Progress Report 2018 2 Content 0 Campusimpressions 102 Facts andfigures 100 Concentrated inspirations 99 Proximity totheNobelPrize 98 97 Outstanding 96 Instructive Not alwaysplatinum 95 Searchformatter2.0 94 Take-offresearch in 92 Postdocs with Athene 90 peak power Double 89 86 Awards Facts andfigures 84 Newcultural businesswithtradition 83 90years university swimming pool 82 Vespa swirl 81 Climate-friendly energy centre 80 Urban quality 78 Thousands werewideawake 77 Life on campus 74 Awakening inquiring mindswith Merck 73 New tools 72 3D scanner for insects 71 The mobility of the future 70 Cleanwater 69 Groundmissioninthelecturehall 68 Fromthelaboratoryintopractice 66 Side by side with SMEs 65 ETA Energy-efficient factory 64 50yearsofpartnershipwithLyon 63 transfer Cooperationand 60 Why I studyhere 50 Top-Level Research 46 Overcoming subjectboundaries 44 Innovationsforwaterwaysandbuildings 43 Theinsectperfumetrick 42 Faster DNAsynthesis 41 Health dataunderlock and key 40 Prosandconsfromnoise 39 Recipe againstthepowerofquantumcomputers 38 From human to artificial intelligence 36 Machinelearningforagriculture 35 Majorprojectswithapromisingfuture 34 Top positions in German Research Foundation ranking 33 30 Research Facts andfigures 26 CoursesofferedbyTUDarmstadt 25 Generous openinghours 24 Settling inquickly 23 Comprehensive protection 22 Demanding fromthe verystart 20 Run on biomedical engineering degree course 18 Tricky tasks 17 Academic Affairs 14 Summary byExecutive Board 4
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Imprint Goethe UniversityFrankfurtasapartner. is very popular. TU Darmstadt has attracted The new biomedicalengineering degreecourse 77 18 science dayofTUDarmstadt. at the“hellwach!”(“wideawake!”) research weretobediscovered Open laboratories andexciting Academic Affairs
Life oncampus 43 to makewaterwayspassableforfishthroughout. Environmental engineersdesignspeciallifts
Research industrial buildings. their plantsand if theycleverlynetwork 40 percentofenergy enterprises save up to Industrial production campus proves it: The ETA factoryon and transfer Cooperation 64
89 Alexandre Obertelli. TU Darmstadtis heldbythephysicist von Humboldtprofessorshipat award in Germany: ThefirstAlexander Highest-endowed international research
Awards 3 4 Summary by Executive Board
TU Darmstadt Progress Report 2018 Summary by Executive Board
Federal Chancellor as guest Pillar of the National Research Centre “A jewel in the crown of artificial intelligence” – this The Cyber Security Centre, which opened in Darmstadt is how German Chancellor Angela Merkel described in 2015, will receive long-term funding from 2019 as TU Darmstadt when she visited the university in the new Center for Research in Security and Privacy October 2018 with Hesse’s Prime Minister Volker (CRISP). Along with the Fraunhofer Institutes for Bouffier and found out more about robotics and Secure Information Technology and for Computer artificial intelligence as well as the opportunities Graphics and the Darmstadt University of Applied that digitisation offers society. The Simulation, Sciences, TU Darmstadt is a major partner in this pro- System Optimisation and Robotics Group in the ject. The research centre of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Department of Computer Science presented its is to be the largest in this field in Germany. Darmstadt autonomous reconnaissance robot for search and is also Europe’s most important hub for IT security rescue missions in the event of catastrophes or research. More than 450 scientists conduct research accidents. on current topics of cyber security in society, business and administration. CRISP bundles these activities. According to current rankings, computer science at TU Darmstadt occupies a leading position in Success in the Tenure Track Programme Europe. It is the highest-performing in a nationwide TU Darmstadt was successful with its concept in comparison of universities and shapes the univer- the first round of the federal and state programme sity: Two of the six profile areas – Internet and for the promotion of young scientists (Tenure Track Digitisation as well as Cybersecurity (CYSEC) – Programme). It successfully applied for funding for are researching the technological foundations twelve professorships, quickly advertised the positions necessary for digitisation. A key to the success of and completed several appointment procedures. computer science at the TU are its excellent con- In December 2018, Assistant Professor Vera Krewald nections with application disciplines in engineering began her research and teaching in the Department and the humanities. It also provides important of Chemistry as the first scientist of TU Darmstadt to impetus for the new fields of cognitive science be funded by the programme. The university wants and digital humanities. to establish assistant professorships as an alternative career path to professorships. In 2030, it will recruit about half of its professors through assistant professor- ships with tenure track. “In intense international competition, TU Darmstadt proves that Germany can be top of the league”.
Chancellor Angela Merkel
“TU Darmstadt gives its researchers “This is where scientific the opportunity to work on developments take place that questions with a long-term are of the utmost importance Guiding hand: Chancellor Angela Merkel visited TU Darmstadt to learn more about robotics and artificial intelligence. relevance, without any guarantees to the future”. of short-term success”. Summary by Executive Board Summary by Executive Prime Minister of Hesse Volker Bouffier Vera Krewald, Assistant Professor for Theoretical Chemistry
6 7 Once again, the university presented its activities at a parliamentary evening in the Hesse state parliament, this time with a focus on spin-offs and innovations. With their business ideas and previous market successes, the two TU start-ups Alcan Systems GmbH and IT-Seal GmbH were met with great interest. IT-Seal specialises in combating cybercrime and phishing attacks and uses simulated Open for dialogue: Prime Minister Volker Bouffier was interested in technology scenarios in working environments. e-mail attacks to train security awareness in everyday working life. Alcan Systems is advancing Excellence strategy Close exchange with politicians the development of a fully electric, intelligent In the “Excellence Strategy of the Federal Govern- In 2018, the University continued to publicly repre- antenna technology based on a liquid crystal ment and the States”competition, TU Darmstadt sent its positions on current challenges in science design for satellite and mobile communications. was the most successful university in Hesse in the and higher education policy. It invited leading politi- preselection and was asked to submit two of its cians from the parliamentary groups represented in The Hesse state government met for a cabinet draft proposals as full proposals. Unfortunately, the state parliament to a panel discussion with the meeting in the “Leap in time Lab”, a spin-off of TU Darmstadt was not successful in the final title “(Neu)gierig auf morgen? Wie Digitalisierung TU Darmstadt, and found out more about concrete selection. The projects “Centre for Predictive Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft verändert”(“Curious technology scenarios of future working environ- Thermofluids – Accelerating the Energy Revol- about tomorrow? How digitisation is changing ments. In the Science Committee of the Hesse state The University in the heart of the science city Darmstadt. ution” and “Data Analysis for the Humanities” science and industry”). parliament, TU President Professor Hans Jürgen which had been nominated as Clusters of Prömel and the chairwoman of the University intensified in order to facilitate more research stays Excellence were not included in the list of funded Council, Professor Heidi Wunderli-Allenspach, for doctoral students of TU Darmstadt. projects. Nevertheless, the university will continue “The current technological trans- summed up the progress made by the university on its path of promoting innovation on the basis with a focus on the internationalisation strategy. Responsibility in the science city of strong interdisciplinarity. Both projects fit formation is historically unique The “Science City Round Table”, established on into the research profile of TU Darmstadt and in its speed and is driven by the European network the initiative of the President of TU Darmstadt, the can strengthen the profile areas “Thermo-Fluids digitisation of science, society and TU Darmstadt chairs the CLUSTER network of lead- Schader Foundation and the Lord Mayor of Darm- and Interfaces” and “Energy Systems of the ing European technical universities (Consortium stadt, regularly brings together top executives from Future” as well as “Internet and Digitisation”. industry. The central topics of Linking Universities of Science and Technology universities, politics, industry, cultural institutions the future of particular importance for Education and Research). TU President Hans and research institutes to discuss the potential of The Executive Board of TU Darmstadt submitted Jürgen Prömel assumed the office of chairman the science city. In 2018, the heads of 37 institutions concrete proposals to the Hesse state government for Hesse include robotics, smart for two years. CLUSTER aims at excellent teaching signed a joint memorandum. As part of this cooper- to supplement the LOEWE research funding cities, digital medicine, space and promotes joint double degree programmes, ation, which is unique in Germany, work is being programme of the state of Hesse financially and structured student exchanges, new ways to done to publicly highlight the assets of Darmstadt programmatically in order to prepare Hesse’s technologies, Industry 4.0 and doctorates and the integration of research and as a science city. The network with a scientific universities specifically for the next Excellence FinTech. TU Darmstadt is an entrepreneurship into teaching. focus covers all stages of value creation, from basic Strategy round in 2026. essential actor with an inter- research to technologically sophisticated production. Partners in Canada and the USA nationally high reputation here, The international cooperation between researchers especially also with regard and students at TU Darmstadt and partner univer- sities overseas was further expanded: For instance, to the decisive key technologies the university management visited the University of “The Memorandum is a strong sign of of artificial intelligence and Massachusetts at Amherst and its renowned College networking, trust and joint responsibility of Engineering, as well as the University of Toronto, IT security”. one of Canada’s strongest research universities. in the science city of Darmstadt”. Summary by Executive Board Summary by Executive Professor Hans Jürgen Prömel, President of TU Darmstadt Contacts with the University of Princeton were also TU President Professor Hans Jürgen Prömel
8 9 Organisation
Executive Board University leadership team
Members President Prof. Dr. Hans Jürgen Prömel University strategy and structure, appointment of new professors, quality management and international relations, external representation Vice President Dr. Manfred Efinger Administration and financial affairs Vice President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ralph Bruder Academic affairs Vice President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mira Mezini Research and innovation Vice President Prof. Dr. Andrea Rapp Scientific infrastructure President Vice President Vice President Vice President Prof. Dr. Matthias Rehahn Prof. Dr. Hans Jürgen Prömel Dr. Manfred Efinger Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ralph Bruder Knowledge and technology transfer, alumni activities, fundraising
University Council University Assembly Senate Initiatives on fundamental issues, esp. Statements on fundamental questions Provision of advice on matters of structure, university development, involvement in of university development, teaching, studies development planning and construction management of resources and and early career researchers, election planning, budget, research, teaching appointment of new professors, proposal and dismissal of the Executive Board and studies, approval of university regulations, of presidential candidates professorial appointments, honours Members Members Members 31 professors Dr. Horst J. Kayser 15 students President Chief Strategy Officer/Head of Corporate 10 research associates 10 professors Development Siemens 5 administrative/technical staff 4 students 3 research associates Prof. Katharina Kohse-Höinghaus 3 administrative/technical staff University of Bielefeld, Department of Chemistry/Physical Chemistry
Manfred Krupp Director of Hessischer Rundfunk
Prof. Bernd Reckmann Member of the Executive Board, Merck (until 2016)
Prof. Ernst Schmachtenberg until 2018 Rector of RWTH Aachen University
Prof. Ferdi Schüth Vice President Vice President Vice President Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, since 2014 Vice President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mira Mezini Prof. Dr. Andrea Rapp Prof. Dr. Matthias Rehahn of the Max-Planck-Society Prof. Wolfgang Wahlster Saarland University, Department of Computer Science, Director and CEO of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DKFI)
Prof. Margret Wintermantel President of the German Academic Exchange Service, Professor of Psychology
Dr. Marie-Luise Wolff Chief Executive Officer ENTEGA AG Darmstadt
Dr. Holger Zinke Deputy Chairman, Supervisory Board, Brain AG Summary by Executive Board Summary by Executive December 2018
10 11 People Research profile 25,889 students (of which 7,972 female) 6 Profile Areas: 4,947 first-semester undergraduate students Cybersecurity Internet and Digitisation 2,688 first-semester Master’s students From Material to Product Innovation 253 male professors (of which 13 assistant professors) Thermo-Fluids & Interfaces 55 female professors (of which 5 assistant professors) Future Energy Systems 2,593 academic employees (of which 661 female) Matter and Radiation Science 1,909 non-academic employees (of which 1,154 female) 2 Excellence Graduate Schools: 164 trainees (of which 54 female) Computational Engineering 119 graduate assistants (of which 46 female) Energy Science and Engineering 2,885 student assistants (of which 894 female) 1 Participation in Cluster of Excellence “The Formation of Normative Orders” Campus 6 LOEWE Clusters of Excellence 5 locations: City Centre, Lichtwiese, Botanical Gardens, University Stadium, August-Euler Airfield (with wind tunnel) 11 DFG Collaborative Research Centres/ 250 hectares of property Transfer Units 164 buildings (incl. 14 rented) 309,291 square metres of usable space (incl. 17,414 rented) Budget EUR 249.9 million basic funds from the State of Hesse (excl. LOEWE) EUR 26.5 million from Bund-Länder-Hochschulpakt (Phase II) EUR 8.8 million other funds EUR 169.1 million third-party funds (incl. LOEWE)
Upgrowth of third-party funds Sources of third-party funds (in mio EUR) (in %)
169.1 164.7 160.3 156.9 163.5
139.1 154.4 150.8 144.8
119.0 Summary by Executive Board Summary by Executive figures and Facts Figures rounded
12 13 14 Academic Affairs
TU Darmstadt Progress Report 2018 Highlights 2018
Top 100: Tricky tasks 1,155 In the engineering places to work and relax have sciences as a whole and been created since 2011 by in mechanical engineering the university in new student and physics in particular, Team Hector is world champion learning centres. TU Darmstadt is one The Hector Rescue Robot Team of the Computer of the most renowned Science Department won first place in the Plant universities worldwide Disaster Prevention Challenge at the World Robot according to the Summit. The international competition is organised QS subject ranking. by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japanese New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization to promote technological developments in robotics.
