TUD researcher Dr. Stefan Rothe achieves 2^nd prize in the Körber-Stiftungs 2024 German Thesis Award. In the Natural and Technical Sciences section, his dissertation on “The secrets of secure data transmission through optical fibers: Encrypting sensitive messages through light scattering” stood out. For coming in 2^nd place, Rothe will receive EUR 5,000 in award money. The German Parliamentary Association will host the award ceremony in Berlin on December 3.

Each year, the Körber-Stiftung awards the German Thesis Award to honor the best doctoral graduates. The research's significance to society is key to the decision. The foundation seeks to encourage young researchers to emphasize the societal value of their own achievements and to engage in a public debate about them.

Stefan Rothe completed his doctorate at the Chair of Measurement and Sensor System Technique at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at TU Dresden. At present, he is continuing his career as a postdoc at Yale University. The TUD alumnus comments on the societal significance of his work: “We are all entrusting more and more sensitive information to the digital world – whether it's online banking, digital administrative procedures or messenger services. In my thesis, I researched how this information can be transmitted securely through a fiber optic cable.”

There were even two nominees from TUD on the jury's shortlist. Dr. Malin Katharina Hildebrandt's dissertation on “A new approach to identifying mechanistically relevant factors for the development of substance use disorders,” which she defended at the Faculty of Psychology, was among the best papers in the Social Sciences section. She was one of 32 nominees to present her research to the jury in the final round of the competition.

About the German Thesis Award:

The Körber-Stiftung awards one first place prize of EUR 25,000 and two second place prizes of EUR 5,000 in each of the three sections Social Sciences, Natural and Technical Sciences, and Humanities and Cultural Studies. The Körber-Stiftung's German Thesis Award is presented annually to doctoral graduates who have worked on topics of societal relevance in their dissertations and presented tangible results. This year, 719 participants submitted a paper. The patron of the research award is Bärbel Bas, President of the German Bundestag. 

More information:

Press release from the Körber Foundation

Contact:

Carolin Steinert-Zettier
Press and Public Relations
Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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