Funded Projects 2024
Table of contents
Initiation / development & Expansion / extension of research cooperation
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 22.01.2024 – 17.03.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Stephan Abele, Institute of Vocational Education and Vocational Didactics, Faculty of Education
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: University of Melbourne, Australia
The Chair of Vocational Education at TU Dresden intensified its international research cooperation with the University of Melbourne in the field of empirical VET research. The project built on preliminary work on a vocational training PISA and computer-based competence measurement for automotive trainees and aimed to establish a long-term collaboration with the “Centre for Vocational and Educational Policy” at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education.
The focus was on a pilot project in which a computer-based measurement instrument developed in Germany for measuring the competencies of automotive trainees was validated on an Australian sample and the results compared with a German reference sample. The research stay in Australia, which was funded as part of the grant, made it possible to gain a better understanding of the training conditions there and to establish personal contacts. I addition, strategic questions regarding a joint publication and a planned application for third-party funding were clarified.
The collaboration with the University of Melbourne, one of the world's leading universities in international rankings, strengthens TU Dresden's international network and increases its visibility in international empirical VET research. It also adds an important partner in Australia to the existing international network of the Institute of Vocational Education, which already has links to New Zealand and Southeast Asian countries.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 24.02.2024 – 05.03.2024
Applicant: Dr. Peggy Germer, Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research
Unit: Central Units of TU Dresden
Participating partners: University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia | La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia | Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia
In order to develop new partnerships, the Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research at TU Dresden visited various Australian universities with the program’s funding. The focus was on exchanging information on alternative routes into the teaching profession, an area in which Australia has many years of experience. This expertise is particularly valuable for the further development of lateral entry programs in Germany.
The cooperation with the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and Federation University Australia is aimed at various areas: In addition to the development of mobility options for students, the focus was on the exchange of research data on comparative teacher education research. Of particular interest were Australian approaches to overcoming urban-rural disparities in the distribution of teaching staff and concepts for supporting lateral entrants. A specific emphasis was placed on the investigation of stress phenomena during career entry and the development of suitable mentoring programs.
The trip resulted in several concrete outcomes: A lecture series on educational science and subject didactics was initiated, joint research activities on the professionalization of teachers were planned, and Australian researchers were invited to the ZLSB’s Late Summer School. In addition, opportunities for internship mobility were explored and a comparative research approach to well-being and entrepreneurship was developed. The new partnership complements the ZLSB's existing international network, which already includes more than 60 institutions worldwide.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 27.01.2024 – 31.03.2024
Applicant: Olga Tcaci, Chair of Economics, esp. Economic Policy and Economic Research, Faculty of Business and Economics
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
To strengthen cooperation between the University of Portsmouth and TU Dresden, the program funded a research stay in the United Kingdom. Doctoral student Olga Tcaci was invited by Dr. Ali Sina Önder, a renowned lecturer in applied microeconomics and the economics of science, to spend about two months at the University of Portsmouth.
The focus of the stay was on analyzing the role of innovation for the regional development of East Germany after the reunification. In addition, a joint research project was prepared for submission to renowned journals. The research examines the economic value of innovation before and after the German reunification with a particular focus on analyzing the impact of various aspects of innovation on regional growth. Ms. Tcaci also presented several research projects from her dissertation and received valuable feedback.
The preliminary results have already been presented at several international events. The research stay also resulted in the initiation of a follow-up project to analyze gender disparities in East and West Germany.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.03.2024 – 30.11.2024
Applicant: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Anette Eltner, Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Department of Geosciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
TU Dresden initiated an international research cooperation with the Sultan Qabus University in Muscat (Oman) to develop innovative methods for the observation of flash floods in arid regions. The project aims to improve quantification, modeling and forecasting capabilities for these highly dynamic, spatio-temporally variable extreme events, which can have significant socio-economic consequences.
As part of the project, camera-based and seismic methods were developed for improved monitoring of flash floods. The work was divided into five phases, with visit phases for scientific exchange alternating with monitoring phases to establish methods. Particular attention was paid to the adaptation and transfer of AI-based methods.