In the preliminary round, the robots had to measure gas concentrations, operate valves, inspect an industrial plant visually, thermally and acoustically, Rank 78 worldwide: and initiate emergency response measures. The The QS Graduate 2 million euros: team from the Simulation, System Optimisation and The Federal Ministry Robotics Group, which used two flight robots and Employability Ranking of Education and Research one ground robot, went to the finals as a favourite. ranks TU Darmstadt There, the robot had to dodge debris and track honours the university’s down accident victims, and succeeded in solving the among the best concept tasks with flying colours. universities. Its for teacher training in On the subject of winning: The team with its exten- graduates are valued Mathematics, sive expertise in intelligent (semi-)autonomous Information technology, by employers robot systems has become accustomed to victories: Natural sciences and In the RoboCup Rescue Robot League, the “Best internationally as Technology. in Class Autonomy Award” was won four years in particularly qualified. a row and in 2014 the entire competition was won Celebrating success: TU team with rescue robot Hector. for the first time ever with an autonomous robot. In 2017, the TU won the ARGOS Challenge. Electromechanical boule players During the winter semester, student teams at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology developed prototypes that position a miniature boule ball as precisely as possible. The robots competed against each other in a tournament under the eyes of a jury of experts. The specifications were strict: For example, the devices could not weigh more than 2.5 kilograms and the ball had to be ejected fully automatically after a single adjustment. The budget was limited to 75 euros. The seminar “Practical Development Methodology” trains participants in independently 500 solving technical tasks in preparation for their future professional life. scholarship holders of the German Academic Exchange Service from 82 countries debated Academic Affairs the digital change at TU Darmstadt.
16 17 Run on biomedical engineering degree course
The new Bachelor’s course in biomedical engineering “The cooperation between jointly established by TU Darmstadt and Goethe Univer- sity Frankfurt is very popular: Around 280 first-semester TU Darmstadt and Goethe students, roughly 40 percent of whom are women, University Frankfurt also opens were the very first to enrol. Thanks to this cooperation, which is unique in Hesse, students benefit equally from up a whole new dimension the competences of the Goethe University’s Faculty of for Hesse as a business location, Medicine and TU Darmstadt’s Department of Electrical Engineering. About eighty percent of the courses impart not only in teaching”. engineering knowledge from mathematics, physics “The profiles of TU Darmstadt Professor Robert Sader, and electrical engineering; about twenty percent are Dean of Studies Faculty of Medicine Goethe University based on scientific-medical principles. The focus is on a and the Goethe University close relationship between biomedical engineering and complement each other clinical issues. Internships and tutorials complement per fectly in the new bio- the theory. medical engineering degree In order to get to know both specialist cultures and make course. Furthermore, “Studies show that more women them tangible, teaching takes place at both locations: are interested in engineering four days a week in Darmstadt, one day a week at the we are currently expanding Faculty of Medicine in Frankfurt. our biomedical engineering if it is interdisciplinary and involves socio-political issues”. The TU considers the fact that about two fifths of the research activities, including first semester students in the new course are female with the Johannes Gutenberg Professor Andy Schürr, Dean of Student Affairs, Department of Electrical Engineering and to be an enormous success, because women are still in University Mainz. Four new the minority in MINT subjects nationwide. A Master’s Information Technology programme in biomedical engineering is to be intro- professorships are being duced in the winter semester 2021/2022, in time for created for this purpose at the first Bachelor’s graduates. TU Darmstadt alone”.
The TU and Goethe University developed the joint Professor Hans Jürgen Prömel, study programme over a period of one and a half years. President of TU Darmstadt “Health is a huge topic and one The interdisciplinary, inter-university cooperation is of the most central scientific intended to help meet future challenges. Demand for telemedicine, biotechnologies and intelligent biomedical challenges in the world”. engineering solutions is increasing as a result of demo- Professor Jutta Hanson, Department of Electrical graphic change, higher life expectancy and age-related Engineering and Information Technology diseases. The two universities want to address the growing significance of these topics with the new programme.
Since 2015, TU Darmstadt, the Goethe University Frankfurt and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz form the strategic alliance “Rhine-Main-Universities”. Academic Affairs Attractive range of courses: Linking engineering sciences and medicine.
18 19 Demanding from the very start
Keeping pace with energy How can the human body become a charging station for the smartphone? More than 300 students of mechanical engineering and sports science devoted themselves to this question during the KI²VA week “Introduction to mechanical engin- eering”. In the “Move & Use” project, 36 inter- disciplinary and international teams searched for ways to convert mechanical energy generated by everyday movement into electricity and store it in order to charge a mobile device.
The system should be able to be attached to the body without interfering with movement and be This is KIVA able to react to disruptions. The students also KIVA stands for compet- had to create a business model. A jury of experts ence development evaluated the degree of innovation. The teams through interdisciplin- were accompanied by scientists from the depart- ary networking from ment and by project tutors. the very start. With interdisciplinary and A good solution was offered by the “Power2go” technical projects in team, which combined a knee orthosis with an the starting phase of efficient mechanism for using excess energy. The university studies, the solution “Hike up your phone” can be retrofitted TU has set standards to a hiking backpack. A rope system converts nationwide to improve the excess energy when lowering the leg, and study conditions and a magnetic mechanism provides additional safety. teaching quality. “WonderSchuh” uses the rolling process and the forward motion of the foot when walking to accelerate a permanent magnet that induces a current in a coil.
Business games for local transport During their interdisciplinary KI²VA project week, 190 students of politics and industrial engineering took on the role of a consulting company. The aim was to develop a coherent and sustainable transport concept for local public transport. In 16 groups, the students designed a business model including a financial plan. They had to deal with existing structures in the city of Darmstadt Starting studies with energy and fun: Project “Move and Use”. and examine the interests of stakeholders and their forms of organisation. The teams were Professor Andreas Pfnür (Institute of Real Estate First place went to the team “Darmstadts Multi- supported by technical and team tutors as well Management) and Professor Markus Lederer modale Zukunft”. Second and third place were secured by students with ideas for “sky capsules”
Academic Affairs as internal and external experts. (Institute of Political Science) praised the “innovative mobility concepts” of their students. and a suspension railway.
20 21 Comprehensive protection Settling in quickly
Every winter semester, around 250 international students begin their Bachelor studies at the TU. The free preliminary course “PreCIS”, which is tailored to their needs and lasts several weeks, helps them to prepare for German university life as well as the new culture and language. The programme, which was launched as a pilot project, was developed in 2017 by TU Darmstadt as part of the KI²VA project to improve quality in teaching. With growing success: In the winter semester 2018/19, the course was already attended by 26 first-semester Bachelor students. They had been selected from around one hundred applicants according to fixed quotas from Good marks departments such as Computer Science, Business in the ranking Administration/Industrial Engineering or Electrical The TU’s Bachelor Engineering and Information Technology with students assess their the new biomedical engineering degree course. degree programmes predominantly posi- One of the special features of “PreCIS” is the tively. The subjects language course – the training concentrates on biology, chemistry, German as a scientific language and the specialist mathematics, physics Good ideas for effective rescue operations. terminology of mathematics. Additionally, there is and computer science vocabulary from the “university realm” and study- as well as political Humanitarian mission Better harvest relevant key competence training. Another plus science and geosciences 130 students from business administration/ Harvest yields are threatened worldwide by pests are the Buddies: For the whole of the first semester, are consistently ranked industrial engineering and sociology degree courses and pathogens. Previous defence strategies aimed at specialist assistants support the newcomers in in the top and middle have developed concepts for humanitarian missions creating resistant strains and chemical or biological matters about life inside and outside the university. Benefits from intensive support: Mohammad Amin Ali. group in the CHE in an interdisciplinary project in the introductory control. A new approach could be genome editing University Ranking phase of their studies. In small groups, the using the “gene scissors” CRISPR/Cas. This is a topic 2018. One of the participants designed technical aids, instructions that 120 students from the Department of Biology biggest strengths is for do-it-yourself products and app developments. and the Institute for Sociology dealt with during the the support for new KI²VA project week. They presented their solutions students. The students were supported by the aid organi- to a jury that also included economic experts. sation Cadus, which organises humanitarian aid missions in Iraq and Syria and specialises in the The winner was a group that wanted to introduce a development of open source projects for self-help. virus antibody into the manioc genome to protect Special incentive and motivation of the project the manioc from the Cassava mosaic virus in Ghana. work: The best ideas of the TU groups were able Second place went to a concept for improved maize to be put into practice. cultivation in Ethiopia. Here, CRISPR/Cas should remove the immunity of the pest larvae of Spodop- “I have already set up a WhatsApp group with The award-winning concepts included a tripod with tera frugiperda against a maize toxin. Third place pulley mechanism that could be used to lift debris, went to students who wanted to use the natural my Buddy Alex, who is a 3rd semester computer and an innovative tent concept that could be set up resistance of Bolivian potatoes to potato blight. science student. I can turn to him when I get stuck. quickly as a mobile operating theatre in crisis It is hoped that the use of CRISPR/Cas increases regions. the yield. That’s really a big help”. Academic Affairs Mohammad Amin Ali, student of computer science from Syria
22 23 Generous opening hours Courses offered by TU Darmstadt
Bachelor Master Applied Geosciences Applied Geosciences Applied Mechanics Architecture Architecture Autonomous Systems Building Technology Biomolecular Engineering Biology Business Administration/Industrial Engineering Biomedical Engineering • specialising in Civil Engineering Biomolecular Engineering • specialising in Electrical Engineering and Business Administration/Industrial Engineering Information Technology • specialising in Civil Engineering • specialising in Mechanical Engineering • specialising in Electrical Engineering and Business Information Systems Information Technology Chemistry • specialising in Mechanical Engineering Civil Engineering Business Information Systems Computational Engineering Chemistry Computer Science 113 Civil Engineering and Geodesy Distributed Software Systems degree programmes Computational Engineering Educational Sciences – Education in Processes Computer Science of Global Technologicalisation Digital Philology Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Energy Science and Engineering Environmental Engineering Environmental Engineering History with a Focus on Modern History German Linguistics Information Systems Technology Geodesy and Geoinformation Governance and Public Policy Materials Science History Mathematics Information and Communication Engineering Mechanical and Process Engineering Information Systems Technology 13 Mechatronics International Cooperation in Urban Development Pedagogy departments International Studies/Peace and Conflict Research Physics Internet and Web-based Systems Political Science IT Security Psychology Linguistic and Literary Computing Psychology in IT Materials Science Sociology Mathematics Learning centre in the old main building. Sports Science and Computer Science Mechanical and Process Engineering Bachelor of Education (Teaching’s degree) Mechanics Building Technology Mechatronics Opened in early 2018, the learning centre in the New learning centres have been established at a Body Care Paper Science and Technology – Paper Technology 5 and Biobased Fiber Materials first basement floor of the old main building is total of 16 locations on the campus in recent years. Chemical Engineering fields of study Philosophy entirely to the students’ taste. At the central location Another centre is already on the official opening Computer Science Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Physics on the city centre campus they can find around list: When the Department of History and Social Metal Engineering Political Theory 135 learning workstations on 420 square metres. Sciences moves back into the city palace, it will be Psychology Joint Bachelor of Arts Psychology in IT Several group work rooms make it possible to work able to provide 200 learning workstations there. Business Administration and Economics Sociology Computer Science with particular concentration. The centre is open Sports Management Digital Philology Sports Science and Computer Science daily from 8 am to 10 pm. German Studies Technology and Philosophy History Technical Biology Musical Culture The space had become vacant after the relocation Traffic and Transport Philosophy Tropical Hydrogeology and Environmental Engineering (TropHEE) of various operational workshops to the Ernst- Political Science Visual Computing Neufert-Halle. Construction workers gutted the Sociology Sports Science Master of Education (Teaching’s degree) rooms and renovated them from the ground up. Catholic Religion In addition to the learning centre on the basement Lehramt an Gymnasien (Teaching’s degree) Computer Science Biology Ethics level, modern seminar rooms as well as office Chemistry German and laboratory space were created. Computer Science History German Mathematics History Physics Mathematics Politics and Economics Philosophy/Ethics Protestant Religion Academic Affairs Physics Sports Science Sports winter semester 2018/19
24 25 25,889 7,635 8,614 University Students Students in Master’s students and State Library first subject-related semester in 2018 2018
Students
