbekistan, which served to initiate and expand cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. With the Uzbek partner, a project in the field of solar energy utilization funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) was already carried out 2015-2016. The subject of the project now to be implemented is the use of high-temperature solar heat for the production of green carbon fibers. The Academy of Sciences in Uzbekistan has one of the largest solar furnaces in the world, which is capable of testing this new technology.

The project addresses heat supply for industrial processes. It is of strategic relevance for energy research at the TU Dresden and beyond at the science location Dresden. The short-term goal is to establish an international bilateral PhD program in English between the TU Dresden and the Tashkent State Transport University. In the long term, it is planned to establish a "Green Valley" for future technologies in Uzbekistan with the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan and other institutions, in which TU Dresden is an essential partner.

Prof. Dr. Yordan Kyosev: Summer School “Dress up, Dance and Digitally Dive into Culture”

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 07.10.2022 – 11.10.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Yordan Kyosev, Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Involved partners:

Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania
Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Creative Thinking Development, Rafina, Greece
Virtual Campus Lda., Porto, Portugal
Hellenic Dance Academy Lygkistes, Glyfada, Greece

The summer school brought together scholars and dancers to explore the digitization and archiving of folk dance heritage. This was embedded in the EU project "4D Culture – Dress up, Dance and Digitally Dive into Culture", which has the main goal of digitizing folk dance in Europe. To this end, a virtual portal is being built that offers a realistic visualization of costumes, dance styles and dance movements from member countries of the European Union.

Summer School “Dress up, Dance and Digitally Dive into Culture”

The summer school was organized by the Chair for Development and Assembly of Textile Products at the TU Dresden, which has a modern high-speed body scanner. This enables the precise recording of movements and can, among others, generate 4D animations from them. Using this scanner, the participants of the summer school learned how to digitize clothing and movement and applied it to traditional costumes and folklore dances from Greece and Bulgaria. German and Portuguese traditional costumes and folklore dances are to follow. In addition, a web application and virtual reality will be developed in cooperation with the partners from Greece and Portugal as a subsequent processing of the generated data of the folklore costumes and dances.
The results of the summer school have already been presented at a project meeting in Porto and will also be presented at a summer school to be held in Greece in 2023. Publications with the project partners at conferences and in journals are also planned.

Ulrike Lang: Seminar “Fundamentals of Teaching Sustainability“

Funding line: Funding for the cooperation with strategic partners
Period: 01.10.2022 – 31.03.2023
Applicant: Ulrike Lang, Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research Involved partners:

Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
University of Lower Silesia, Wrocław, Poland
Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

The seminar "Fundamentals of Teaching Sustainability" was held in the winter semester 2022/23 with students of the TU Dresden and the participating partner universities in the Czech Republic and Poland. It represented a contribution to the anchoring of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in teacher training. The seminar was aimed at student teachers from all disciplines and taught the basics of ESD with a regional focus as well as intercultural skills.

The seminar was held both in person and digitally. In addition, a network meeting took place at the Schiller-Gymnasium Pirna. With the help of lecturers from Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, the students developed their own teaching-learning concepts on ESD cross-sectional topics in trilateral groups. A follow-up seminar is being planned.
The selection of the partner institutions corresponded with the strategic orientation of the ZLSB to push the cooperation in the Saxon-Bohemian-Silesian border region. Through the innovative hybrid teaching-learning format, the TU Dresden was also able to distinguish itself as a pioneer and bridge builder in the internationalization of teacher education.

Carola Dierich: International Summer School “Technology Transfer in Life Sciences 2022”

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 26.09.2022 – 30.09.2022
Applicant: Carola Dierich, Development and International Affairs, Medical Faculty School: Medicine
Involved partners: National and international experts in academic technology transfer in the life sciences

The “International Summer School on Technology Transfer in Life Sciences 2022” (ISTL) was supported by the flexible funding program for internationalization. This one-week event took place for the 8th time and provided participants with expertise on technology transfer, patent law, licensing and spin-off formation in order to discover commercial potential in individual research. Central questions regarding the protection of intellectual property or advantages through licensing and spin-offs were brought into focus. The most successful business models will receive further support from selected experts in the following year. Partner universities such as Flinders University (Adelaide, Australia), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) and King's College London (UK) were involved in the Summer School.