The project strengthened interdisciplinary cooperation between the chairs of Geosensor Systems and Hydrology and established the new research field of environmental seismology at TU Dresden. The collaboration with the Sultan Qabus University opens up opportunities to extend the cooperation to other areas of environmental sciences. For the application of follow-up projects, the project results also play an important role. In the long term, the cooperation aims at integrated water resource management in a context of scarce resources and data in regions already under climatic stress, which is highly relevant for future adaptation strategies in view of climate change.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.03.2024 – 30.11.2024
Applicant: Dr. Lutz Brusch, Center for Information Services and High Performance Computing (ZIH)
Participating partners: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, UK
With the support of the funding program, a collaboration between the Center for Information Services and High Performance Computing (ZIH) at TU Dresden and Cardiff University was initiated to improve the interoperability of software platforms for biological simulations. The focus was on connecting two powerful platforms that had previously been developed independently of each other, as well as extending the MorpheusML data standard developed at the ZIH.
A guest visit by Prof. Athanasius Marée and an international workshop laid the foundation for a broad consortium. The ZIH already operates a globally used, open-source research data repository for computer-aided multi-scale models in the life sciences. The new collaboration will now contribute to the international standardization of software interfaces and strengthen TU Dresden's position in this field.
The cooperation also intensified collaboration within DRESDEN-concept, in particular with the SLUB's Open Science Lab and the Physics of Life Cluster of Excellence. As further results, the research data standards developed were included in the EDITH roadmap for the European Virtual Human Twin and new collaborations were initiated. In addition, one of the young scientists involved in the project received the Young Talent Award from the German Datacenter Association (GDA).
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 07.04.2024 – 11.04.2024
Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Anna Martius, Boysen-TU Dresden-Research Training Group
Participating partners: Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
This years’ spring colloquium of the 4th Boysen-TU Dresden Research Training Group focused on the hydrogen economy. A central element of the colloquium was the participation of Prof. Peter Lund, a renowned expert in new energy technologies and sustainable energy policy, from Aalto University. The visit built on previous successful collaborations in Research Training Groups. During the colloquium, the researchers presented the current status of their projects and discussed feedback and current challenges.
The interdisciplinary nature of the research group, in which 21 projects from all five departments of TU Dresden are involved, enables a broad exchange of expertise. During the colloquium, Prof. Lund participated in the development of a hackathon for the planned Autumn School “H2YPE - Scientific Exploration of the Green Hydrogen Future”. He was also appointed to co-supervise a cross-cluster project on the H2 core network.
The cooperation contributes to strengthening the strategic partnership between Aalto University and TU Dresden in the research profile line “Energy, Mobility and Environment”. Reciprocal guest visits and joint event formats are expected to deepen the partnership in the future.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.06.2024 – 31.12.2024
Applicant: Dr. Dirk Jungmann, Institute of Hydrobiology, Department of Hydro Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
As part of the funding, a research collaboration was initiated to develop a monitoring system for surface water in the Vaalharts irrigation system, the largest irrigation system in the southern hemisphere. The project aimed to improve the agricultural irrigation infrastructure with a particular focus on environmental compatibility and sustainability. In collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, an innovative in vitro algae test was developed in combination with chemical analysis to detect herbicide contamination.
The cooperation built on an earlier research stay by Dr. Marinda Avenant as a Dresden Fellow at TU Dresden. As part of a workshop with stakeholders, new analytical methods in water monitoring were presented and strategies for meaningful monitoring were developed.
The project contributes to strengthening TU Dresden's international research activities and promotes the integration of non-university partners. Previous funding has already resulted in a publication and a manuscript, and an ERASMUS+ application has also been submitted to the EU. The collaboration continues by a DAAD scholarship for South African researcher Ngitheni Nyoka to spend three months at TU Dresden in 2024. Her doctoral thesis is also being supervised at the TU Dresden by Dr. Dirk Jungmann.
Increased cooperation with international partners, particularly in southern Africa, better equips TU Dresden to tackle global scientific and social challenges in the field of water research.
Guest lecture & residence
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.11.2023 – 24.01.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Marianne Kneuer, Institute of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: Metropolitan University Prague, Czech Republic | Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland | Andrássy University, Budapest, Hungary | Institute for Public Affairs, Bratislava, Slovakia
The lecture series “Democracy under Stress: Central Eastern Europe 20 Years after the EU-Integration” focused on current challenges such as tendencies towards autocratization in Hungary and Poland as well as populist movements in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. TU Dresden hosted the international lecture series, which was organized by renowned experts from the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
The lecture series served several purposes: the internationalization of teaching, the deepening of partnerships in the regional neighborhood and the transfer of knowledge about the development of democracy in the neighboring countries. The English-language lectures and discussions brought students into direct contact with international experts.