Departments Total Women Foreigners * of which of which in % in % Master’s ** Master’s in % 1.37 million visitors Law and Economics 3,612 22 % 14 % 930 26 % History and Social Sciences 2,949 53 % 9 % 950 32 % 616,000 users of the Human Sciences 1,355 62 % 9 % 453 33 % reading room Mathematics 793 34 % 9 % 242 31 % Physics 1,119 24 % 8 % 208 19 % 532,031 items borrowed Chemistry 1,017 39 % 8 % 267 26 % Biology 831 64 % 8 % 182 22 % Materials and Earth Sciences 1,142 31 % 31 % 466 41 % 26,609 requests for information Civil and Environmental Engineering 2,167 38 % 18 % 746 34 % Architecture 1,347 57 % 27 % 625 46 % Around 5.05 million: the number Mechanical Engineering 2,801 12 % 21 % 1,131 40 % of individual pages Electrical Engineering and Inf. Technology 2,087 18 % 39 % 655 31 % Computer Science 3,681 14 % 22 % 1,241 34 % of the digital collection accessed Fields of Study Mechanics 188 15% 22 % 79 42 % Around 1 million: the number Computational Engineering 282 18 % 17 % 96 34 % of times the library's publication Information Systems Engineering 246 14 % 16 % 71 29 % service (TUprints) was accessed Mechatronics 154 6 % 27 % 154 100 % Energy Science and Engineering 118 23 % 28 % 118 100 % Total 25,889 31 % 18 % 8,614 33 % Source: Data Warehouse / Excludes individuals with leave of absence, includes doctoral students, excludes those on second degree courses. Assignment based on first subject, winter semester 2018/19. / * Foreigners refer here to all individuals with foreign citizenship, even if they obtained their university entrance qualifications in Germany. / ** Master’s = all except Master of Education, preparation for Master’s included
Collection: Students in first subject-related semester Undergraduate degree courses* Master’s degree courses ** 4.6 million printed works, Departments Total Women Foreigners Total Women Foreigners. of which 2.3 million in % *** in % in % *** in % Law and Economics 935 23 % 15 % 305 25 % 15 % are books and journals History and Social Sciences 510 56 % 6 % 301 59 % 11 % Human Sciences 197 70 % 12 % 160 58 % 4 % 510,822 electronic media Mathematics 140 39 % 6 % 79 41 % 9 % (excluding magazines) Physics 376 40 % 17 % 66 23 % 5 % Chemistry 173 41 % 7 % 86 44 % 6 % Biology 175 72 % 10 % 49 59 % 4 % 28,257 continuously published Materials and Earth Sciences 163 37 % 7 % 154 25 % 55 % journals, Civil and Environmental Engineering 343 40 % 15 % 231 42 % 22 % of which 25,759 are electronic Architecture 150 62 % 11 % 181 61 % 29 % Mechanical Engineering 306 12 % 19 % 369 12 % 29 % Electrical Engineering and Inf. Technology 626 26 % 32 % 204 19 % 65 % 13,695 manuscripts Computer Science 705 19 % 17 % 339 13 % 15 % Fields of Study 3.47 million Euro of expenditure Mechanics 37 22 % 8 % 17 12 % 59 % Computational Engineering 61 16 % 8 % 29 21 % 45 % on acquisitions, of which Information Systems Engineering 50 28 % 22 % 19 5 % 11 % almost 2.4 million Euro Mechatronics 64 6 % 16 % on electronic media Energy Science and Engineering 35 17 % 29 % Total 4,947 34 % 15 % 2,688 32 % 23 % Source: Data Warehouse / Excludes individuals with leave of absence, doctoral students, and those on second degree courses. Assignment based on first 223 books and subject. Summer semester 2018 + winter semester 2018/19. / * Bachelor’s at university, Bachelor of Education, Joint Bachelor, Lehramt an Gymnasien- Academic Affairs figures and Facts supplementary teacher’s training **Master’s at university, Master of Education, preparation for Master’s ***Foreigners refer here to all individuals with 427 graphics restored foreign citizenship, even if they obtained their university entrance qualifications in Germany
26 27 International students* at TU Darmstadt Doctorates total: 447 / Women: 26 % / Foreigners:* 19 % Total of 3,568 from 116 countries in winter semester 2018/19, including ... 4,257 China 932 graduates in 2017 Departments India 270 Law and Economics Pakistan 164 total: 23 / Women: 26 % / Foreigners: 4 % Iran 144 History and Social Sciences Syria 138 total: 19 / Women: 42 % / Foreigners: 0 % Turkey 134 2.126 Tunesia 126 14% of students Human Sciences Vietnam 82 studying for Bachelor degrees are total: 10 / Women: 60 % / Foreigners: 10 % Egypt 76 foreign nationals. Mathematics Bulgaria 70 total: 13 / Women: 15 % / Foreigners: 0 % Cameroon 70 780 Russian Fed. 67 Physics total: 41 / Women: 22 % / Foreigners: 20 % Spain 64 Indonesia 61 Chemistry Brazil 58 With 3,681 total: 41 / Women: 24 % / Foreigners: 17 % Europe students, Computer Science Biology Source: Data Warehouse /data: is the most popular department total: 32 / Women: 72 % / Foreigners: 9 % graduation in 2017 Asia at TU Darmstadt. calendar year; “heads”, Materials and Earth Sciences i.e. first subject only total: 33 / Women: 33 % / Foreigners: 42 % (individuals assigned to departments and fields 266 392 Civil and Environmental Engineering of study based on first subject). total: 35 / Women: 26 % / Foreigners: 23 % America * Foreigners refer here to all individuals with foreign Africa Architecture 39% total: 9 / Women: 56 % / Foreigners: 67 % citizenship, even if they of students in the department obtained their university Mechanical Engineering entrance qualifications in of Electrical Engineering and Information total: 100 / Women: 11 % / Foreigners: 10 % Germany. Technology are foreign nationals. **Excluding PhD graduates. The Electrical Engineering and Inf. Technology diagram still contains Diploma total: 53 / Women: 19 % / Foreigners: 36 % and Magister qualifications so that the number may be larger Computer Science than the sum of the Bachelor, total: 38 / Women: 11 % / Foreigners: 18 % Masters and teaching qualifi- Australia 3 cations *** includes Joint Bachelor, 25% of students except Bachelor of Education studying for Master's degrees are **** except Master of Education ***** Lehramt an Gymnasien, foreign nationals. Bachelor of Education, Master of Education * Foreign students who obtained their university entrance qualifications outside of Germany.
Degree courses in highest demand
Top 5 Bachelor’s degree courses Top 5 Bachelor’s degree courses for international students* Graduations Graduates (total)** Graduates (Bachelor)*** Graduates (Master)**** Graduates (teaching Subject Number Subject Number of students of students degrees)***** Computer Science 2,218 Computer Science 183 Departments total Women Foreigners* total Women Foreigners* total Women Foreigners* total Women Foreign.* Mechanical and Process Engineering 1,427 Mechanical and Process Engineering 175 in % in % in % in % in % in % in % in % Business Administration/Industrial Electrical Engineering and Information Law and Economics 542 20 % 7 % 276 23 % 7 % 265 16 % 6 % 138 Engineering – specialising in Mechanical 1,255 Technology History and Social Sciences 424 55 % 7 % 135 47 % 9 % 169 60 % 6 % 74 57 % 1 % Engineering Human Sciences 206 70 % 8 % 95 77 % 9 % 82 68 % 7 % 26 54 % 0 % Civil Engineering and Geodesy 880 Business Administration/Industrial Engineering – specialising in Mechanical 78 Mathematics 181 39 % 6 % 83 31 % 5 % 83 42 % 7 % 15 60 % 0 % Electrical Engineering and Information Engineering 659 Physics 160 14 % 3 % 91 13 % 2 % 65 14 % 3 % 4 25 % 0 % Technology 61 Mechatronics Chemistry 162 38 % 3 % 85 34 % 2 % 67 37 % 1 % 9 67 % 22 % Biology 149 68 % 5 % 80 69 % 5 % 45 64 % 2 % 22 77 % 14 % Top 5 Master’s degree courses Top 5 Master’s degree courses for international students* Materials and Earth Sciences 184 32 % 27 % 50 34 % 0 % 134 31 % 37 % Civil and Environmental Engineering 449 38 % 12 % 191 43 % 4 % 241 34 % 18 % Subject Number Subject Number of students of students Architecture 287 53 % 24 % 158 55 % 13 % 125 53 % 38 % 4 0 % 0 % Mechanical and Process Engineering 1,117 Distributed Software Systems 296 Mechanical Engineering 613 10 % 14 % 267 12 % 9 % 343 8 % 17 % 1 0 % 0 % Architecture 586 Mechanical and Process Engineering 234 Electrical Engineering and Inf. Technology 321 12 % 37 % 140 9 % 16 % 171 14 % 57 % Computer Science 554 Electrical Engineering and Information Computer Science 429 10 % 31 % 167 7 % 7 % 261 12 % 46 % 206 Business Administration/Industrial Technology Fields of Study Engineering – specialising in Mechanical 498 Mechanics 34 24 % 12 % 9 22 % 0 % 24 25 % 17 % Engineering Information and Communication Engineering 144 Computational Engineering 22 9 % 5 % 3 0 % 0 % 19 11 % 5 % Electrical Engineering and Information 444 Information Systems Engineering 47 4 % 19 % 30 0 % 23 % 17 12 % 12 % Technology Materials Science 130 Mechatronics 30 13 % 33 % 30 13 % 33 % Energy Science and Engineering 17 41 % 12 % 17 41 % 12 % Academic Affairs figures and Facts Source: Data Warehouse; excludes individuals with leave of absence and those on second degree courses, winter semester 2018/19. Total 4,257 30 % 15 % 1,860 30 % 8 % 2,158 27 % 22 % 155 57 % 4 %
28 29 30 Research
TU Darmstadt Progress Report 2018 Highlights 2018
Installation of The first Top positions in German Research Foundation ranking update 12.1. DFG collaborative research centre in which was urgently required: The Secure all three Rhine-Main Mobile Networking Labs Research Universities (TU Darm- The engineering sciences at TU Darmstadt are stadt, Goethe University Team at TU Darmstadt laid bare outstanding. This is underlined by the Funding Frankfurt and Johannes Atlas 2018 of the German Research Foundation: a security vulnerability in the Gutenberg University When it comes to attracting German Research iPhone operating system iOS, which Mainz) are significantly Foundation funding in the engineering sciences, affected more than half a billion involved was approved TU Darmstadt ranks fourth in a nationwide Apple devices. Attackers were able in 2018: The title is comparison. In computer science it even moved “Regulation of DNA Repair from seventh to first place. This leap is closely to trigger system crashes using and Genome Stability”. linked to the performance of the two profile areas commercially available hardware cyber-security and internet and digitisation. and without physical access. The top ten places of German Research Foundation awards by subject also include other disciplines of TU Darmstadt: Heating technology ranks second, mechanical engineering and production technology fourth. TU Darmstadt also ranks among the top ten in electrical engineering, materials engineering, 2,500 materials science, systems engineering and mathe- students from a vocational school matics. in Baden-Württemberg benefit from TU Darmstadt: Technology education Together with the Goethe University Frankfurt experts develop teaching concepts and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, for digitised working environments TU Darmstadt is one of the strongest scientific in the Industry 4.0 age. regions in Germany. The three universities joined forces to form the Rhine-Main Universities alliance and have raised a total of 457 million euros from the German Research Foundation in the funding Strong funding: Profile area Thermo-Fluids & Interfaces. period 2014 to 2016. This is more than 6 percent of German Research Foundation funding, which years of successful research in the DFG Priority Programme “Fuels Produced went to a total of 216 universities. Compared to the Regeneratively Through Light-Driven Water Splitting”: Teams from TU Darmstadt period 2011 to 2013, the Rhine-Main Universities 6 are working on technological foundations for the energy revolution. increased their German Research Foundation Over funding by almost ten percent. 1,500 materials scientists from all over Europe came together at the Materials Science and Engineering Congress (MSE) at TU Darmstadt. Many TU researchers participated in the 50 symposia, 150 sessions Research and numerous plenary lectures.
32 33 Major projects with a promising future Machine learning for agriculture
The state research programme LOEWE enhances the profile of TU Darmstadt. Professor Kristian Kersting.
Two new LOEWE research clusters Ten million euros for CROSSING In 2018, the number of people suffering from This knowledge would make it possible to grow In June 2018, scientists at TU Darmstadt were again Since 2014, the collaborative research centre malnutrition rose to 821 million – one in nine more resistant plants and combat diseases more awarded funds from the State Offensive for the CROSSING at TU Darmstadt has been focusing on people is affected. At the same time, demand for efficiently – the basis for precision farming, Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence cryptography-based security solutions. The German food is rising and climate change is leaving more which would enable higher yields to be achieved (LOEWE). Starting in 2019, the State of Hesse Research Foundation has extended its funding and more soil infertile. on existing farmland. The project is funded by the supports two new LOEWE research clusters with and is supporting CROSSING from 2018 to 2022 Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Partners 4.65 million euros each over a period of four years: with a further ten million euros. The SFB/Trans- Kristian Kersting, professor of machine learning, are the University of Bonn and the Aachen-based The International Centre for Nuclear Photonics, regio projects on soft matter and on gas networks, and his team see an opportunity to improve company Lemnatec. coordinated by the physics professors Markus Roth in which TU Darmstadt is involved, are also nutritional conditions with artificial intelligence and Joachim Enders, uses the laser technology to continuing. (AI). “First of all we want to understand what develop new radiation sources that are suitable to physiological processes in plants look like when investigate the composition of matter as well as for Simulation in the centre they suffer stress”, says Kersting. “Stress occurs many technical applications. In the second LOEWE Computational engineering combines engineering, when they do not absorb enough water or are research clusters, the project FLAME, twelve TU mathematics and computer science with computer infected with pathogens”. The researchers teach research groups from the fields of materials science simulations. Since May 2018, the Centre for a software to recognise stress patterns by means and geosciences, chemistry as well as electrical Computational Engineering, which is integrated of a mechanical learning process. As the AI can engineering and information technology are into the TU structure as a cross-sectional area consider more data than a human, it may discover working on functional materials for energy storage orthogonally to the departments, has been bundling stress indicators unknown to researchers. under the leadership of Professor Andreas Klein. all activities of the young discipline. Research
34 35 From human to artificial intelligence
Three questions for ... A robot learns to help In the KoBo34 project, researchers from the fields Professors Constantin Rothkopf and Frank Jäkel, of intelligent autonomous systems (Department of Centre for Cognitive Science. Computer Science) and psychology of information processing (Department of Human Sciences) teach How does cognitive science differ from a humanoid, two-armed robot how to intuitively the emerging field of artificial intelligence? interact with a human being. The robot should learn Cognitive science investigates perception, thinking to help older people in their everyday lives so they and action and understands these processes as can maintain their independence for as long as information processing. Artificial intelligence, possible. For the harmonious interaction of man on the other hand, develops intelligent computer and machine, it is crucial that both the actions of programs. Although cognitive science is concerned the robot and those of the human are predictable with similar methods, it wants to understand for the respective partner. natural intelligence in the first place. The machine should recognise human intentions What role does this understanding play through movement patterns, viewing directions, for future technologies? gestures or verbal expressions. For humans, on A classic example are human “mistakes”: Are we the other hand, the machine acts predictably when simply dealing with “errors” here or rather with it executes familiar, seemingly natural movement the effects of human information processing? patterns and provides clues to its intentions The answer has fundamental consequences for the and also if there are uncertainties, such as with development of technical systems. For instance, regard to the action desired by humans. Building if we understand human abilities more precisely, on basic skills, a technical layperson, for example we can transfer them better to intelligent systems a geriatric nurse, teaches the robot new skills and also improve the interaction between man through imitation learning. and machine. Professors’ dialogue: Frank Jäkel (left), Constantin Rothkopf. How does the profile of cognitive science at TU Darmstadt differ from that of other research institutions? The Centre for Cognitive Science brings together experts whose research focuses on computer modelling of adaptive behaviour in both technical systems and humans. This simultaneous focus on models of human and artificial intelligence is a specific strength.