Internationale Summer School „Technology Transfer in Life Sciences 2022”

The ISTL has a great radiance for the science location Dresden as well as for the reputation of the TU Dresden itself. In the context of the Synergetic University, the foundations can be laid for projects to build on the connections established and to carry them further internationally. At the same time, the summer school creates a network for the start-up scene in Dresden, thus making an active contribution to the economic promotion of the region. On average, a new company emerges from over 50 applications each year. The alumni network of the summer school, which has grown over the years, also contributes to the international visibility of the TU Dresden, as former participants act as multipliers and ambassadors of the summer school and thus of the TU Dresden.

Lena Elspaß: Summer School "Connecting Female Scientists"

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 26.09.2022 – 30.09.2022
Applicant: Lena Elspaß, Institute of Electrical Power Systems and High Voltage Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Involved partners: International female scientists from the natural and engineering sciences

As part of the flexible funding program for internationalization, the implementation of the summer school "Connecting Female Scientists" on the topic of energy storage systems was funded. The conference consisted, among other things, of lectures and short presentations, the creation of science slam contributions and technical excursions. It was aimed at international female scientists in the natural and engineering sciences.

Through professional exchange, active career planning and networking of female students, PhD students, postdocs, habilitation students and professors, the summer school increased the visibility of female actors in science. Another essential aspect of the summer school was to expand the role of female scientists in higher qualification levels as multipliers.

Prof. Dr. Ostap Okhrin: Conference on Reinforcement Learning in Dresden

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 15.09.2022 – 16.09.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Ostap Okhrin, Institute of Transport and Economics, "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners: Experts in the field of reinforcement learning

Konferenz zu Reinforcement Learning in Dresden

The international "Conference on Reinforcement Learning" was the first conference on this machine-learning-methods in Germany. The two-day conference was attended by more than 75 participants and brought together leading scientists from academia and industry in the field of reinforcement learning. It served as a platform for the exchange of scientific expertise and experiences as well as current trends in the field – especially with regard to transportation research. In addition, potential practical hurdles and problems in researching and finding solutions to problems were discussed.

Hosting a conference with such an international audience was a valuable opportunity to increase the visibility and recognition of the faculty and its research beyond national borders. The reinforcement learning research community is a rapidly growing and globally relevant sub-discipline of artificial intelligence, with applications in autonomous shipping, automotive, aviation and freight transport. Therefore, this conference provided a special opportunity to gather the emerging but internationally dispersed research community in one place, offering the perspective to build future research collaborations.

Prof. Dr. Jan J. Weigand: Interdisciplinary Summer Course Programme of the School of Science 2022 (iSCOPe)

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 10.09.2022 – 18.09.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Jan J. Weigand, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry
School: Science
Involved partners:

Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Research Center for Ecology and Ethnobiology, Indonesia
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Mahidol University, Thailand
German University in Cairo, Egypt
Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Vietnam
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Saga University, Japan

The goal of the interdisciplinary Summer Course Programme (iSCOPe) series of the School of Science 2022 was to discuss in a multidisciplinary way on topics relevant to society and environment. The first iSCOPe edition was dedicated to the broad field of sustainability and was headed by the Faculites of Chemistry and Food Chemistry as well as Biology. In a one-week program, participants learned about essential aspects of sustainability from various scientific aspects and disciplines, which opened new perspectives and made participants think outside their boxes. Furthermore, iSCOPe was a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world and explicitly encouraged international networking.