Dresden's geographical proximity to its East Central European neighbors and the shared post-socialist transformation history made the event series particularly relevant. It enabled an international comparative perspective on transformation processes and their impact on current developments. Further research activities and publications are planned based on the cooperation.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 08.04.2024 – 23.04.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Birkholz, Institute of Acoustics and Speech Communication, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Participating partners: Adelphi University, New York, USA | Leibniz-Centre General Linguistics, Berlin, Germany
The funding supported the research stay of Prof. Laura Koenig (Adelphi University, New York) at TU Dresden. The purpose of the stay was to work on a joint research project in the field of speech production research to investigate articulatory pause positions during speech with and without inhalation. The cooperation was based on the optopalatography technology (OPG) developed by Prof. Birkholz to measure speech articulation. Together with Dr. Susanne Fuchs from the Leibniz Centre General Linguistics and Prof. Koenig, recording and analysis practices were evaluated and new data on articulatory positions during pauses in speech were examined. The results are to be published in an international journal.
The research stay contributed to the international networking of the Chair of Speech Technology and Cognitive Systems. As TU Dresden does not have its own professorship for phonetics, the cooperation enabled new interdisciplinary research approaches. The OPG technology developed at TU Dresden was made accessible to a wider international specialist audience. In addition to the planned joint publication, further research proposals and the exchange of doctoral students are planned in the mid-term in order to deepen the cooperation and increase the visibility of TU Dresden in the phonetic research community.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 06.06.2024 – 11.08.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schankweiler, Institute of Art and Music, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: Kunstverein Dresden e. V. (Dresden Art Association)
As part of the flexible funding programme for internationalization, the international art exhibition “Dangerous Border” was held at the Kunstverein Dresden. The exhibition was part of the DFG-funded research project “Bildproteste in den Sozialen Medien” (2022-2024) and focused on European (external) borders as spaces characterized by violence. The exhibition was curated by research assistant Tanja-Bianca Schmidt, whose dissertation at the Institute of Art and Musicology at TU Dresden focuses on border violence at Europe's external borders.
The exhibition presented works by three international artists: Charles Heller from the research agency Border Forensics (Switzerland), Tamara Kametani (Slovakia/Greece) and Davor Konjikušić (Croatia). The artistic positions critically examined various border areas - from the Mediterranean to inner-European borders such as the border between France and Italy or the Hungarian border. The supporting program included a discussion with Polish director Agnieszka Holland about her film “The Green Border” (2023).
The project successfully combined scientific research with curatorial practice and public communication of a highly topical social issue. A total of around 650 people visited the exhibition and the accompanying program. The exhibition contributed to the international visibility of TU Dresden in the field of image science and deepened existing international collaborations. It also offered the opportunity for sustainable collaboration with international scientists and artists.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.07.2024 – 30.09.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Thomas Hummel, Interdisciplinary Center "Smell & Taste", Dresden University Hospital
School: Medicine
Participating partners: National University Hospital, Singapore
As part of the funding program, the collaboration between the Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste at Dresden University Hospital and the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore was initiated through a guest stay of several months by scientist Dr. Xinni Xu. Dr. Xu works as the clinical lead of the allergy and smell service of the NUH and serves as an extraordinary role model for female students in the rather conservative Asian region. One of the main focuses of the collaboration is the joint research into the physico-chemical properties of the olfactory mucosa.
As a university hospital of the highest level of care, the NUH recently became the first institution in Singapore to establish a clinical odor service. The planned cooperation provides for the regular exchange of scientists and assistant doctors. There are also plans to hold a joint odor conference in Singapore – the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.
The long-term goal is to establish a TU Dresden center of excellence for smell and taste research. The close connection to the National University Hospital also opens up a wide range of opportunities for multi-center studies and regional conferences. The collaboration thus strengthens TU Dresden's presence in Southeast Asia.
Conference / Meeting / Symposium / Colloquium
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 20.03.2024 - 22.03.2024
Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Thomas Behnisch, Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Participating partners: Korean Institute for Science and Technology, Jeonju, Südkorea | Hokkaido University, Japan | TU München, Germany| Deakin University/Carbon Nexus, Geelong, Australia| Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland | Research Institutes of Sweden, Sweden
In March 2024, the “3rd Dresden International Colloquium on Tailored Carbon Fibers” brought leading scientists from Asia, Europe and Australia, including representatives from the Korean Institute of Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Aalto University and the Research Institutes of Sweden to TU Dresden. The scientific meeting served to establish an international advisory and expert committee for a planned Collaborative Research Center and a Research Training Group. Moreover, new research approaches for the development of environmentally friendly carbon fibers from renewable raw materials were discussed.