Cooperative assistance: Robotics in the domestic environment. Research
36 37 Recipe against the power of quantum computers Pros and cons from noise
The project “ArgumenText” at the Ubiquitous Knowledge Processing Lab of the Department of Computer Science develops methods for the automatic recognition of arguments in large heterogeneous text sources. This allows the pros and cons of any topic to be filtered from the noise of the internet. A demonstrator of the bilingual search system is publicly accessible at www. argumentsearch.com. If you enter the keyword nuclear energy, for example, you will receive almost one hundred arguments for and against nuclear power from a wide variety of websites after just a few seconds. The respective sources are linked.
Using neural networks, the system first examines which online texts are relevant for the respective topic and then scans them for arguments. In order to decide whether a statement is an argument at all and whether it is on the pro or contra side, the search engine considers not only individual words, but also grammatical structures, contexts and semantics. The algorithms required for this are developed by the team of the lab. “The challenge was to make a system trained for one type of text transferable to any text form”, says Dr. Christian Stab, who manages the project together with Dr. In the quantum cryptography lab in the Physics Department. Johannes Daxenberger. Scientific texts, for example, Experts in Argument Mining: Johannes Daxenberger, raise arguments completely differently from social Christian Stab and Tristan Miller (from left to right). Due to rapid progress in the development of super- stressing the importance of these proofs of author- media. Argument Mining, the recognition of fast quantum computers, common encryption and ship. XMSS is safe and sustainable, says Buchmann. linguistic arguments by means of computer science, digital signatures could become insecure within just This is because it does not use complex mathemat- is becoming increasingly important in the digital a few years. Researchers are therefore developing ical problems as security hurdles, which are only humanities. new methods that are supposed to be immune ever assumed to be uncrackable. XMSS relies solely to an attack by a quantum computer, so-called post- on hash functions, which are digital fingerprints quantum cryptography. of files that use current cryptographic methods as a second hurdle in addition to the mathematical A method for securing digital signatures, developed problems. However, that is not a weakness: “We at TU Darmstadt, is now ready for online use. were able to mathematically prove that our method The international body IETF, which develops is safe as long as it is the hash function”, Buchmann standards for data traffic in the network, has emphasizes. officially recognised the XMSS (eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme) procedure. The method guarantees that no two files have the same fingerprint. If the function used is cracked “Without secure digital signatures, the internet by hackers, which does happen, it can be quickly
Research would have to be switched off”, says Professor replaced. XMSS is thus part of the armour against Johannes Buchmann, head of the developers, the quantum computer.
38 39 Health data under lock and key Faster DNA synthesis
Together with researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, TU Darmstadt biology students Sebastian Barthel and Sebastian Palluk have devel- oped an enzymatic process for the rapid synthesis of DNA sequences. They published their method in June 2018 in the journal “Nature Biotechnology”. The enzymatic process is intended to replace the chemical method for DNA synthesis in the long term. The established technique works well for short DNA strands of up to 150 building blocks, but errors multiply as the length increases.
The new DNA synthesis is based on an enzyme from our immune system that sequences DNA building blocks extremely quickly and without a template. Because of this ability, the enzyme has been discussed for decades in connection with DNA synthesis. However, in order to generate defined sequences, it had to be coaxed to add only one DNA building block per reaction. The German-American team succeeded. The simplified DNA synthesis could facilitate the biotechnological production of numerous products, from food to fuel, and drive pharmaceutical research.
Security ensured for decades is indispensable for the storage of health data. Sebastian Palluk (left) and Sebastian Barthel in the laboratory.
The electronic patient file has been discussed for back and forth between clinics and server operators a long time. But what about the long-term security with quantum computer-resistant encryption. In of the data? Since the computing capacities of the future, the researchers want to add another level attackers are becoming ever greater and their of security: quantum key exchange. The scientists attacks better, it can be assumed that all previously involved in CROSSING are working on this in their encrypted data will be exposed in 20 years at own quantum laboratory at TU Darmstadt. the latest. Together with Japanese and Canadian partners, the employees of the collaborative research centre CROSSING at TU Darmstadt have developed a prototype that securely stores sensitive “The ability to artificially produce DNA has health data for the long term. The encryption remained almost static over the past decade. is based on a division of the original data set to different servers, so that individual parts do not “All encryption methods used This promising first demonstration of an make sense on their own. The division is renewed today will become insecure in enzymatic process for DNA synthesis finally regularly. The integrity of the data is secured through signatures that even future quantum the coming years and decades”. brings movement into this field”.
Research computers cannot crack. In addition, the Canadian Professor Johannes Buchmann, Spokesperson of the Professor Beatrix Süß, Synthetic Genetic Circuits Research Group industrial partner, ISARA, protects the data sent collaborative research centre CROSSING at the Department of Biology
40 41 The insect perfume trick Innovations for waterways and buildings
Agriculture needs more environmentally friendly solutions for crop protection. Pesticides are not a good choice because they also harm beneficial insects, reduce biodiversity and pollute soils and “When the groundwater. Our planet is already suffering as a elevator goes result of these pollutants. The European SUSPHIRE project, in which the three TU Darmstadt professors into operation, Heribert Warzecha, Professor of Botany, Andreas thousands of Jürgens, Professor of Chemical Ecology and Alfred Nordmann, Professor of Philosophy, are involved, fish can be pursues a completely different concept: Plant transported protection through confusion. The pests are to be daily to the irritated by the unorthodox use of sex pheromones to such an extent that they miss the tight upper reaches time window for mating and no longer produce of the Ruhr offspring. Female insects normally use sex pheromones to invite males to mate. during spawning Warzecha and his colleagues will use gene transfer to modify plants in such a way that they will also season”. produce pheromones. They want to use the plants Professor Boris Lehmann, as bio-factories for the production of pheromones Institute for Hydraulic for sprays or traps. However, the long-term goal of and Water Resources the consortium is to bring the pheromone-producing Experiment in the university’s hydraulic engineering laboratory. plants into the field together with the crop plants. The sexual attractants would then no longer have An elevator for fish Bricks and façades from the 3D printer Andreas Jürgens, Janine Gondolf, Heribert Warzecha (from left). to be isolated, but could be released directly into An EU Directive specifies that rivers must be pass- TU Darmstadt is the first German university to the environment by the plants. However, such able for fish from the estuary to the source from investigate the entire range of applications of 3D applications with genetically modified plants are 2027 onwards. Professor Boris Lehmann from the printing in the construction industry. Professor Jörg currently subject to strict regulation. Institute for Hydraulic and Water Resources wants Lange, head of the Institute for Steel Construction to control the Ruhr barrage of Lake Baldeney with and Mechanics of Materials, sees applications an elevator that is to be installed in a disused pump- particularly in façade and connecting elements. For ing station. The difference in height between the instance, two steel girders are currently connected upper and lower water is almost nine metres, and at by welding on steel brackets; in future, these could the same time there is no space for a conventional be printed directly onto the girders. Another oppor- fish ladder by the riverbank. But do fish find their tunity lies in the freedom of form. This makes it way into the elevator? The researchers led by easy to print curved or delicately shaped bricks. Lehmann, who initially still worked at the Karlsruhe Initial tests with glass were also successful. In order Institute of Technology, simulated the flow con- to establish 3D printing in the construction industry, “Because each insect species synthesizes its own perfume ditions and estimated the migration corridors of TU researchers are also investigating whether the fish. The investigations resulted in an elevator printed components are just as durable and resilient to prepare for mating, pheromones can be used very model with two adjacent elevators. While one is as conventional ones. specifically to create confusion and to lure away individual in operation, the fish gather in the other. Laboratory species, and thus for plant protection”. tests with fish showed that the system works well. Research Professor Heribert Warzecha, Department of Biology
42 43 Overcoming subject boundaries
Three questions for ...
Professor Josef Wiemeyer, Director of the Forum for Interdisciplinary Research (FiF).
Why is interdisciplinarity so important in research? Many questions are inherently interdisciplinary. Think of human-technology interaction – engin- eering, humanities and social science issues are involved here. Interdisciplinarity stands for research that avoids disciplinary blinkers by already implementing the intertwining of the participating disciplines in the research question.
How has the FiF changed the role of interdisciplinarity at TU Darmstadt in the past decade? Interdisciplinarity has become even more important. Looking at successful research activities at TU Darmstadt, interdisciplinary alliances are at the forefront. The FiF has, for example, conducted workshops in which all researchers working on a particular question have been invited to exchange ideas. In the case of the Serious Games, this resulted in various interdisciplinary projects and a research training group was applied for. Professor Josef Wiemeyer. Advancing ideas, setting impulses – Discussion in the Forum for Interdisciplinary Research.
Which topics is the FiF particularly interested in? Ten years of FiF Interdisciplinary peace research There are ongoing topics that the FiF pursues in the The Forum for Interdisciplinary Research (FiF) Since January 2018, the Interdisciplinary Research long term, such as digitisation, creativity, questions celebrated its tenth anniversary with a ceremony in Group on Science, Technology and Security of responsibility and security. However, the FiF November 2018. A number of notable events took (IANUS) has been attached to the FiF. IANUS stands is open to new interdisciplinary questions beyond place on the occasion of the anniversary, including for peace research through science and engineering “Interdisciplinarity requires an open space these topics. We are keen to achieve a balance on robotics, law and ethics as well as on the digital in exchange with the social sciences and humanities. between concluding, following up and taking up city of Darmstadt. The FiF was founded in 2008 The new task consists mainly of promoting TU with a gravitational pull – as provided by the FiF”. new topics. as a platform for the promotion of interdisciplinary research projects, for example on dual use and FiF-Fellow Professor Hermann Winner, Institute of Automotive Engineering cooperation at TU Darmstadt. The scientific sustainable security research. The professorship impulses of the FiF Fellows form the backbone of “Science and Technology for Peace and Security”, its work. The FiF supports smaller interdisciplinary initiated in the IANUS environment and held research proposals with project funding and thus by Professor Christian Reuter in the Department also offers start-up financing for larger projects. of Computer Science, began its work in 2017. “The FIF sets impulses and creates stimulating Reuter cooperates closely with the TU Department spaces in which the academic exchange across of History and Social Sciences. subject boundaries flourishes”.