Interdisziplinäre Summer School des Bereichs Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften 2022 (iSCOPe)

By involving international lecturers, the format idea was taken to partner universities. Among others, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is already planning a similar event. There are also plans within the TU Dresden to incorporate the format idea in an expanded form into new teaching concepts.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Haberstroh: ECC – European Course of Cryogenics

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 15.08.2022 – 02.09.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Christoph Haberstroh, Institute of Power Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Involved partners:

University of Twente, Netherlands
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WUST), Wrocław, Poland

The "European Course of Cryogenics" has been held regularly since 2008 and is a joint three-week course of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, the Wrocław University of Science and Technology and the TU Dresden in the field of cryogenics. It will take place for one week at each of the respective venues. Since it was not possible to hold the course in Wrocław in 2022, the University of Twente was chosen as a replacement location and co-organisator.

For the participants, the course offered excellent starting knowledge in the field of cryogenics as well as a network of experts in this field. The added value for the TU Dresden as co-organizer of the course is estimated to be high. The special discipline of cryogenics is taught and researched at only a few institutions worldwide. By initiating and centrally managing the course, the TU Dresden has further underlined its central role and expertise here. The central role of the TU Dresden is also recognized by the relevant industry and the connection to the TU Dresden remains with former participants who are now in successful careers in science and industry.

Prof. Dr. Dominik Steiger: International Conference "Access to Vaccines and Medical Care in Times of Covid19: Pandemics as Disruption"

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 11.07.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Dominik Steiger, Institute of International Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Involved partners: Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Republic of South Africa

The conference "Access to Vaccines and Medical Care in Times of Covid19: Pandemics as Disruption" was jointly organized by the TU Dresden and Stellenbosch University. It took place in Dresden and focused on the national and international legal framework for globally equitable access to vaccines, other pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The conference brought together the jurisprudential discussions, which had previously been conducted predominantly nationally and each from the perspective of an emerging or industrialized country, in a bilateral and intradisciplinary exchange. The results of the conference were subsequently published. The organization of the conference in Dresden contributed to the international profile of the TU Dresden and its visibility as a social actor in a currently very controversial discourse.

Already since 2012, an intensive cooperation with the University of Stellenbosch and the Institute of International Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law of the TU Dresden exists. This is to be further intensified. Thus, a next joint conference will take place in February 2024 in Stellenbosch, which will be connected with research stays of professors and staff members. In 2026, another joint conference will take place in Dresden. Furthermore, within the framework of a successful Erasmus application, cooperation with Stellenbosch and the University of the Western Cape is underway to establish an international graduate school as well as a binational joint doctorate.

Prof. Dr. Yael Politi: Scientific symposium “Engineering Life 2021: Active matter across scales”

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 27.06.2022 – 29.06.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Yael Politi, B CUBE - Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering
Involved partners: International engineering scientists

The interdisciplinary symposium “Engineering life”, organized by B CUBE – Center for Molecular Bioengineering, takes place every two years in Dresden. Each symposium is focused on a different topic closely linked to the B CUBE concept, but also relevant to the Dresden Bioengineering campus. The 2021 conference offered a unique perspective on ‘Active Matter’ bridging multiple disciplines and research e.g., zoology, molecular cell biology and material science.
Due to Corona restrictions, most of the invited international speakers from overseas did not take part in the conference in person but presented their contributions online. The event was finally organized as a hybrid event to intensify the cooperation in the research field and enable the transfer of knowledge and interactions between established researchers to researchers at their early career stages.

The conference provided important impulses for the participating international scientists and consolidated and advanced the reputation of biophysics and bioengineering in Dresden. Furthermore, it served as a platform to present and exchange research results and ideas between international working groups.