The colloquium already resulted in several concrete research collaborations with international partners. In addition to planned joint publications in renowned journals, research visits and longer-term project proposals are in preparation. Regular lab-to-lab workshops and staff exchanges are intended to consolidate scientific exchange. Particular attention is paid to the promotion of young researchers through binational doctoral projects.
The event strengthened TU Dresden's position in the international research landscape for sustainable material solutions and deepened existing partnerships, particularly with strategic partners in Japan, Poland and South Korea. The research approaches developed will enable new ways of resource-efficient production of environmentally friendly carbon fibers for applications in construction, aerospace and medicine. In the long term, TU Dresden is to be established as a source of innovation for Saxon, national and international research and industry in the field of sustainable, CO2-neutral materials.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 13.11.2024 – 15.11.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Triantafyllos Chavakis, Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden
School: Medicine
Participating partners: International Trained Immunity Consortium (INTRIM) | Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum, Radboud, Netherlands | University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
The Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital of TU Dresden hosted the 6th International Symposium on “Trained Immunity/Innate Immunometabolism” from November 13th to 15th, 2024. The three-day event brought together over 250 international scientists to discuss the latest developments in the field of immunometabolism and trained immunity.
The concept of trained immunity has revolutionized immunology by challenging the dogma, that only adaptive immunity has a memory. Research shows, that innate immune cells and their long-lived bone marrow precursors can also be “trained” to show stronger inflammatory responses upon future stimulation. The symposium was organized by Prof. Chavakis in collaboration with international partners from the International Trained Immunity Consortium (INTRIM), Radboud University Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania. The event intensified existing international collaborations and initiated new research partnerships.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 19.03.2024 – 22.03.2024
Applicant: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Susann Wagenknecht, Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: International researchers
In March 2024, TU Dresden hosted the founding conference of STSING, the first internationally oriented specialist society for Science & Technology Studies in the German-speaking world. Under the theme of “Leakage”, the conference brought together over 300 international participants and addressed issues ranging from data leaks to toxic environmental pollution. The thematic focus particularly strengthened synergies between environmental, engineering and human sciences as well as computer science.
The event stimulated interdisciplinary dialog through top-class keynotes by renowned scientists from the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. In collaboration with DRESDEN-concept partners such as the German Hygiene Museum Dresden, the Technical Collections and the Custody of the TU Dresden, an accompanying program on artistic research, which was open to the public, was put together. Regional topics such as the social transformation in Lusatia and the Ore Mountains were also examined scientifically.
The conference positioned TU Dresden as an international hub for science and technology research and strengthened cross-departmental collaboration. The contacts made are already being incorporated into further initiatives and are contributing to the development of innovative teaching formats.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Funding for the cooperation with strategic partners
Period: 14.03.2024 – 17.03.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Christian Prunitsch, Institute of Slavic Studies, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: Wroclaw Science region | German Institute of Polish Affairs, Darmstadt, Germany
In cooperation with the German Poland-Institute Darmstadt, the 6th Congress on Polish Studies took place at TU Dresden from March 14th to 17th, 2024. The congress provided scholars specializing in Polish studies a platform to present their current projects and discuss the state of Poland-related research. The overarching theme "Upheavals – New Beginnings" was shaped by both the research focus on disruption at TU Dresden as well as the current transitional situation in Europe.
The congress brought together around 250 participants from Europe and the United States. High-ranking guests from politics and diplomacy attended the ceremonial opening, including the Saxon Minister of State for Justice and for Democracy, Europe and Equality, Katja Meier, Polish Ambassador Dariusz Pawłoś, and the new President of the German Poland Institute, Heiko Maas. The keynote speech was delivered by Christiane Hoffmann, Deputy Spokesperson of the Federal Government.