Research FiF-Fellow Professor Petra Grell, General pedagogy with a focus on media pedagogy
44 45 Top-Level Research Federal Government European Union (EU)
Excellence Initiative BMBF-Programme for Collaborative Research European Research Council (ERC) Cluster of Excellence FAIR-NuStar 3 ERC Starting Grant ERC Advanced Grant The Formation of Normative Orders Kopernikus-Projects for the Energy Transition EUROPIUM – The origin of heavy elements: GLOBAL-HOT – A Global History of Technology 1850-2000 Coordinator: Goethe University Frankfurt a nuclear physics and astrophysics challenge Prof. Dr. Mikael Hård SynErgie– Manufacturing Engineering Participation of the Institute of Political Science and Prof. Dr. Almudena Arcones Institute of History, Economy of TU Darmstadt ENAvi– Energy Transition Navigation System Research Group Theoretical Astrophysics, Department of Physics Department of History and Social Sciences Graduate Schools ENSURE – New Power Grid Structures ERC Starting Grant ERC Advanced Grant Computational Engineering SKILLS4ROBOTS – Policy Learning of Motor Skills for Humanoid Robots cool innov – Turning the concept of magnetocaloric Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Michael Schäfer BMWI-Funding Prof. Dr. Jan Peters cooling on its head Autonomous Systems Labs, Department of Computer Science Darmstadt Graduate School of Energy Science Prof. Dr. Oliver Gutfleisch The Mittelstand 4.0 – Kompetenzzentrum Darmstadt and Engineering ERC Starting Grant Institute of Functional Materials, Coordinators: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Janicka, PHI-Factory – Flexible electrical factory network manage- VISLIM – Visual Learning and Inference in Joint Scene Models Department of Materials and Earth Sciences Prof. Dr. Wolfram Jaegermann ment for cross-system increase of energy efficiency under the Prof. Stefan Roth, Ph.D. requirements of future distribution networks with renewable Research Group Interactive Graphics Systems, Marie Skłodowska-Curie energy generation LOEWE Department of Computer Science Innovative Training Networks HIGHEST – Home of Innovation, GrowtH, EntrepreneurShip ERC Starting Grant HICONO – High Intensity Coherent Nonlinear Optics LOEWE Research Focuses and Technology Management Pho-T-Lyze – Photonic Terahertz Signal Analyzers Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Thomas Halfmann Uniformized Structures in Arithmetic and Geometry Prof. Dr. Sascha Preu Research Group Nonlinear/Quantum Optics, Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Bruinier The Academies’ Programme Terahertz System Technology, Department of Physics Software-Factory 4.0 Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz: Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Heiko Mantel The Digital Dictionary of Surnames in Germany ERC Starting Grant Joint Research Projects Building with paper Ancient Egyptian Cursive Scripts FOXON – Functionality of Oxide based devices under Electric-field: CarbaZymes – Sustainable Industrial Processes based Coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Samuel Schabel Towards Atomic-resolution Operando Nanoscopy on a C-C bond-forming Enzyme Platform Ion conducting Nanopores Interconnection with Non-University Research Dr. Leopoldo Molina-Luna Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Wolf-Dieter Fessner Advanced Electron Microscopy, Organic Chemistry, Coordinators: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ensinger, Helmholtz-Alliance Extreme Matter Institute (EMMI) Prof. Dr. Bodo Laube Department of Materials and Earth Sciences Department of Chemistry Helmholtz-Graduate School for Hadron and Ion Research ERC Consolidator Grant CLARA – Chemical Looping gAsification Computer-assisted design methods for complex (HGS HIRE) Genetic circuits IL-E-CAT – Enhancing electrocatalysis in low temperature foR sustainAble production of biofuels Coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Epple Coordinators: Prof. Dr. Beatrix Süß, Prof. Dr. Heinz Koeppl Federal Government / Hessian State fuel cells by ionic liquid modification Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bastian Etzold Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, Networked Infrastructureless Cooperation CRISP – Center of Research in Security and Privacy Department of Chemistry Department of Mechanical Engineering of Emergency Response Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Matthias Hollick ERC Consolidator Grant LIG2LIQ – Cost Effective Conversion of Lignite LIVESOFT – Lightweight Verification of Software and Waste to Liquid Fuels Infrastructure – Design – Society Prof. Dr.-Ing. Patrick T. Eugster Coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Epple Local Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Annette Rudolph-Cleff Research Group Distributed Systems Programming, Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, ALLEGRO – High-performance components made of Department of Computer Science Department of Mechanical Engineering aluminium alloys through resource-optimized ERC Consolidator Grant ENTER (COST Action) – EU Foreign Policy Facing process technologies PUMA – antiProton Unstable Matter Annihilation new Realities: Perceptions, Contestation, Communication Local Coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Groche Prof. Dr. Alexandre Obertelli and Relations Exotic, Strange and Anti- matter, Department of Physics Koordinatorin: Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt Emmy Noether Early Career Research Groups Institute of Political Science, ERC Consolidator Grant Department of History and Social Sciences Topochemical fluorination in the context CONSYN – Contextualizing biomolecular circuit models of fluoride ion batteries, tailored properties and for synthetic biology for the modification of thin films Prof. Dr. techn. Heinz Koeppl Head: Prof. Dr. Oliver Clemens, Department of Materials Bioinspired Communication Systems, and Earth Sciences Department of Electrical Enineering and Information Technology ConcSys: Reliable and Efficient Complex, ERC Advanced Grant Concurrent Software Systems PACE – Programming Abstractions for Applications Head: Prof. Dr. Michael Pradel in Cloud Environments Department of Computer Science Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mira Mezini Cryptography beyond the Black Box Model Research Group Software Technology, Head: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Faust Department of Computer Science Research figures and Facts
46 47 German Research Foundation
Collaborative Research Centres Research Training Groups Priority Programmes 805 TRR 129 1529 1613 Control of Uncertainty in Load-Carrying Oxyflame – Development of Methods and Models to Mathematical Fluid Dynamics – International Fuels Produced Regeneratively Through Light-Driven Water Structures in Mechanical Engineering Describe Solid Fuel Reactions Within an Oxy-Fuel Research Training Group Splitting: Clarification of the Elemental Processes Involved and Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Pelz Atmosphere Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Matthias Hieber Prospects for Implementation in Technological Concepts Institute for Fluid Systems, Department of Mechanical Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Reinhold Kneer Working Group Analysis, Department of Mathematics Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Wolfram Jaegermann Engineering RWTH Aachen, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 1657 Research Group Surface Science, 1053 Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Andreas Dreizler Molecular and Cellular Responses to Ionizing Department of Materials and Earth Sciences MAKI – Multi-Mechanisms Adaptation Research Group Reactive Flows and Diagnostics, Radiation 1640 for the Future Internet Department of Mechanical Engineering Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Markus Löbrich Joining by Plastic Deformation Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ralf Steinmetz Institute of Zoology, Department of Biology Coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Multimedia Communications Lab, TRR 146 Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Thiel Peter Groche Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Multiscale Simulation Methods for Soft Matter Systems Institute of Botany, Department of Biology Institute for Production Engineering and Forming Technology Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Friederike Schmid 1994 Machines, Department of Mechanical Engineering 1119 University Mainz, Physics, Mathematics and Adaptive Preparation of Information from Heterogeneous 1857 CROSSING – Cryptography-Based Security Solutions: Computer Science Sources ESSENCE – Electromagnetic Sensors for Life Sciences: Enabling Trust in New and Next Generation Computing Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Nico van der Vegt Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Iryna Gurevych New Sensor Concepts and Technologies for Biomedical Analysis Environments TU Darmstadt, Research Group Computational Physical Ubiquitous Knowledge Processing Lab, and Diagnostics, Process- and Environmental Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Johannes Buchmann Chemistry, Department of Chemistry Department of Computer Science Monitoring Research Group Theoretical Computer Science, Coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rolf Jakoby TRR 150 2050 Department of Computer Science Institute for Microwave Engineering, Near-Wall Turbulent Chemically Reacting Multiphase Privacy and Trust for Mobile Users Department of Electrical Engineering and Information 1194 Flows Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Max Mühlhäuser Technology Interaction between Transport and Wetting Processes Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Andreas Dreizler Research Group Telecooperation, Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Stephan Research Group Reactive Flows and Diagnostics, Department of Computer Science Institute for Technical Thermodynamics Department of Mechanical Engineering 2128 Department of Mechanical Engineering Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Olaf Deutschmann Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, AccelencE – Accelerator Science and Technology for 1245 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Energy Recovery Linacs Nuclei: From fundamental Interactions to Structures and Stars Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Norbert Pietralla TRR 154 Spokesperson: Prof. Achim Schwenk, Ph.D. Institute for Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics Theory Centre, Department of Physics Mathematical Modelling, Simulation and Optimization Using the Example of Gas Networks 2222 TRR 75 Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Alexander Martin KRITIS – Critical infrastructures: Social Construction, Droplet Dynamics Under Extreme Ambient Conditions University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Mathematical Economics Function Failure and Protection in Urban Spaces Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Weigand Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Stefan Ulbrich Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Ivo Engels University of Stuttgart, Institute of Optimization, Institute of History, Institute of Aerospace Thermodynamics Department of Mathematics Department of History and Social Sciences Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Cameron Tropea TU Darmstadt, Institute for Fluid Mechanics and TRR 211 Research Units Aerodynamics, Department of Mechanical Engineering Strong Interaction Matter under Extreme Conditions Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Dirk Rischke 1583 Goethe University Frankfurt, Hydrogen-Bonded Liquids Subject to Interfaces Institute for Theoretical Physics of Various Hydroaffinities Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Jochen Wambach, Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Michael Vogel TU Darmstadt, Institute for Nuclear Physics Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Frithjof Karsch, Department of Physics Bielefeld University, Faculty of Physics 1748 Networks on Networks: The Interplay of Structure and Dynamics in Spatial Ecological Networks Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Barbara Drossel Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics Research figures and Facts
48 49 50 Why I study here
TU Darmstadt Progress Report 2018 Ingo Rainer Electrical Engineering Joint Bachelor and Information in History and Hoyer Technology Hofmann Political Science
Set on TU Darmstadt I like studying at the TU because ... My favourite place on campus is ... Business it’s recognised as a good university abroad. The demands placed the university library in the city centre. In addition to the Almost 26,000 students are on students are of course correspondingly high – but the outcome comfortable egg chairs, the cafeteria offers everything a student Information is worth the effort. needs. Coffee, fellow students and a good excuse not to have Systems remains enrolled at TU Darmstadt. to study ... We asked some of them why What I particularly like about my degree course is that ... champion despite a lot of theory, the practical aspects are not neglected. I like studying at the TU because ... they chose the TU. What do they We do a lot of mathematics, but always have the practical very different cultures study, live and exchange views and like about their degree course? application in electrical engineering in mind. experiences together. The quality of the courses and the When it comes to engineering competence of the lecturers are impressive. and computer science-related Where do they like to spend I like living in Darmstadt because ... subjects, German HR managers their time? And what do they the city combines the functional with the beautiful. The TU I like living in Darmstadt because ... particularly like to recruit like about living in Darmstadt? is conveniently located in the centre of Darmstadt. The fast city flair meets family vibe. And the beer isn’t bad either, graduates of TU Darmstadt. connection to Frankfurt and the airport offers many benefits. and I’m saying that as a native Bavarian. This is confirmed by the 2018 The Herrngarten and the Mathildenhöhe provide breathing university career ranking of the space and tranquillity as a balance to university life. What I particularly like about my degree course is that ... magazine “WirtschaftsWoche”. excursions to various research projects are offered. According to this, business information systems came first, industrial engineering third. Electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and information technology were also among the top 5.
The 500 HR experts surveyed rank TU Darmstadt among the leading universities that provide particularly intensive preparation for future careers. The managers pay attention to whether the universities enable early project experience, ensure multilingual education and the ability to solve problems flexibly and are well acquainted with current requirements in the respective industry. Why I study here I study Why
52 53 Business Administration/ Luisa Industrial Engineering, specialising in Electrical Engineering and “The scholarship from the Pumplun Information Technology Thomas Weiland Founation gives me financial independence, allowing me to fully concentrate on my studies”.
Felicia Müller, Student of industrial My favourite place on campus is ... engineering, specialising in electrical and the old main building, because it shows how the university information technology looked in its early days.
I like studying at the TU because ... my fellow students are very friendly and helpful.
I feel comfortable in Darmstadt because ... the city is just the right size and has many parks and students.
Scholarships provide support What I particularly like about my degree course is that ... the degree gives me a lot of flexibility and enables me Decided on TU Darmstadt: Abhijeet Shrotri. to choose from a wide range of professions.
Immense relief Final spurt to the finish line Financing is an important criterion for deciding one year. Merck KGaA is currently the main A degree scholarship from TU Darmstadt takes on a degree course and for successfully completing corporate sponsor. the pressure off international students while it: TU Darmstadt offers its own scholarship they are writing their Bachelor’s or Master’s programmes that take into account performance- The scholarship works according to the “half and thesis. One of the scholarship recipients is related and social aspects. half” principle: Half of the monthly allowance comes Abhijeet Shrotri, who successfully completed from the federal government, the other half from his Master’s degree in Information and Com- The Prof.-Sorin-Huss Fund provides help with sponsors sourced by the TU. TU Darmstadt receives munication Engineering. He became aware childcare costs to mothers and fathers who are funding of around 1.3 million euros every year, of the scholarship through a Facebook post by undergraduate or doctorate students. The support making it particularly successful in a national the Department of International Affairs. The particularly provides relief for parents in financially comparison. path to funding was unbureaucratic. The grant critical situations. Jürgen Mutzl, doctorate student at is awarded depending on performance criteria the Department of Materials and Geosciences, also Big advantage taking into account the social situation. benefited from the foundation. During his studies The Thomas Weiland Foundation at TU Darmstadt he still worked 20 hours a week in order to be able awards scholarships for the promotion of young By the way: The fact that Shrotri chose to finance the apartment and the costs of living for scientists in MINT subjects, i.e. subjects related to Darmstadt as his study location for the Master’s himself, his son and his wife, who also studied and mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and phase after completing his Bachelor’s degree worked. “The support of the fund enabled me to technology, to outstanding TU students entering the in India was due to a friend of his uncle, who reduce my working hours and concentrate more on Master’s phase. The foundation provides an annual is a university lecturer in Germany. The latter my studies”. His grades improved immediately. grant of 100,000 euros. The funding amounts recommended to him the German TU9 univer- Mutzl completed his Bachelor’s degree and later his to 500 euros per month and covers four semesters. sities, the union of nine leading technical uni- Master’s thesis, for which he again received support versities in Germany, to which TU Darmstadt from the fund, with the grade “very good”. “It just also belongs. Shrotri: “I found out that the makes a difference whether you can study one electrical engineer had been invented at what or two more days a week or not”, says Mutzl. was then TH Darmstadt – this tradition won “Thanks to the Thomas Weiland me over”! Promoting responsibility More than 350 students at TU Darmstadt currently Foundation, I was able to complete have a scholarship to study in Germany. Companies, the first semester of my Master’s foundations and other non-profit organisations as well as private individuals are involved in this fund, degree abroad”. Why I study here I study Why which supports students with 300 euros a month for Tilman Strampe, Mechatronics student
54 55 Ayoub Jan Master’s in Alhousin Civil Engineering Bambach Computer Science Commitment counts
I like studying at TU Darmstadt because ... My favourite place on campus is ... it has a good reputation and you can do your doctorate here Many TU Darmstadt students are Fast and robust: University group Gaelic Athletic Association. the maths building in the city centre, because it has after your degree course. involved in around 60 university a beautiful view of Darmstadt’s Mathildenhöhe. associations – they assume social Tournaments and team spirit I feel at home in Darmstadt because ... responsibility, find innovative technical They love the exciting mix of baseball, hockey and lacrosse: What I particularly like about my degree course is that ... Darmstadt is a multicultural city with many international solutions, establish contact networks, The Gaelic Athletic Association, a student group at the TU, computer science is a very young science, there are students. and enrich cultural and social life. practises hurling, probably the oldest field sport in the world constantly new developments and discoveries that will also and one of the fastest team sports. The students have already be highly relevant in the future. What I particularly like about my degree course is that ... Off into space taken part in several European championships. Hurling has the teachers are highly qualified and have a lot of professional The students of the university group been part of the Unisport Centre of TU Darmstadt since 2014. experience – and not just theoretical knowledge. “TU Darmstadt Space Technology” are “I came into contact with this exciting sport through a student driven by the desire to transport a self- exchange in Ireland. It was clear to me that I also wanted to developed satellite into space. The idea pursue hurling in Germany”, says Jakob Feldmann, founder to found the association was born in and active member of the group. 2016 in a lecture: “Some of my fellow students and I quickly realised that Social and inspiring we shared an interest in space travel”, The Peruvian Karla Rocío Salazar-Vogel, who completed her explains founding member Mark Bachelor’s and Master’s studies in Psychology at TU Darm- Fellner. The university group, which is stadt with an excellent result, has been awarded the Prize closely networked with the European of the German Academic Space Agency ESA, is currently working Exchange Service 2018. The on the development and construction of jury felt that the young woman a cube-shaped satellite called CubeSat. demonstrates a high degree of determination, perseverance The satellite should have a side length and intercultural competence. of ten centimetres each and a weight Salazar-Vogel came to Ger- of approximately 1.3 kilograms. If the many as an au-pair in 2010 launch and the mission are successful, and has been enthusiastic CubeSat will collect important data about the country and its cul- on its orbit in the cosmos for several ture ever since. Salazar-Vogel months and send it to Earth. prepared her stay in Germany carefully with language courses and financed it herself through various jobs. During her studies she worked at the bishop’s ordinariate in Limburg and volunteered in charitable Karla Rocío Salazar-Vogel. projects. At TU Darmstadt she was a member of the university group Sustainability and participated in a social project of the international association AIESEC. She sees herself as an ambassador for her country and brings Peruvian culture closer to friends and acquaintances, such as through cooking or language courses. Why I study here I study Why
56 57 Melina Master’s in Energy Science and Hadjebi Engineering
Perfect combinations
I like studying at the TU because ... the TU has a very good reputation and there are few universities in Germany that offer a degree course as interdisciplinary as Energy Science and Engineering.