Dr. Anna Görner: Besuch zweier Alumnae zum 45-jährigen CIPSEM-Jubiläum

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 10.06.2022 – 16.06.2022
Applicant: Dr. Anna Görner, Centre for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management (CIPSEM), Faculty of Environmental Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners:

Hasmik Barseghyan, United Nations World Water Quality Alliance
Subha Niranjan, ELCITA – Electronics City Industrial Township Authority, Bangalore, India

Within the framework of the funding, alumnae Hasmik Barseghyan and Subha Niranjan were invited to Dresden on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Centre for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management (CIPSEM) to make the international significance of the program visible and to initiate new collaborations.

CIPSEM, as a postgraduate program in environmental management, has trained over 2,500 scientists from 140 countries over the past 45 years. Hasmik Barseghyan and Subha Niranjan were invited to these celebrations as two successful alumnae from emerging economies who are now working as leaders in key future industries. In Dresden, they participated in various strategic events such as lectures and panel discussions. Hasmik Barseghyan also gave a welcoming speech at the opening of the 45th Dresden Water Engineering Colloquium in her role as President of the World Youth Parliament for Water and alumna of TU Dresden.

During the stay, an Associate Partnership Agreement with ELCITA was finalized, for which Subha Niranjan will be the central contact person. It is planned to establish a real laboratory with research opportunities for Master and PhD students in the context of urban water management. This partnership will be connected to the "Global Water and Climate Adaptation Center", a global research center with TU Dresden as a participating site. Through the successful involvement of alumni, TU Dresden can further expand its globally significant position in basic and applied water research.

Dr. Stephan Beil: Support of the access of a guest researcher from Nicaragua to the technology platform Core Facility Environmental Analytics (CFEA)

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.06.2022 – 08.07.2022
Applicant: Dr. Stephan Beil, Institute of Water Chemistry, Department of Hydro Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners: Universidad Centroamericana, Managua, Nicaragua

The funding from the flexible funding program for internationalization complemented a DAAD-funded research stay at TU Dresden by Associate Professor Carlos Enrique Vallejos of the Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua. The goal of his research is to develop an innovative material to remove arsenic from drinking water sources in rural areas of Nicaragua. The funding program enabled Professor Vallejos to use the analytical infrastructure of the technology platform Core Facility Environmental Analytics (CFEA) of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences. He used this to further investigate the mechanisms of arsenic removal by the materials he developed. He then presented his results at the TU Dresden.

During the guest visit, Professor Vallejos also gained an overview of analytical and scientific priorities of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, which has already resulted in ideas for joint analytical projects. In addition, the results of the research project were presented at conferences and in publications, mentioning TU Dresden and its technology platform. An expansion of the cooperation aims to integrate the Core Facilities of the TU Dresden even more strongly into international scientific networks.

Prof. Dr. Maria Lieber: Internationale Tagung „Ist das Florentinische noch das ideale Italienisch? Florenz, das Florentinische und das moderne Italienisch“

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 06.05.2022 – 07.05.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Maria Lieber, Institute of Romance Studies, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Involved partners:

Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy
International linguists

Two study days, addressed both to an academic audience and to non-academic circles, explored the development of the importance of Florentine for modern Italian under the guiding question "Is Florentine still the ideal Italian?".

The participation of renowned international scholars in the field of Italian linguistics and the exchange between academic staff as well as with students of the faculty provided all participants with a differentiated international perspective on the current state of research. Furthermore, this offered the basis for joint research projects of the Institute of Romance with individual speakers and universities as well as with external institutions, such as the Accademia della Crusca in Florence. In addition, joint publications were initiated.

Posterbild Internationale Tagung "Dal fiorentino all'internazionalizzazione"

Building on already existing contacts, a more intensive cooperation with Florentine institutions, in particular with the Università degli Studi di Firenze, was sought with the aim of establishing a strategic partnership. In addition, the meeting intended to consolidate and sustain relations with the Università degli Studi di Trento. Close ties have existed with the latter for years, especially in the context of the double master's program and summer schools. During the conference, a new edition of a joint tandem project to promote the language skills of students from both universities was initiated.

