TUD Dresden University of Technology (TUD) was proud to participate in the 2024 German Academic International Network (GAIN) Annual Conference, held from August 23-25 in San Francisco, California. GAIN is the leading network for German academics working around the world. Since 2003, GAIN has been supporting the cultivation and connection of talent to German academic institutions with a diverse program, preparing academics for their return to Germany for further career development, and helping them to articulate their interests to political decision-makers.

© Barak Shrama

TUD’s participation in this year’s conference underscored its commitment to international collaboration and talent development. This year, led by Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger, TUD participated in a workshop on "Female Career Advancement in STEM" and organized the well-attended workshop "From Lab to Leadership: Leadership in Science" together with Dr. Mridul Agrawal, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Iuvando Health. Professor Staudinger remarked, "At TUD, we welcome young researchers from around the world and are committed to supporting them in various ways. Whether they pursue a career in academia, go into the world of business, or set up their own company, we provide services, support and an established network across industries. At the GAIN conference, I enjoyed a lot of wonderful and inspiring conversations with talented early career scientists who excel at their research and would make a great contribution to TUD’s mission. In a fast-changing world, attracting talent is one of the foremost, but arduous, leadership tasks, not only in business but also academia – and the annual GAIN conference provides a unique opportunity to reach them."

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This year TUD was joined by Prof. Gerhard Rödel, Managing Director of DRESDEN-concept, to emphasize Dresden’s unique culture of research collaboration and the synergies that make the city a hub for innovation. GAIN participant and delegate Peter Rosenbaum, Head of TUD’s International Office, remarked on the value of GAIN in raising TU Dresden and DRESDEN-concept’s profiles and showcasing their strengths to the German academic community abroad: "At this year’s GAIN, we proactively approached early-career researchers to discuss with them career paths and funding programs offered by TUD. Supporting our faculties in recruiting top talents remains one of the central missions of this conference. In addition, many roundtable forums and individual meetings with stakeholders from academia, politics and funding organizations provided us with the opportunity to discuss best practices in promoting Germany in general, and our university and partners in particular, as an attractive science and innovation hub for promising young researchers."

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In her keynote address, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Bundesministerin für Bildung und Forschung, emphasized the importance of innovation and education in maintaining Germany's competitive edge in the global arena. She outlined the government's commitment to investing in cutting-edge research and fostering an environment where scientific talent can thrive, both within Germany and through international collaborations. The message synergized with TUD’s ongoing efforts to lead in research excellence and global partnerships. The conference program also featured in-depth sessions on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and sustainable energy solutions, areas where TUD has been actively contributing to cutting-edge research.

About the German Academic International Network (GAIN)

GAIN is a joint initiative of the Humboldt Foundation, the DAAD, and the DFG, and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association, the Max Planck Society, the German Rectors' Conference, the German National Academic Foundation and German Cancer Aid are associated members. Other cooperation partners from science, industry and politics regularly support GAIN's mission.

Contact:

International Office
TU Dresden
Tel.: +49 351 463-35358
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