What I particularly like about my degree course is that ... energy is a topical issue, and how we deal with our environment Improving educational opportunities: University group “Nachhelfer für kostenfreie Schülerbetreuung”. and how we optimise everything and make it more efficient is very important for our future.
A fresh look
The student management “Clients choose us because they appreciate Virtuoso: Frederik Bous (right). consultancy Junior Comtec is 30 years old: It has managed the young outside perspective”. Maths and music around 700 projects since its Leon Heinrichsbauer, Frederik Bous studied electrical engineering and foundation. Around 40 active Chairman of Junior Comtec information technology, mathematics and computational consultants support clients that engineering at TU Darmstadt. As a result he hold include Dax corporations, start- several degrees. At the same time, a completely different ups and SMEs, but also affiliated field is close to his heart: music. His composition university groups. The student Commitment to equal opportunities “The Girl from Hunan” was premiered by the TU Choir consultants come from degree What can be done to change the influence of social background and the TU Orchestra during a semester concert. courses such as industrial on educational outcome? The university group “Nachhelfer engineering, but also business für kostenfreie Schülerbetreuung” (after-school helpers for It was based on a poem by the contemporary Chinese poet information systems, physics, free after-school care) focuses on targeted individual voluntary Zheng Xiaoqiong. Frederik Bous spent a year abroad at mechanical engineering, lessons for disadvantaged children and on joint excursions. Tongji University in Shanghai where he learned Chinese. electrical engineering or About 25 students of TU Darmstadt and the Hochschule Xiaoqiong’s work impressed him so much that he set part psychology. They are all looking Darmstadt are involved in the association. The Erich-Kästner of it to music. for an entry into practice and comprehensive school in Darmstadt-Kranichstein cooperates the world of work via the with the after-school helpers and coordinates the programme. When Bous came to Darmstadt to study, he quickly joined university group. The partner school establishes contact with pupils who are the maths choir and later became its director. Inspired by considered to particularly benefit from tutoring. The compre- the cooperation between TU Darmstadt and the Akademie Successor projects by satisfied hensive commitment is beneficial: “We have already helped für Tonkunst Darmstadt, the virtuoso also studied piano clients such as Lufthansa often many pupils to improve their marks”, says Konrad Neukel, first and composition at the Akademie. end up in the commissions book chairman of the association. of the student management As a composer, Bous is versatile: In addition to classical consultancy. The university group chamber music pieces, he creates pieces with live elec- also attends trade fairs such as “It’s important to us that everyone has tronics and experimental instruments. Recurring elements the Hannover Messe and actively equal opportunities, but especially of his compositions are microtonality, classical forms and acquires clients there. aleatorics, i.e. random operations. His Master’s thesis children with a migrant background”. dealt with the generation of vocal voices on the computer.
Why I study here I study Why Anneke Lampe, Member of “Nachhelfer”
58 59 60 Cooperation and transfer
TU Darmstadt Progress Report 2018 Highlights 2018
cooperation agreement on the project 50 years of partnership with Lyon association “Digital City” was signed by 1 TU President Hans Jürgen Prömel and Jochen Partsch, Lord Mayor of the Science City Darmstadt. The university provides its broad expertise in the profile areas “Internet and Digitisation” and “Cybersecurity”.
3 on one website: TU Darmstadt, the Goethe University Frankfurt and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz present their association of Rhine-Main Universities with a new joint website at www.rhein-main-universitaeten.de
German-French friendship: During the ceremony.
On 4 June 2018, TU Darmstadt and the École and 120 graduates from ECL have received Centrale de Lyon (ECL) celebrated their 50th academic degrees from both universities. A double partnership anniversary in Darmstadt. During the doctorate agreement in mechanical engineering has ceremony, ECL Director Frank Debouck received been in place since 2010. Work is underway on a the Honorary Athena of TU Darmstadt as a sign of joint Master’s programme in the field of aeronautics. young start-up teams from new part-time Master’s programmes – “Construction 2 the long-standing ties and close friendship. To kick the university presented Law and Construction Industry” and “Rail Transport, off the festivities, a public conference with speakers their business ideas at the Mobility and Logistics” – are offered by the TU. 50 from Darmstadt and Lyon addressed the topic Start-up & Innovation Day at TU Darmstadt. “The Future of European Engineering Education Cooperation”. The keynote speech was held by Professor Margret Wintermantel, President of the German Academic Exchange Service. With 6 granted start-up scholarships (700,000 euros) The ECL was the first foreign university with which TU Darmstadt concluded a cooperation agreement. “The double degree at TU Darmstadt and 3 granted research transfers After signing the partnership document in 1968, and the ECL gave me the opportunity (2.6 million euros) the first exchanges began in the 1970s. Since then, around 700 students have completed a stay abroad to get to know two very different from the EXIST federal funding programme, at the respective partner university. In the late 1980s, the two universities developed the first academic systems”. TU Darmstadt was one of the most successful
Cooperation and transfer joint double degree programme of its kind in Ann Berit Sperling, double degree graduate of TU Darmstadt universities in Germany in 2018. Europe. Around 80 students from TU Darmstadt in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
62 63 Energy-efficient ETA factory Side by side with SMEs
Signals of the heart Many people are unaware that they suffer from atrial fibrillation. The Dutch company Happitech is developing an app that turns the smartphone into a detector of dangerous cardiac arrhythmias. Tim Schäck and Dr. Michael Muma from the Signal Processing Institute of TU Darmstadt help interpret the recorded data. The partners first optimised a method that processes mobile phone images of the blood vessels in the finger into a one-dimensional signal. This is then evaluated by algorithms co-developed at the TU. The researchers have already examined many thousands of heart signals and compared their results with those of a classical cardiological evaluation. For data sets that were recorded under optimal conditions, they achieved hit rates of almost 100 percent.
Cooperation with Hessenmetall In February 2018, TU Darmstadt and the Employers’ Association Hessenmetall agreed on a strategic cooperation. The cooperation is intended to Model project ETA factory. reinforce the innovative strength of medium-sized Research for health: Tim Schäck (left) and Michael Muma. companies in Hesse’s metal and electrical industry. The ETA model factory on the Lichtwiese campus Follow-up projects for energy research are already The focus is on IT security, industry 4.0, digitisation, is a kind of large-scale research facility in which the underway in the ETA factory, such as the “SynErgie” energy efficiency, drive systems, autonomous Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental project, which deals with the flexible alignment driving and intelligent materials. The partners Engineering and Architecture Departments of of industrial processes to the fluctuating supply of want to exchange information closely in planning TU Darmstadt and more than 30 companies have renewable energies. The project “ETA-Transfer”, in committees in order to identify priority content and participated. Around 15 million euros were turn, aims to demonstrate how the principles devel- participate in the competition for publicly funded invested. Since May 2013, the partners have oped in the ETA project can be transferred to industry. research programmes. The cooperation also been focusing on energy efficiency in industrial includes the search for specialists, further training production. The ETA project officially ended as well as appearances at trade fairs and congresses. in April 2018 with a ceremony. Hessenmetall represents 580 companies employing “With the ETA factory’s holistic 130,000 people in Hesse. After five years of research and two years of oper- view of buildings, machines ation, it is clear: Industrial production enterprises “The cooperation with Hessenmetall can save up to 40 percent of energy if they cleverly and processes, we have opened network their plants and industrial buildings. up a new aspect in research fits perfectly into our regional environment, The ETA factory, for example, uses waste heat from which ranks among the top metropolitan systems to heat the building. The ETA project, funding. The positive project which is integrated into the interdisciplinary Future results confirm the potential regions in terms of economic strength, Energy Systems profile area at TU Darmstadt, of these ideas”. innovative strength, level of qualification was led by the Institute of Production Management, and internationality”.
Cooperation and transfer Technology and Machine Tools at TU Darmstadt. Dr. Frank Heidrich, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Professor Hans Jürgen Prömel, President of TU Darmstadt
64 65 From the laboratory into practice
Pioneers on the road to success With the Pioneer Fund, TU Darmstadt and the The “MagnoTherm” project led by materials scien- ENTEGA NATURpur Institute support the transfer tist Dr. Max Fries develops cooling aggregates with of research results into practice with 600,000 euros magnetocaloric materials. The innovative cooling annually. For instance, in the Department of Chemis- technology is quiet, environmentally friendly and try, Professor Felix Hausch is using the funding to up to 40 percent more energy-efficient than a com- develop an active ingredient to combat chronic pain. pressor. A team led by Professor Oskar von Stryk The substance inhibits a protein that also plays from the Department of Computer Science uses the a role in obesity and depression. His department “Energy Robotics Brain” software to make mobile colleague Professor Barbara Albert and scientist ground robots autonomous so that they can carry Dr. Klaus-Dieter Franz are concentrating in their out work in high-risk areas such as industry or res- funding project on supercapacitors for energy cue operations. The EXIST grant enables the Core storage. The TU chemists are researching new Sensing Technologies start-up project to ensure the electrolytes so that the capacitors can store even market-readiness of a technology for the integration more energy. of sensors. This was developed in the field of mech- anical engineering and plays an important role in Professor Florian Steinke and Tim Janke from the the internet of things. TU’s Energy Information Networks & Systems Lab are also driving the energy revolution forward Solid foundation for start-ups with their Pioneer Fund project: Their model for The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and predicting electricity prices makes it easier to react Energy promotes technology-oriented start-ups to fluctuations in renewable energies. from universities with the EXIST research transfer. All three projects applied for by TU Darmstadt Biology Professor Cristina Cardoso and Professor in 2018 were approved. They will receive a total Rolf Jakoby from the Department of Electrical of 2.6 million euros. Engineering and Information Technology are designing a microwave porator that transfers DNA and other substances into living cells – a promising path in biological research.
Materials scientist Dr. Lars-Oliver Heim, in turn, is building a hand-held device for surface analysis that creates a precise plastic impression of the surface structure. The Institutes of Physical Metallurgy and Functional Materials, together with the Institute for Production Engineering and Forming Machines in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, have also initiated a Pioneer Fund project for the alter- native production of magnets from neodymium- iron-boron alloys. The process, for which a patent has already been applied, is now to be further improved and validated for industry. Cooperation and transfer Research has a long way to go before it reaches maturity – from the idea lab to practical application.
66 67 Ground mission in the lecture hall Clean water
Professor Reinhold Bertrand, Head of the Research and Technology Management Office of the Euro- pean Space Agency ESA, has assumed the first ESA cooperative professorship at the TU Darmstadt. The 54-year-old researches and teaches one day a week in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Institute of Flight Systems and Control Engineering. He focuses on the development of small satellites, space stations and robotic systems for planetary exploration and interplanetary research. Bertrand describes the cooperation with the TU as “a very creative environment with a lot of development potential” and cites the construction of satellite modules with 3D printers as an example.