The congress significantly contributed to expanding and deepening the strategic partnership between TU Dresden and the Wroclaw science region, while highlighting TU Dresden's importance as a center for Polish studies. The collaboration was evident through both speakers from Wroclaw’s scientific institutions and the development of connections with local stakeholders such as the Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk's Foundation and the Willy Brandt Center. Several DRESDEN-concept partners were also involved in the congress. Among others, the Hannah Arendt Institute for Totalitarianism Studies participated in the scientific events, and the Dresden State Art Collections offered special guided tours in Polish and German.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 15.09.2024 – 18.09.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Viktor Mechterine, Institute of Construction Materials, Faculty of Civil Engineering
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: fib - International Federation for Structural Concrete, Lausanne, Switzerland | RILEM - International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures, Paris, France
Around 200 international experts from the field of fiber-reinforced concrete technology took part in the “XI International Symposium on Fibre Reinforced Concrete” (BEFIB 2024). The four-day conference was organized in collaboration with the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) and the International Association of Laboratories and Experts in Civil Engineering (RILEM), hosted at the Technical University of Dresden.
The scientific program included lectures and poster presentations on current topics in the field of fiber-reinforced concrete. The conference provided a platform for exchange between researchers from different disciplines, including materials technology, civil engineering and manufacturing processes. The scientific program was complemented by laboratory tours at the TU Dresden and social activities.
The symposium underlined the leading position of TU Dresden and the DRESDEN-concept partners in the field of fiber-reinforced mineral-bonded composites and contributed to the strengthening of existing collaborations and the initiation of new international research projects.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 04.12.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Lukas Giessen & Dr. Pradip Kumar Sarker, Institute of International Forestry and Forest Products, Department of Forest Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of Bangladesh | International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) | UNU-FLORES Institute, Dresden, Germany
TU Dresden organized an international online symposium on “Mangrove Restoration and Integrated Management in the Age of Climate Change”. The event brought together representatives of the relevant national authorities from the more than 120 countries hosting mangrove forests with leading scientists in mangrove ecology and governance. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change of the Government of Bangladesh, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and the UNU-FLORES Institute Dresden were involved as cooperation partners. The symposium served to build a global community of practice on mangrove forest governance and positioned TU Dresden as a renowned center for mangrove research in the fields of ecology, governance and environmental economics.
The Chair of Tropical and International Forestry at TU Dresden, one of the first academic institutions in Europe for forestry in the Global South, was able to expand its networks as a result of the event. The involvement of UNU-FLORES strengthened the international visibility of Dresden as a scientific location. The results obtained will be incorporated into a teaching module of the “Tropical Forestry” Master's degree course. In addition, the foundation was laid for future joint project proposals on mangrove management and governance.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 20.03.2024 – 22.03.2024
Applicant: Dr. Franziska Röber, Institute of English and American Studies, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: International researchers
The international conference “Seismic Shifts: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Mountaineering” at TU Dresden brought together researchers from various humanities disciplines working on the topic of mountaineering at a German-speaking location for the first time. The event, which took place in hybrid form, connected researchers from eight nations, including Germany, Sri Lanka and the United States, and covered disciplines ranging from history and literature to religious studies and linguistics. Several contributions focused on the aspect of gender in relation to mountaineering.
A highlight of the conference was the plenary lecture by Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, the first person from Sri Lanka to climb Mount Everest. In cooperation with the Saxon Climbers' Federation, local experts were also involved, and the results were made accessible to a broad public. Special attention was paid to topics such as climate change, decolonization and social justice in the context of mountaineering.
As a result of the conference, an international research network was founded, and a collective volume was initiated with a renowned publisher. A freely accessible conference report was distributed via various platforms.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 14.10.2024 – 16.10.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Jared Sterneckert, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB)
School: Central Units of TU Dresden
Participating partners: International scientists
Leading scientists from Italy, Germany, Belgium and the United States met in October 2024 for a three-day conference on research into amoytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the German-Italian Center for European Dialogue (Villa Vigoni) in Italy. The conference was organized by Professor Jared Sterneckert from the TU's Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden.
The conference built on a successful previous event in Florence in 2022 and deepened existing research collaborations. One of the main objectives was to prepare an international consortium project for the Target ALS Association. The presence of Target ALS CEO Dr. Raisinghani offered the opportunity to coordinate project ideas directly. The conference also served to coordinate a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie network for doctoral training.
The event strengthened TU Dresden's position as a center for ALS and neurodegenerative research in Europe and served to develop new therapeutic strategies. In addition, the application to become a European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS) center was prepared.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 02.09.2024 – 31.12.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Antonia Kupfer, Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villa, St. Clara, Cuba | University of Holguin, Holguin, Cuba | University of Havana, Havana, Cuba
TU Dresden expanded existing relationships with Cuban partner universities in the field of social sciences through the international conference “Work in Transition” and the organization of workshops. The focus was on the critical-reflexive analysis of current social transformation processes in Cuba, in particular the effects of new private economic structures on the traditionally state-controlled society. The events served as a social science reflection on the current social transformation processes in Cuba and were linked to the excellence measure “Disruption and Societal Change” of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at TU Dresden.