The cooperation with Italian researchers and institutions contributes significantly to the profile building of the strategic partnership between Dresden and Italy. In the medium term, this should not only validate the TU Dresden as an attractive place to study for prospective Romance scholars, but also increase the attractiveness of Dresden and the TU Dresden for experts from other scientific disciplines and from industry, so that new high-ranking projects can be initiated in which Romance Studies and the Humanities and Social Sciences fulfill their role as an intercultural and interdisciplinary link.

Lucas Klinkenbusch: Workshop “Social Architecture Research Days” in Rwanda

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 29.04.2022 – 06.05.2022
Applicant: Lucas Klinkenbusch, Chair of Foundations of Architectural Design, Faculty of Architecture
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners: University of Rwanda

Workshop “Social Architecture Research Days” in Ruanda

The funding within the framework of the flexible funding program for internationalization served to expand the cooperation between the Faculty of Architecture at TU Dresden and the University of Rwanda. With the participation of German and Rwandan young scientists, the possibilities of a joint research project were identified in the context of a scientific workshop. In addition to the expertise gained in the implementation of international cooperative research formats, the focus was on the establishment of a partnership with the University of Rwanda.

The contact with the University of Rwanda has existed since 2021, and since then, grant applications have already been prepared jointly, as well as an application for mobility for qualification purposes within the framework of Erasmus+. The latter, with an initial term of two years, aims at a series of qualification mobilities, on the one hand of Rwandan young scientists to Germany for the purpose of internships at the TU Dresden and other TU-related institutions. On the other hand, the mobility of scientific staff of the TU Dresden to Rwanda is made possible. It is also planned to apply for funding from the German Society for International Cooperation in Rwanda as a follow-up to the funded workshop. In the long term, the partnership aims to ensure access to relevant research projects in Rwanda and East Africa.

Prof. Dr. Tibor Petzoldt: Road Safety in South Africa – Joint publication and initialization of collaboration

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 03.04.2022 – 04.05.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Tibor Petzoldt,Institute of Transport Planning and Road Traffic, "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, Republic of South Africa

Within the funding the issue of road safety in South Africa was addressed at various levels. On the one hand, a joint publication based on an available dataset was prepared for publication as a first step towards better and more rigorous research on road safety related issues in South Africa. Those findings are also of relevance for the automotive industry e.g., in regarding the design of automated vehicles. On the other hand, through meetings with several stakeholders and researchers, ideas and funding strategies were be developed to ensure the continuation of this collaboration.

There has been lose contact between the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa and the Institute of Transport Planning and Road Traffic at TU Dresden since at least 2010. The aim is to further develop and institutionalize this collaboration e.g., through research visits and exchange programs. Ultimately, the goal is to define joint research projects that receive third party funding.

Prof. Dr. Judith Miggelbrink: Inhabiting peripheral subjectivities. A comparative case study in Leipzig and Naples

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.04.2022 – 31.12.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Judith Miggelbrink, Institute of Geography, Department of Geosciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners: Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy

As part of the funding, a research project was carried out in which modernist housing estates in Naples and Leipzig formed the starting point for a comparative empirical study. For this purpose, a mapping concept was developed that can be applied to housing practices in Leipzig and Naples to investigate topics such as urban inclusion and spatial justice.

Komparative Fallstudie in Dresden und Neapel “Inhabiting peripheral subjectivities”

A manuscript has already been submitted for publication of the project's findings to date. Based on this, the research project will be further developed. Currently, a joint application for external funding is being prepared for this purpose, which is to be submitted to the HERA network (Humanities in the European Research Area) of the European Commission. An application for lecturer mobility in the field of teaching via Erasmus+ is also planned. In the medium to long term, the cooperation should lead to a solid basis of established research, teaching and learning contacts between Naples and Dresden, in the form of mutual excursions, jointly supervised doctoral and master theses as well as final theses in teacher training.