Three years ago, ESA and TU Darmstadt concluded a framework agreement on space topics, doctorates and joint research projects. Since the winter semester of 2015, Bertrand has been teaching the fundamentals of space systems several times per semester – as an open event. Soon another building block will be added to the cooperation: the ESALab@TU Darmstadt. An initial pilot project of ESALabs, the only one of its kind in Germany, Cooperation Professor Reinhold Bertrand. Analysing toxic substances in water: Christoph Schüth, Kaori Sakaguchi-Söder, Behane Abrha (from left). will be dedicated to space weather and solar observation. Safe storage of desalinated seawater Jointly against microplastics In Israel, seawater desalination covers about The “EmiStop” joint project, which was launched 70 percent of the water needs of private households. at the beginning of 2018, is investigating the In times of low consumption and when working contribution of industry to environmental pollution on the mains pipes, surplus water is stored in water- with microplastics. In addition to the Departments bearing soil layers. The problem: The desalinated of Wastewater Technology and Wastewater water contains chlorine, which reacts with organic Management at TU Darmstadt, the project partici- substances in the soil to form toxic compounds such pants include the RheinMain University of Applied as chloroform. In the German-Israeli joint project Sciences, the plant manufacturer EnviroChemie, “MAR-DSW”, a team led by Christoph Schüth, the particle manufacturer BS-Partikel and the Professor of Applied Geosciences at TU Darmstadt, consulting firm inter 3. The developments by the is investigating the reactions in the soil. Israeli TU teams include analytical methods for measuring partners are Ben-Gurion University, the Volcani microplastics in water samples. However, “EmiStop” Center of the Agricultural Research Organization not only aims to quantify the discharges of plastic and the water supplier Mekorot. The German particles into the environment, but also to provide Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the processes that remove microplastics from waste- “My lecture is attended not just by Israeli Ministry of Science are funding the project water. By the end of 2020, the collaborative engineering students – humanities scholars as part of the German-Israeli cooperation in water research alliance will receive a total of 1.83 million technology research. euros from the Federal Ministry of Education and also attend and even take an exam”. Research. Cooperation and transfer Professor Reinhold Bertrand, ESA Cooperation Professor at TU Darmstadt
68 69 The mobility of the future 3D scanner for insects
An assistance system that improves itself through machine learning helps with turning. Finest details at a glance: Unique insect scanner with automated 3D application.
Accident-free through the city The PRORETA partnership between TU Darmstadt A 3D scanner developed by TU Darmstadt and the A prototype of the 3D insect scanner is already in In the fourth edition of the “PRORETA” research and Continental has existed since 2002. Previous Hochschule Darmstadt makes the digital archiving of use. During recording, the needled insect is rotated project, TU Darmstadt and the technology company projects included emergency braking, emergency insects possible. In May 2018, the scientists presented around two axes. The approximately 25,000 individ- Continental have developed a machine-learning evasion and overtaking assistance systems. The the device, the only one of its kind in the world, in ual images from 400 different spatial directions are driver assistance system. It supports drivers in inner- cooperation is named after the boatswain on ancient a specialist journal. In times of insect mortality it used by the software to calculate three-dimensional city traffic and has already been installed in a proto- Roman ships, who warns of shallows. is particularly important to document the diversity models that can be rotated, zoomed and measured type. A key role is played by algorithms that create a of the animals. The scanner makes a valuable con- on the computer. The models can be enlarged and profile of the person behind the wheel. On the basis The car of tomorrow tribution here, especially as the insects preserved in reproduced with a 3D printer. The scanner currently of this characterisation the system performs a variety The “UNICARagil” project was launched at the the collections are threatened by natural decay and captures insects ranging from flies two millimetres in of calculations, such as the time windows for driving beginning of 2018 and is funded by the Federal by pests such as the museum beetle. With his exten- size to animals the size of a cockchafer. It is designed recommendations, for instance when turning Ministry of Education and Research with 21.9 million sive experience in optical 3D measurement, Professor as an open project that can be replicated. The devel- left, and also adapts other recommendations to the euros. The participants include TU Darmstadt as Bernhard Ströbel from the Department of Mathemat- opers hope to make the blueprint available to many individual driving style. well as universities in Aachen, Braunschweig, ics and Natural Sciences of the Hochschule Darmstadt prospective customers, including private individuals. Karlsruhe, Munich, Stuttgart and Ulm and also proved to be the ideal partner for the TU Darmstadt six companies. Together they are developing an working group Ecological Networks. “The results of our work will autonomous electric car that is networked with its surroundings and that has neither front nor rear, left help to further increase the and right. Each of the four wheels has an electric safety in the vehicle and for motor and the vehicle orientation is decoupled from other road users”. the direction of movement.
Cooperation and transfer Professor Hermann Winner, Institute of Automotive Engineering
70 71 New tools Awakening inquiring minds with Merck
Switch for foams Ten years of junior laboratory Regine von Klitzing explores matter that is neither Since 2008, the science and technology company clearly liquid nor clearly solid, but a mixture of Merck and TU Darmstadt have been operating both, known as “soft matter”. The physics professor the Merck-TU Darmstadt junior laboratory on the and her team hope to use this research to develop Lichtwiese campus. It offers a total of 32 experi- functional coatings and “switchable” foams. The mental stations and over 30 topics for day and researchers bring broad expertise: “We cover the holiday courses, experimental lectures and entire spectrum, from the synthesis of new materials advanced training on over 200 square metres. to their characterisation”, says von Klitzing. More than 28,000 pupils from the third primary So-called nanogels, which are globules of molecule school year to the sixth form have already experi- chains interconnected in a net-like manner, can mented here, for example on dyes, medicines be switched, for instance between large and small, or organic light-emitting diodes. with signals such as heating, pH value or laser beams. The team is also investigating thin liquid The junior laboratory, headed by the chemist films enclosed by solid surfaces or air, such as those Dr. Andrea-Katharina Schmidt, works closely found in foams or emulsions. together with the Chair of Didactics of Chemistry at TU Darmstadt, which was established at the end Von Klitzing’s results could benefit the cosmetics, of 2017 and is held by Professor Markus Prechtl. He pharmaceutical and food industries. The team would like to focus more on the career orientation is developing the latest measuring methods. For of young women, especially those with a migration instance, the team is building a sample holder that background. He is supported in this by a joint enables rapid sample changes for the ESS neutron project between the TU and the PH Ludwigsburg source currently being developed in Lund, Sweden. University of Education. Digitisation and current results from energy and sustainability research will Accelerator on the chip also play a greater role in the junior laboratory in Particle accelerators are usually large and costly. the future. However, in an international collaboration, Regine von Klitzing, Matthias Kühnhammer. Markus Prechtl, Andrea-Katharina Schmidt. electrical engineers from the TU’s Accelerator BioLab in regular operation Physics Department are building a low-cost The Livfe BioLab, which TU Darmstadt operates electron accelerator on a silicon chip. The partners at the Botanischer Garten campus with the support are now putting the design published in the of Merck school funding, started regular operation journal “Physical Review Letters” into practice. in October 2018. During the two-year pilot phase, The American Stanford University and the more than 2,300 young people took advantage Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg are leading the of the opportunity to experiment with modern project, which is sponsored by the Gordon research equipment and gain an insight into and Betty Moore Foundation. biological research. The head of the Livfe BioLab is Dr. Guido Klees, who previously spent eight years in teacher training. Cooperation and transfer
72 73 74 Life on campus
TU Darmstadt Progress Report 2018 Highlights 2018
Thousands were wide awake
Triangles, pentagons, hexagons: Students at the Institute of Constructive Design and Building Construction designed and built a pavilion made entirely of cardboard. 40 years old is the legendary “Karlshof”, the largely self-governing and probably charming way to a free parking space: most well-known student hall The “intelligent bracket”, which can be operated of residence in Darmstadt. via an app, is in use on campus – a start-up from 1the university is now marketing the product.
Impressive: Many children and young people did not want to miss the Science Day. lighting elements on the façade of the high-performance 96 computer form a work of art: They reflect aphorisms More than 50 fully booked guided tours, around vided answers to questions such as how many of the universal scholar Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in binary code 200 TU staff and students with their hands full and languages there are and how they were created. and plain text. several thousand visitors, mostly young families, And those who wanted to know how particles can who were fascinated for six hours: On its second be brought to almost the speed of light particularly Science Day with the motto “hellwach!” (“wide quickly, were able to find out more about the 1st place: awake!”), the TU showed what exciting research electron accelerator S-DALINAC in the nuclear it has to offer in the engineering and natural physics building. As in 2017, TU Darmstadt won sciences, humanities and social sciences at the the University Challenge for Lichtwiese and Stadtmitte locations. During a panel discussion, TU experts also called for faster action in environmental protection and the German Sports Badge – this The extensive programme, which ranged from space warned of the risks of political and social conflicts. time ahead of the universities travel and robotics to construction and language For example, the vital resource of water must be research, was playfully cheerful, experimental and given more intensive protection from contamination of Hannover and Leipzig, scientifically demanding. For instance, at the Insti- by drug residues and microplastics, and the TU Braunschweig, the Humboldt tute of Paper Technology and Mechanical Process extraction and trade of rare raw materials must Engineering, the science team showed how houses become fairer. University of Berlin and the
Life on campus on Life can be built from cardboard. In the puzzle game University of Paderborn. “Around the World in 80 Languages”, linguists pro-
76 77 Urban quality
German Urban Development Award In the “German Urban Development Award 2018” competition, TU Darmstadt received the special award “Places of Education and Culture in an Urban Context” endowed with 5,000 euros. The prize is awarded every two years by the German Academy for Urban and Regional Planning. The jury praised the redevelopment projects and new buildings which the TU had carefully integrated into the urban ensemble “with high urban quality” and which had significantly influenced the urban development of the science city. At the award ceremony in Mainz, the committee expressed its particular appreciation of how, on the basis of an over- Family-friendly all concept, open spaces were qualified, buildings Since May 2018, modernised, adapted to new educational requirements TU Darmstadt has and supplemented by new buildings such as the been entitled to hold reception building “karo 5”, the University and State the “Family-friendly Library or the congress centre “darmstadtium”. University” certificate on a permanent basis. Since 2005, the autonomous TU has invested more The accreditation than 500 million euros in a large number of new organisation “beruf- buildings, renovation measures, technical infra- undfamilie Service structure and the design of open spaces. Thanks to GmbH” particularly the annual construction budget and own funds as praises the long- well as capital from the Economic Stimulus Package II standing commitment and the University Pact 2020, it was possible, for to family-friendly example, to convert the historic Maschinenhaus into working and study a lecture room and seminar building, to create space conditions. for the University IT-Service and Computing Centre and for cultural purposes in the new “Karl-Plagge- Haus” building and to convert the Schlossgraben into a park with the help of donations from residents. The inner city campus has been significantly upgraded. Well designed in the heart of the city: University campus.
Refurbished and redesigned Architecture Day The renovated Hochschulstraße invites you to stroll The TU presented three award-winning projects at and stay for a while: The road section between the the nationwide “Architecture Day”. Interested visi- old main building and Herrngarten has been largely tors were able to visit the “Gerhard-Pahl-Zentrum” freed from car traffic. The central eye-catcher is an on the Lichtwiese – the multifunctional building “The award underlines the high urban development quality of old freestanding chestnut tree as well as seating fur- of the Department of Mechanical Engineering with the TU construction measures of the last decade. Together niture made of concrete and wood. Historical tram computer pool and three halls for research and tracks remind of a route that led through the Hoch- teaching was opened in 2017. The new “Karl- with those responsible for the science city of Darmstadt and schulstraße in 1914. The wooden paving once laid for Plagge-Haus” building in the city centre was also numerous planners, we have given the city a striking and sound absorption had to be disposed of, pipes and open to groups of visitors, as was the “Keller-Club” in the city palace, which had been renovated in line timelessly modern face”.
Life on campus on Life sewers had to be renovated or renewed. Total costs amounted to 2.6 million euros. with historic preservation requirements. TU Vice President Dr. Manfred Efinger
78 79 Climate-friendly energy centre Vespa swirl
Efficiency at the touch of a button: TU President Hans Jürgen Prömel, Lord Mayor Jochen Partsch, Marie-Luise Wolff (ENTEGA), Dynamic art near the Mensa. Joachim Rumstadt (STEAG) (from left).