Following the conference, a joint anthology with conference contributions and other authors will be produced. In addition, an Erasmus+ application has been submitted to enable the exchange of students and lecturers between the partner universities. Further applications for third-party funding and the establishment of an interdisciplinary study group are planned to consolidate the cooperation.
The cooperation opens up important scientific networks in the Global South for TU Dresden. The cooperation builds on traditional Saxon connections to Cuba and establishes Dresden as a new location for social science research on Cuba in Germany.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 24.09.2024 – 29.09.2024
Applicant: Kirsten Vincenz, Kustodie
Participating partners: International Council of Museums - Committee for University Museums and Collections (ICOM-UMAC) | UNIVERSEUM European Academic Heritage Network
The Custody of the TU Dresden hosted the joint annual conference of the international associations for university collections ICOM-UMAC and UNIVERSEUM for the first time. Under the title “Shaping Transformation. University Collections in a Changing World”, around 200 to 300 experts from all over the world came together to discuss current and future challenges facing university collections. The great international resonance with 177 submissions from all continents shows the importance of the conference.
The program included specialist lectures, guided tours, excursions and exhibitions that showcased the academic heritage and vibrant culture of Dresden's universities. Existing networks within the DRESDEN-concept network were further strengthened through cooperation with local partners such as the Dresden University of Fine Arts and the Dresden State Art Collections.
The event has already led to concrete successes: The Custody received numerous invitations to participate in international cooperation projects and various team members have been involved in international working groups. In addition, initiatives for international staff mobility are being planned as part of an ERASMUS+ application.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 22.07.2024 – 24.07.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Carsten Junker, Institute of English and American Studies, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: International researchers
TU Dresden hosted the international conference “manifesto NOW! Purposes and Effects of an Escalating Form in the US and Beyond”, which was dedicated to the significance and impact of political manifestos. The event, which emerged from a DFG-funded project, brought together academics from seven countries, including Canada, India, Israel and the USA.
The newly opened Blockhaus of the Archiv der Avantgarden, an institution of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, served as the venue. In the course of the conference, a cooperation with Bar-Ilan University (Israel) developed, which is to lead to a joint application for third-party funding within the framework of German-Israeli project cooperation. In addition, programs for the promotion of young scientists were initiated. The results of the conference will be documented in an anthology.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.08.2024 – 30.11.2024
Applicants: Erik Vollmann & Stefanie Gerstenberger, Institute of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic | Andrássy University of Budapest, Hungary | Institute of International Studies, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
An interdisciplinary symposium on the 2024 US presidential election took place at TU Dresden. The event offered a broad spectrum of perspectives on the global impact of the election through specialist lectures, short workshops and panel discussions. Representatives from politics, business and academia discussed topics such as social media in the election campaign, increasing social polarization and economic relations between Germany and the USA. There was also a public viewing of the first predictions with live analyses from international experts on the evening of the election.
The symposium built on collaborations already in place. In particular, the partnerships with Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Andrássy University in Budapest and the Institute of International Studies at Charles University were intensified. The involvement of international speakers and TU Dresden alumni working in the USA increased international visibility. Following the symposium, initial ideas for further cooperation were developed, for example within the framework of Erasmus programs and joint research projects.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 24.10.2024 – 25.10.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Klavdia Smola, Institute of Slavic Studies, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies
School: Humanities and Social Sciences
Participating partners: Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy
The Institute of Slavic Studies organized a two-day international conference on “Soviet multinational literature as an imperial practice”. The event brought together academics from Germany, England, Sweden, Italy, Lithuania, Kazakhstan and the USA and was organized in cooperation with the Ca' Foscari University of Venice.
The conference challenged the widespread view, that Soviet literature is considered almost exclusively Russian and that the so-called “national literatures” of the Soviet era had long since lost their national character. Instead, the thesis was put forward that in the Soviet era, future nations went through an important phase of national and ethnic rebirth and discovered their modern identity.
The event marked the second step in a major collaboration between TU Dresden and Ca' Foscari University of Venice. The first collaboration led to a successful publication in the renowned journal “Slavic Review” (Cambridge) in 2022. Following the conference, the publication of an edited volume by the University of Wisconsin Press is planned, followed by another seminal work on the “History of Multinational Soviet Literature” by Cambridge University Press.