Prof. Dr. Axel Gehrmann: International Lecture Series "Educational Systems in (Trans)Formation – Facing the global challenges"

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.04.2022 – 30.09.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Axel Gehrmann, Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research (German abbreviation: ZLSB)
Involved partners:

Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan
Kobe University, Japan
Stellenbosch University, Republic of South Africa
University of El Paso, USA
Pennsylvania State University, USA

The international lecture series "Educational Systems in (Trans)Formation - Facing the global challenges" was held in virtual form in the summer semester of 2022. Within the framework of lectures and workshops, teachers from the TU Dresden worked together with international education experts and school directors from partner institutions of the ZLSB. The target group were student teachers of the TU Dresden and the participating partner universities, who worked together in interactive multilateral groups. The focus was on three educational science topics that are currently particularly important in the global context: Digital School, Teaching Sustainability, and Inclusion.

For organizational reasons, the lecture series only took place between June and September 2022 with a limited number of students from three partner universities. Due to the great interest of further cooperation partners in an international virtual collaboration, the lecture series was continued in the winter semester 2022/2023, with the participation of additional educational experts from Jordan and South Africa.

Within the framework of the project, two related course concepts were revised and further developed. These will serve as the basis for a new edition or repetition in the coming year. Teachers from the TU Dresden will also develop and implement further international formats in collaboration with teachers from the partner universities of ZLSB.

As an important virtual teaching-learning format, the project complemented the international teaching offerings in the teacher training program. The collaborative and intercultural learning approach leads to effective enhancement of students' intercultural competence. The priority goal of the ZLSB's internationalization efforts is to make internationality a natural part of teacher education at the TUD, to support student teachers in expanding their methodological and professional competence in international contexts, and to prepare them for working with culturally heterogeneous classes.

Maike Heitkamp-Mai: 4. Sächsisch-Polnischer Innovationstag

Funding line: Funding for the cooperation with strategic partners
Period: 30.03.2022 – 31.10.2022
Applicant: Maike Heitkamp-Mai, International Affairs, School of Engineering Sciences
School: Engineering Sciences
Involved partners:

Politechnika Wrocławska, Wrocław, Poland
Centrum Akademiecki Wrocław, Poland
Liaison Office of the Free State of Saxony in Wrocław, Poland
Saxony Trade & Invest Corporation (WFS – Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH)

The 4th Saxon-Polish Innovation Day, which took place in Wrocław on September 15-16, 2022, was funded partially within the framework of the funding. The Saxon-Polish Innovation Day is a networking event that offers all actors involved in the cooperation with Wrocław from research, politics, administration, and business the opportunity to get in touch with each other and develop joint research and transfer approaches for sustainable manufacturing technologies for innovative products. It was addressed to about 150 participants and reached about 200 additional persons via digital tools.
The Innovation Day 2022 was dedicated to the topic "The Future of European Industry" and offered a platform for further networking of partners, initiating cooperations, highlighting funding opportunities and making successes visible. An accompanying visit to Wrocław by Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Saxony's Justice Minister Katja Meier highlighted the importance of the partnership.

During preparatory measures for the Innovation Day, the strategic cooperation between the TU Dresden and the science location Wrocław in general and the engineering department of the TU Dresden and Politechnika Wrocławska was further developed in order to bring the partners back into an intensive and concrete exchange after the corona-related restrictions.
The strong cooperation between Saxony and Poland starting from the nucleus Wrocław-Dresden is not only of strategic importance for the TU Dresden, but furthermore for the entire science and business location Dresden. Through the Innovation Day and the accompanying activities in the preparation, the existing networks with manifold institutions from science, politics, and administration, but also with business enterprises and associations are consolidated.

