Table of contents

1. 1. King's College London
   2. Indian Institute of Technology Madras
   3. Zurich

The "transCampus" is a transnational strategic partnership between two institutions of higher education that is characterized by joint structures. There are joint deans, so-called transCampus professorships and joint programs. In the transCampus, the university partners combine their strengths by bringing together their complementary portfolios, competencies and infrastructures. The focus of these partnerships is always on excellent research, which contributes to building TU Dresden's profile. In addition, each transCampus sets its own priorities, such as the training of early-career researchers or technology transfer.

With King's College London, TU Dresden has successfully established the first model of a transCampus. TU Dresden is striving for new transCampus partnerships as part of the University of Excellence. Two further partnerships have been established in India (Chennai) and Zurich.

King's College London

With King's College London under the direction of Prof. Dr. Stefan Bornstein, TU Dresden has successfully established the first model of a transCampus. The partnership, which is strong in research, now goes far beyond its origins in the life sciences, strengthens TU Dresden's international profile and aims to further expand interdisciplinary cooperation.

King's College London is one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the world and one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom. It consistently ranks highly in international and national rankings and belongs to the Russell Group, an association of 24 British research universities with excellence status. The affiliated King's College Hospital not only conducts numerous clinical studies, which have led to King's College London's excellent international reputation in the School of Medicine, but also provides up to 1.5 million patients per year with the highest standard of medical care.

Close collaboration through the International Research Training Groups in Internal Medicine and Psychology is at the heart of our partnership with King's. Moreover, long-standing collaborations exist in haematology, materials science, 6G/communication systems, and mathematics. Training young scientists to a high standard is a key focus.

Further information can be found on the transCampus website.

transCampus funding program

Once a year there is a call for joint projects with King's College London. All information can be found under transCampus funding program.

Contact us

For the transCampus with King's College London at the Faculty of Medicine, please contact Sophie Loettel.

For general questions about the transCampus with King's College London and all other faculties, please contact Maike Heber:

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) in Chennai is one of the most renowned higher education institutions in India and is consistently ranked first in the national engineering rankings. Since 2020, it has been part of the 20 "Institutes of Eminence", a government-funded recognition program for excellent research and educational institutions.

TU Dresden has been cooperating with the IITM at university level since 2008. The development of innovative technical solutions for the pressing challenges of the 21st century unites both institutions. One example of this is the cooperation in the Global Water and Climate Adaptation Center: ABCD Center, under which TU Dresden has established the Indo-German Joint Master Program in "Water Security and Global Change" with RWTH Aachen University and IITM. TU Dresden is thus making an important contribution to fulfilling the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). There is also an interdisciplinary cooperation between the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at TUD and the School of Sustainability at IITM on the topic of ecological sustainability, in which joint research capacities, expertise and transfer opportunities are to be developed.

The partnership also focuses on biomedicine, microelectronics and AI research, as well as SDG areas such as transportation and mobility, energy, the circular economy and social change. TU Dresden supports and promotes the development of collaborations with the IITM in these areas.

Technology transfer

In addition to research and teaching, technology transfer is of essential importance so that scientific output can have an impact on society and be applied in practice. This development is driven in particular by the "Startup Exchange Initiative" of the TUD|Excellence Center for Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship (TUD|excite) and the IITM Research Park. The aim is to create optimal framework conditions for technology transfer by networking startups and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.

To intensify relations, TU Dresden has set up a liaison office in Chennai on behalf of the Free State of Saxony.

Reporting about events and projects

• Start-up workshop with IIT Madras Research Park at TU Dresden 2024
• Opening of the Saxon Liasion Office in Chennai, India, in 2024
• Forging a bridge between two of the world’s most innovative scientific communities: TU Dresden and IIT Madras will establish “transCampus” Partnership

• Remarkable success: TUD|transCampus IITM presents deeptech innovations at GITEX Europe 2025 in Berlin

Funding opportunities

Projects carried out in cooperation with IIT Madras can be funded within the framework of excellence. Applications for funding of up to a maximum of EUR 15,000 can be submitted by the 25th of the current month. For projects with an application volume of between EUR 15,000 and a maximum of EUR 25,000, applications can be submitted quarterly.

Contact us

Zurich

ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich are two internationally renowned and research-intensive universities whose profiles together have a decisive influence on Zurich as an excellent science location. Of particular interest to TU Dresden are the close links between the two universities in the life sciences and university medicine, where expertise is exchanged and innovative solutions for 21st century medicine are researched in joint research networks and initiatives.

Together with ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, TU Dresden has acquired the International Research Training Group Metabolic and Endocrine Drivers of Infection Susceptibility MIDES. The three partners are combining their (bio)medical expertise to increase understanding of the connection between metabolic and infectious diseases and thus improve patient care. The program, which is funded until 2029, is the third International Research Training Group successfully acquired by the TUD Faculty of Medicine and represents a unique success. It provides the framework for excellent research and high-quality training and thus the foundation for the establishment of a transCampus. Starting with medicine, biology and microelectronics, cooperation with the two partner universities is to be expanded and intensified.

The strategic collaboration with the Zurich site complements the cooperation with the IBM Research Center. In May 2024, the TUD and the research institute formally agreed to jointly conduct research studies on energy-efficient data processing and other topics in the field of information technology.

Funding opportunities

Projects carried out in collaboration with one of the Zurich partners can be funded under the Excellence program. Applications for funding of up to a maximum of EUR 15,000 can be submitted by the 25th of each month. For projects with an application volume between EUR 15,000 and a maximum of EUR 25,000, applications can be submitted on a quarterly basis.

Contact us

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony as part of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State governments.