The conference contributed to the international reputation and visibility of the TU Dresden, not only due to the high topicality of the subject against the background of Russian imperialist politics, but also through the excellence of the international participants.
Further information can be found here.
Summer schools
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 08.04.2024 – 12.04.2024
Applicant: Prof. Dr. Eric Schoop, Chair of Business Information Systems, Faculty of Business and Economics
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: Scientists and students from the Western Balkans
With the support of the funding program internationalization, an international summer school was held at TU Dresden, which combined two components: on the one hand, observation sessions for lecturers from the partner universities, during which they gained insights into digital teaching at TU Dresden, and on the other hand, the training of student e-tutors who will supervise international online courses in the future.
The event, which was part of the Erasmus+ Capacity building in higher education (CBHE) project COWEB, brought together around 90 participants from seven countries and ten universities. One focus was on the virtual cooperative learning agreement between EPOKA University (Albania) and TU Dresden on the topic of “Smart City Tirana”.
The program included training on digital collaboration tools, insights into the Smart City Dresden project and cultural activities. In the following months, mixed student groups from both universities worked virtually on project proposals. In May 2024, 27 students and staff from TU Dresden were welcomed by EPOKA University as a return visit. In addition, the COWEB project, an international module called “NextGen TransDinarica: Building Value for Sustainable Tourism in the Western Balkans” for Virtual Collaborative Learning (VCL), was launched in April 2025.
The cooperation serves as a prime example of the combination of physical and virtual mobility. The initiative not only strengthens Dresden as a science location, but also makes an important contribution to supporting EU accession candidates in the Western Balkans region.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 01.05.2024 – 30.10.2024
Applicants: Prof. Dr. Lukas Giessen & Dr. Simon Benedikter, Institute of International Forestry and Forest Products, Department of Forest Sciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
International Forestry Field School 2024: Teak Plantation Management in Thailand © TU Dresden
In collaboration with Kasetsart University Bangkok, an international summer school was organized, which combined theoretical principles with practical field work and stakeholder engagement on the sustainable management of teak, one of the most valuable tropical timber species.
The summer school built on the long-standing collaboration between the Department of Forestry at TU Dresden and the Faculty of Forestry at Kasetsart University. The cooperation gave TU Dresden students access to tropical research stations and local expertise. The didactic concept followed a holistic approach that took into account not only silvicultural but also economic and social aspects of teak production.
The pilot project was carried out as part of the Global SDG Campus Initiative and is intended to serve as a basis for further international forestry projects. There are plans to submit a DAAD-SDG partnership application to transfer the concept to other forest ecosystems, such as mangroves in Bangladesh, wildlife management in Cameroon and dry forests in Argentina. The Summer School thus contributed to the internationalization of teaching and strengthened TU Dresden's profile in research on sustainable plantation management in the tropics.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 11.03.2024 – 15.03.2024
Applicant: Dr. Henna Riemenschneider, General Practice, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden
School: Medicine
Participating partners: Uzhgorod National University, Uzhgorod, Ukraine
The Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden held the “Global Health Initiative Spring School Dresden 2024” with the support of the Flexible Funding Programme for Internationalization. The one week-long event in cooperation with the Uzhgorod National University (Ukraine) brought together around 40 students from various disciplines to address current challenges in global health. Key topics included planetary health, migration and community engagement as well as the role of primary care in universal healthcare.
The spring school was designed as a blended learning format with face-to-face events in English, interactive workshops and publicly streamed keynote speeches. A special element of the event was the exchange with five Ukrainian medical students who were invited to Dresden. This exchange served to support young professionals from Ukraine in times of war and enabled the German participants to learn from Ukrainian experiences in the field of conflict prevention in the healthcare sector.
The event contributed significantly to the international visibility of TU Dresden and positioned the university as an active player in the field of global health. The results are disseminated through publications and conference contributions, while at the same time a permanent network of people interested in global health is being established. In addition, the international networks established will be consolidated through joint research projects, the spring school will be established as an annual format and global health topics will be integrated into existing degree programs.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 30.09.2024 – 02.10.2024
Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Anna Martius, Boysen-TU Dresden-Research Training Group
Participating partners: Aalto University, Aalto, Finland | Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
The Boysen-TU Dresden-Research Training Group's international autumn school “H2YPE - Scientific Exploration of the Green Hydrogen Future” was held with support of the flexible funding program for internationalization. The three-day event brought together 30 master’s and doctoral students as well as young professionals from 15 nations to discuss the challenges of the energy transition through hydrogen production from renewable energies.