Dr. Dirk Jungmann: Establishment and expansion of the partner network for the "International Internship Programs" with Canada and with the USA

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.03.2022 – 31.07.2022
Applicant: Katharina Gabel-Stransky, LEONARDO-OFFICE SAXONY
Involved partners: Ali Bagar, University of Calgary, Canada

The funding aimed to expand the network for international internship programs with the USA and Canada. The goal was to establish cooperations with suitable universities as well as companies in order to expand the internship opportunities for students of the TU Dresden and the potential partner universities. This was implemented by a student at the University of Calgary, who was employed for 5 months as part of the funding. There are already strong connections to the University of Calgary through the Alberta-Saxony Internship Program (ASiiA).

Within the framework of the project, the German American Chamber of Commerce for Southern US was won as a new network partner. The Chamber of Commerce looks after German companies in the USA and US companies interested in cooperating with Germany, so that the existing internship network can be expanded to include companies in the future. In addition, the Chamber of Foreign Trade is willing to support students of the TU Dresden who are interested in an internship in a company.

To further establish internship cooperations, talks have been held with the University of Oklahoma, USA, and Victoria University, Canada. An inter-institutional agreement has already been signed with the University of Oklahoma for Erasmus+ until 2027 and a student has been sent on an internship. In the future, further new partners are to be won, for which various contacts have already been made.

Dr.-Ing. Angelos Filippatos: Enhancement of international visibility of DCIM within Wrocław science region

Funding line: Funding for the cooperation with strategic partners
Period: 01.03.2022 – 30.09.2022
Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Angelos Filippatos, Dresden Centre for Intelligent Materials (DCIM), Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Involved partners: Politechnika Wrocławska, Wrocław, Poland

1 Foto:Verbesserung der internationalen Sichtbarkeit von DCIM in der Wissenschaftsregion Wrocław

The main goal of the project was to enhance the Dresden Center for Intelligent Materials (DCIM) as an independent, international lab settled at TU Dresden and to create a roadmap for strategic cooperation with the Wrocław Science region.

2 Foto: Verbesserung der internationalen Sichtbarkeit von DCIM in der Wissenschaftsregion Wrocław

3 Foto: Verbesserung der internationalen Sichtbarkeit von DCIM in der Wissenschaftsregion Wrocław

A first outcome was the preparation of a joint international research proposal, which involves an international collaborative research effort on process design and optimization as well as production optimization. Possible future actions are the extension of the strategic cooperation between DCIM and the Politechnika Wrocławska via joint research, publications and doctorates as well as the establishment of a network for technology transfer with local industry in both areas. The project strengthened the profile of the new founded DCIM and thus the materials area of research, and furthermore promotes the advancement of young researchers.

Prof. Dr. Marianne Kneuer: International Author Workshop "Sovereignism as Global Phenomenon? A Comparative Perspective between Europe and the Americas"

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 21.01.2022 – 23.01.2022
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Marianne Kneuer, Institute of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Involved partners:

University of Sapienza, Rom, Italy
University of Siena, Italy
University of Pisa, Italy
University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Université Sciences Po, Paris, France
University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

The workshop brought together an international network of researchers that has been dedicated to the conceptualization and elaboration of methodological approaches of the study of sovereignism since 2019. Due to the Corona pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 meetings took place virtually. The first and important output of this network was a Special Issue on "Sovereignism as a Global Phenomenon? A Comparative Perspective between Europe and the Americas," in the prestigious journal “Government and Opposition”. The funded workshop served to discuss, refine, and coordinate a successful submission of the individual articles.

The workshop contributed to the deepening and institutionalization of the collaboration in the research network. The cooperation partners came from very renowned universities that are excellent in their respective countries. The Institute of Political Science at the TU Dresden is interested to develop further links to these universities. Furthermore, the workshop contributed to the strengthening of international networks of the institute and faculty. The long-term goal of these collaborations is a joint Horizon 2020 application.

Dr. Dirk Jungmann: Water sampling and workshop on “MoRe WATER”

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.01.2022 – 30.06.2022
Applicant: Dr. Dirk Jungmann, Institute of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners:

Dr. Marinda Avenant, Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State,
Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa
Prof. Dr. Beatrice O. Opeolo, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa

As part of the funding, water samples were taken jointly with the two partner universities to evaluate the quality of selected surface waters in South Africa. The results were then merged with other survey results as part of a national project. The results obtained from the research will be published together with further data from the University of the Free State and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Entnahme von Wasserproben und Workshop zu „MoRe WATER“

Furthermore, a joint workshop was held at the South African Mountain Conference, where scientific activities of the TU Dresden were presented, and international collaborations were also highlighted in order to attract new partners for future international project applications. The role play "MoReWATER", developed at TU Dresden, provided an easy introduction to the problem of surface water quality management. It was also possible to identify potential interested parties for further cooperation.

The joint research work will serve as the basis for future joint international research proposals. To consolidate the collaboration also at the administrative level, further reciprocal visits are planned. Moreover, the University of the Free State appointed Dr. Jungmann as a Research Fellow, which promotes further exchange.

Dr. Prabhas Kumar Yadav: ICOMAGC – "Inter-continental participation for the management of groundwater contamination"

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.01.2022 – 30.06.2022
Applicant: Dr. Prabhas Kumar Yadav, Institute for Groundwater Management, Faculty of Environmental Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners:

Prof. C. Werth, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
Prof. B. R. Chahar, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Neu Delhi, India
Prof. P. Dietrich, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ
University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (new partner during funding period)

The funding aimed to develop and address a global environmental problem, namely groundwater contamination, by extending collaboration between inter-continental partners. Prior collaborations with the involved partners, among others a successful proposal for a funding of the German Research Foundation DFG, have led to the development of further research interest. This became the basis of a new DFG proposal, which was prepared during the funding period.

As part of the project, trips to the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the University of Texas were conducted. In addition, a positive research development during the project period led to the development of the collaboration with the University of Waterloo, which was subsequently supported by the TU Dresden. A trip to the University of Waterloo was complemented by a month-long research trip of a PROMOS supported student, who completed part of his master thesis under the supervision of a professor at the Canadian university.

The project has already led to research publication with all involved partners. The inter-continental collaboration is expected to provide further multi-level outcomes. In the medium-term, the collaborating partners are expected to develop a larger-scale application-based project, e.g., at the EU level or a Joint DFG proposal between DFG Office India and DFG Office USA. In the long run collaboration between different institutes of TU Dresden and corresponding partner institutes shall be developed for school or university level projects. In addition, complementary funding options for scientific exchanges are to be targeted.

Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Lippert: Kick-off of the cooperation project "RES urbanae – Die Wiederaufbaustädte bRESt und dRESden"

Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 02.11.2021 – 08.11.2021
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Lippert, Institute of Architectural History, Architectural Theory and Historic Preservation, Faculty of Architecture
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Involved partners:

Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO), Brest, France
Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic

Auftakt des Kooperationsprojekts "RES urbanae – Die Wiederaufbaustädte bRESt und dRESden"

At the kick-off of the trilateral research project "RES urbanae – The reconstruction cities bRESt and dRESden", a study and research exchange was held in Brest. The subject of the two-year research project with French and Czech partners is the comparative study of the cities of Brest and Dresden, which were heavily destroyed during World War II. The focus is on the research topics of urban identity, dealing with architectural history, and guiding principles of the design of the built environment. Joint colloquia, mutual study trips, publications and exhibitions are planned. The TU Dresden and the UBO Brest have also concluded a framework cooperation agreement for an unlimited period of time, on the basis of which further joint projects of different faculties and formats can be developed.

The establishment of a new cooperation with a French and a Czech university contributes to the creation of research-strong international collaborations with an impact on studies and teaching. Linguistic and intercultural competencies will be continuously expanded as a result.

In addition, numerous synergy effects are created between the participating universities and other institutions involved in the project, such as the Dresden State Art Collections or the German Hygiene Museum.

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