The program included lectures, workshops, panel discussions and a hackathon. An excursion to the Dresden-Reick innovation power plant provided practical insights into energy conversion and storage. The panel discussion with representatives from politics, industry and research addressed key challenges such as production capacities, technology scaling and infrastructure expansion. In the concluding hackathon, the participants developed innovative project proposals for the hydrogen economy.
The event strengthened existing collaborations, for example with Aalto University and TU Delft, and created new international connections. The participation of DRESDEN-concept partners such as UNU-FLORES and Fraunhofer Institutes increased the visibility of Dresden as a science location in the pioneering field of hydrogen research. The interdisciplinary project ideas from the hackathon are to be further developed in joint publications and serve as a basis for long-term research cooperation.
Further information can be found here.
Funding line: Flexible funding program for internationalization
Period: 21.09.2024 – 26.09.2024
Applicant: Juliane Sichler, Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research
Unit: Central Units of TU Dresden
Participating partners: International researchers
The Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research (ZLSB) at TU Dresden organized the hybrid late summer school “SPARKLES for SCHOOLS”. The event combined several weeks of online workshops with a six-day face-to-face phase in Dresden and brought together international partner institutions from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The focus was on the topic of “Sustainable School”, with various workshops covering aspects such as entrepreneurship education, serious games and self-organized learning. The participants - teacher trainers, early career researchers and student teachers - were involved in a holistic, transformative learning process to develop practical skills for sustainable change in the school environment.
The late summer school strengthened existing partnerships with institutions such as Charles University (Czech Republic), Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and Japanese universities and established new contacts, for example with the Pedagogical University of Maputo (Mozambique) and the New Uzbekistan University. During the contact forum on the last day, concrete plans for future cooperation and research projects were developed. In addition to the approximately 40 international participants, just as many students and lecturers from TU Dresden were involved, whereby the project also contributed to “Internationalization@home”.
As a result, study abroad options were agreed for up to 20 student teachers and ideas for joint publications and third-party funded projects were developed. In the long term, the format should help to position the ZLSB as a global trendsetter in the combination of sustainability expertise and digital transformation and establish TU Dresden as an innovative, internationally significant center for education for sustainable development.
Further information can be found here.
Workshop / Seminar
Funding line: Funding for the cooperation with strategic partners
Period: 30.09.2024 – 02.10.2024
Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Mario Raddatz, Institute of Power Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
School: Engineering Sciences
Participating partners: Polish Academy of Sciences, Danzig, Poland | Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland | Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic | University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
TU Dresden hosted the 36th International Workshop on Turbomachinery. The three-day event brought together scientists from the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Silesian University of Technology, the Czech Technical University in Prague and the University of Stuttgart.
The workshop offered a lecture program in which all participating institutions reported on their current research work in the field of energy technology and aviation. One focus was on turbomachinery for supercritical CO₂ - a promising working fluid for power plant cycles with higher efficiencies - as well as issues relating to turbomachinery in the context of the hydrogen economy. These topics are also being researched in cooperation with DRESDEN-concept partners such as the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf.
The event served to strengthen international cooperation with the aim of joint research projects and publications. As a concrete result, a joint scientific publication was agreed and a possible joint research project was identified. In addition, the potential for joint supervision of student work and qualification measures was discussed. The workshop is part of a series of annual meetings that take place alternately in the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany and have already led to guest stays by researchers at the participating institutes.
Funding line: Funding for the cooperation with strategic partners
Period: 14.10.2024 – 07.02.2025
Applicant: Dr. Mathias Siedhoff, Institute of Geography, Department of Geosciences
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Participating partners: Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
As part of the funding, a seminar on research methods was held for Master's students at TU Dresden and Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
The English-language event comprised two workshop-like block events in Dresden and Ústí nad Labem as well as online meetings between the attendance phases.
The focus of the seminar was the joint development of research concepts on the topic of “border” or “border region”. The event offered Master's students from both universities the opportunity to learn and apply practical research methods. The seminar was built on an event from the previous year but expanded the format to include additional exchange opportunities for students and lecturers.
The event strengthened relations between the two universities at both student and academic level, increased the mutual visibility of the universities and created points of contact for future academic cooperation. In the long term, cooperation in the field of German-Czech border region research and multinational university education is to be consolidated.