Energy efficiency and sustainability are central topics Dr. Marie-Luise Wolff, CEO of ENTEGA AG, The courtyard between the Otto-Berndt-Halle and suitable motif for the square, which since its reno- for the university. Thanks to innovative, highly effi- emphasized that the TU’s energy supply was not the Institute of Printing Science and Technology, vation has been inviting visitors to linger again. cient technologies, the TU’s supply of heat, cooling only economically attractive, but also technically which was redesigned for 1.4 million euros, is part and electricity is secured for the next few years. and ecologically future-oriented. Joachim Rum- of a network of closed courtyards and open spaces The trained stonemason Stefan Rohrer studied A consortium consisting of STEAG New Energies stadt, Chairman of the Managing Directors of on campus. Inspired by the principle of a printer’s at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart and has GmbH (Saarbrücken) and ENTEGA AG (Darmstadt) STEAG GmbH, emphasized that the energy centre type case, fields of different sizes were filled with been awarded numerous scholarships and prizes. has invested around 17 million euros in the univer- makes an important contribution to the success of various asphalt surfaces, grasses and shrubs. Trees, In 2012, his works were shown in the exhibition sity’s energy supply. On the Lichtwiese campus, the energy revolution. The city is also improving hedges, benches and the sculpture “Rollercoaster” “Mensch Maschine” at the Kunsthalle Darmstadt. ENTEGA STEAG Wärme GmbH built a new energy its climate balance. Many municipal properties are by the Stuttgart-based artist Stefan Rohrer com- Rohrer’s sculptures are characterised by his passion centre consisting of three block-type thermal power connected to the district heating network of the TU, plete the picture. for cars. He creates elegantly vibrant works of art stations, an absorption chiller and a three-kilometre- and more are added as a result of the new route. from car body parts. long cooling network. Furthermore, the TU’s district The commissioned work combines technology and heating network was connected to ENTEGA’s heating art: Two elongated Vespa scooters whirl around network via an approximately two-kilometre-long each other in swirls of red and shiny silver. The section. This means that almost half of the heating 3.5 by 4.5 metre work gives a feeling of speed and
Life on campus on Life requirement can be covered by the waste-to-energy movement, but at the same time a pause button plant in an environmentally friendly way. seems to have been pressed. Time standing still is a
80 81 90 years university swimming pool New cultural business with tradition
Three questions for ... What does the programme look like? We offer a stage for exciting local culture as well as Matin Nawabi from the General Students’ Com- for exciting national and international artists of mittee and organising team of the Cultural Enter- contemporary pop and subculture. We see ourselves prise “806qm”, which was opened in the ground as a lively cultural enterprise and as a link between floor and basement of the new “Karl-Plagge- university and city, student and non-student life. Haus”. It was here that the predecessor “603qm” The integrated “221qm” café has evolved into a had enriched the Darmstadt event calendar for popular meeting point in the city centre. In addition, ten years before the so-called Stoeferlehalle our cultural programme provides space for formats was demolished and replaced by a new building. such as flea markets as well as photography and art exhibitions. What do the “old fans” recognise? The special flair and patina of the Stoeferlehalle What do you appreciate about the new spaces? are a thing of the past. There are many new We particularly appreciate the fact that the TU things to discover on “806qm”. New spaces, new involved us centrally in the planning of the new architecture, new aesthetics, new programme. building right from the start. This made it possible What has remained are the claim, idea and concept to tailor the spaces precisely to the needs of our of our project. This has always included the idea cultural industry. We are pleased about the much of providing a platform for culture and discourse better conditions for our work and having more in Darmstadt, the city of science and research, and options for our programme. of inviting people to experience something new.
Fun and games in the university pool.
It was 15 metres wide, 50 metres long and made of Championships in 1930, a major event that put concrete: When the swimming pool of Technische Darmstadt on par with venues such as Warsaw, Hochschule (TH) Darmstadt was opened on 16 June Rome and Paris. 1928, it was a unique sports facility for its time. The construction is closely linked to the development After the Second World War, the US Army requisi- of university sports at the former TH. The first tioned the swimming bath for several years. Exten- part-time teaching appointment for gymnastics sive renovation work was necessary between 2009 was already in place in 1898. The university sports and 2011. The swimming facility, protected as a field was built on the edge of the Lichtwiese in 1923 historic monument, today also includes a children’s and later completed with the construction of the pool, has been popular with students and residents open-air swimming pool. of Darmstadt for 90 years.
Karl Roth designed the swimming facility in the “International Style”. The TH professor of architec- ture and building science planned the concrete pool so that it was suitable for swimming competitions as well as water polo games. In addition to changing rooms and a grandstand with sports and equipment
Life on campus on Life rooms, there was also a diving platform. The facility was extended for the 4th International Student Space for experimental culture.
82 83 Good old money In motion
2,381 TU students received a total of 71,179 places in university sports courses 13.59 million euros from BAföG were booked in 2018. funds from the Student Affairs Finance individual entries were recorded Department in 2018. 112,085 in the university stadium (48,140 students and 5,846 employees). 57 Unifit courses were held Food & drink per quarter in 2018.
1.426 million warm meals were served 415 employees from 118 office units in the Stadtmitte and Lichtwiese were active in the Office Fresh Up canteens in 2018. break training. 3.533 TU students took part in a survey 141 employees per quarter took advantage by Student Affairs on ecological of the courses offered at uniGym. perspectives for the canteen. Animal 25 times did TU students make it into the welfare is very important criterion top three at the German University to the students when it comes to the Championships – in athletics, karate, future of university gastronomy. swimming and judo. Up to 220 participants use the courses on the new crosstraining facility in the university stadium every week. Energy & 357 people took part in sports excursions. sustainability 391 international students took advantage of the sports programmes TU Darmstadt consumed 51,400 megawatt tailored to their needs. hours of district heating in 2018. TU Darmstadt needed 53,200 megawatt hours of electricity in 2018. Of this total, 29,500 megawatt hours Assistance were generated in the university’s own combined heat and power plant. 343 students sought advice and support The remainder was purchased as in difficult life situations from Student green electricity. Affairs’ social counsellors. 189,000 cubic metres of fresh water were drawn by the university in 2018. 60 parents with 50 children were guests for the first time at the 144,396 litres of water, newly established “Brunch for 25,804 kilowatt hours of energy, Students with Children” at Student 10,027 kilograms of wood and Affairs. Information on care and 2,139 kilograms of CO2 were saved counselling services was provided by Student Affairs in 2018 by fully by parents’ initiatives, day-care centres switching to recycled paper with the and family facilities, together with “Blue Angel” certificate. actors affiliated with the campus.
Living
At the end of 2018, 1,866 TU students
Life on campus on Life figures and Facts were living in halls of residence provided by Student Affairs.
84 85 86 Awards
TU Darmstadt Progress Report 2018 Highlights 2018
50,000 Double peak power euros in prize money from the Adolf Messer Foundation for Professor TU Darmstadt has been awarded an Alexander von Ulrike Kramm and her Humboldt Professorship for the first time: The research on precious nuclear physicist Dr. Alexandre Obertelli, nominated metal-free catalysts for by the TU, is one of five scientists selected for the energy sector. Germany’s highest endowed international research prize in 2018. The professorship, which is endowed with up to five million euros, honours world-leading researchers who have worked abroad up to now.
Obertelli most recently worked as a senior researcher at the Institut de recherche sur les lois fondamentales de l’Univers (IRFU) of the Commis- sariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alter- native (CEA) in Paris-Saclay, France. He also con- ducted research at the National Superconducting TU scientists successful with 3 Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) of Michigan State start-up idea “Walkerchair”: ONE University, USA, and at the RIKEN Research Institute When required, their wheelchair can year of free space for the in Japan. In 2018 he was awarded an ERC Con- “walk” over obstacles. A software recognises “Opus Magnum”: solidator Grant by the European Research Council the environment automatically and takes Arthur Benz, professor for his work. over the motion control. for political science, is being This prize is associated with subsidies amounting sponsored by the Volkswagen to 2.55 million euros. This enables TU Darmstadt to Foundation to be able expand its research into the field of antimatter in 10,000 euros in prize money to dedicate himself the Institute of Nuclear Physics. Obertelli is leading Humboldt Professor Alexandre Obertelli. for the student start-up project to a large scientific work on a project aimed at developing an innovative technique for investigating extreme ranges of core “FeetBack”: A shoe orthosis “Federal Democracy”. controlled by sensors and a density using specific properties of antimatter. smartphone helps Parkinson’s patients walk.
“Dr. Alexandre Obertelli will contribute to developing the university as a top research location for physics. And he will Endowed with play an important role in the 25,000 development of the FAIR particle euros: The Franziska Braun Prize of the accelerator facility at the GSI Carlo and Karin Giersch Foundation at Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion TU Darmstadt goes to a group planning an innovative computer science conference Research in Darmstadt”. Awards by students for students. Professor Hans Jürgen Prömel, President of TU Darmstadt
88 89 Postdocs with Athene
The physicist aspires to become a professor. The a kind of transcription of DNA. miRNA-574–5p, for support of the Athene-Young-Investigator pro- example, promotes the growth of lung carcinomas. gramme allows him to supervise and scientifically However, this type of cancer does not always support Master’s students or doctoral students develop in the same way; rather, individual dif- as his career progresses. ferences between the individual tumours can be observed. Meike Saul and her team want to validate Personalised therapies against cancer a personalised therapy approach: Patients with Chemist Meike Saul is investigating the role of a high plasma level of miRNA-574–5p could be microRNAs in inflammation and cancer. The TU effectively treated with special drugs. scientist wants to develop drugs for improved pain management and individual cancer therapies. She More flexible edge computing is supported by the TU’s Athene-Young-Investigator Since 2016, Lin Wang has headed the Smart Urban programme. Network research group in the Telecooperation Lab at the Department of Computer Science. There, Inflammatory reactions play an important role in the Athene Young Investigator is working on the the pathogenesis of autoimmune and cardiovascular next generation of edge computing. The increasing diseases, especially cancer. MicroRNAs can promote number of applications for mobile phones, the inter- tumour growth through the regulation of RNA – net of things or augmented reality are a challenge for real-time data processing. Mobile devices and their batteries are not designed for large data volumes and the necessary transmission speed. Streaming to remote clouds and data centres causes time delays and enormous unnecessary network traffic.
Edge computing, on the other hand, moves appli- Joel Lynn. cations and data from central data centres to Lin Wang. the outer edges of a network. This decentralised Numerical solutions processing can reduce transmission bottlenecks TU researcher Joel Lynn, who specialises in nuclear and error sources and increase security. Wang’s structure physics and nuclear astrophysics, is research should make edge computing as broad funded within the framework of the TU’s Athene- and flexible to use as cloud computing and Young-Investigator programme. The US American create a corresponding infrastructure for mobile moved to the Darmstadt Institute of Nuclear Physics applications. four years ago as a postdoctoral fellow. Lynn, who previously worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, conducts research into a variety of topics, including Monte Carlo methods and Ab-Initio theory. The Monte Carlo methods are based on a very large number of similar random experiments. They are an attempt to find a numerical solution for problems that cannot be addressed analytically, using probability theory and supercomputers.
Awards Joel Lynn wants to get to the bottom of questions about the origin of the universe and the elements. Meike Saul.
90 91 Take-off in research
3D printing of World of transmission electron microscopy nanoporous Dr. Leopoldo Molina-Luna’s project “FOXON” deals membrane materials with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Professor Annette Aberration correctors based on the research of Andrieu-Brunsen’s pro- the former Darmstadt-based physics professor ject “3D-FNP Writing” Harald Rose pushed the spatial resolution down to deals with the transport 50 picometres. Ultra-bright electron guns, improved of substances through energy resolution of electron energy loss and nanopores and thus highly efficient energy-dispersive X-ray detectors addresses a key step for enable 2D imaging of compositions and chemical many technologies. An bonding information. “FOXON” continues these unsolved challenge is developments. the design of nanopor- ous membranes that The aim is to apply an operando TEM method to allow the recycling of investigate the correlation of electrical behaviour, metallic nanoparticles structure and chemical composition of oxide-based and their salts. These functional materials simultaneously under an substances are increas- applied electrical field. Pixel and ultra-fast electron ingly released into detectors make it possible to capture a diffraction the environment, for pattern for each sampling point and to access example when washing information far beyond the capabilities of standard outdoor clothing with STEM detectors. an antibacterial coating. In this context, “3D-FNP Writing” aims to transfer the fascinating transport properties of natural nanopores, such as highly selective and aligned transport, to artificially produced Double thrust materials. Two new projects at the TU are funded by “3D-FNP Writing” wants the European Research to use a new tech- Council as excellent, nology: This is based on innovative basic and 3D printing of complex, pioneering research functional, nanoporous with ERC Starting membrane materials Grants. A total of using high-resolution Excellent researcher: Annette Andrieu-Brunsen. around 3.5 million euros Pioneer researcher: Leopoldo Molina-Luna. microscopy techniques. will go to the researcher Annette Andrieu- Brunsen and the researcher Leopoldo
Awards Molina-Luna.
92 93 Search for matter 2.0 Not always platinum
Jens Braun, who is appointed to a Heisenberg Concrete becomes environmentally friendly professorship, wants to find new answers to an The civil engineer Dr.-Ing. Moien Rezvani was old question: “What is matter?”. To this end, the awarded the Kurt-Ruths Prize, endowed with physicist wants to find out whether exotic aggregate 20,000 euros, for his dissertation “Modelling of states exist, for example so-called “supercrystals”. the shrinkage behaviour of concrete from cements These would have similar incomprehensible rich in limestone”. In times of climate change, properties as superfluids, which, after a single stir, researchers are working on reducing the clinker continue to swirl forever. Supercrystals would also content in cement and concrete, the production have an internal periodic order. “This is a fascinating and burning of which accounts for a large propor-
topic because it puts our understanding of how tion of CO2 emissions. Considerable amounts can particles generally bind to each other to the test”, be replaced by ground limestone, but this changes says Braun. the properties of fresh and hardened concrete as well as the durability of the concrete. In this way, the 39-year-old and his team at the Insti- tute of Nuclear Physics at TU Darmstadt are investi- The Iranian scientist developed a prediction model gating the dynamics of nuclear matter and ultracold that accurately determines these shrinkage gases. The latter could be precisely investigated deformations. He also presented a proposal for experimentally, said Braun. The researchers are the corresponding adaptation of the reinforced theoretical physicists. After laboratory testing, their concrete design standard. This facilitates the use models can be used for quantum chromodynamics, of environmentally friendly concretes in practice. a theory about quarks and gluons, the building blocks of atomic nuclei. The team hopes to prove Prize for “green” technology the existence of the supercrystalline state in an Ulrike Kramm develops precious metal-free catalysts interdisciplinary exchange with other areas of for energy applications. For her research, she was physics. And to then see “matter” in a new light. awarded the Adolf Messer Foundation Prize worth 50,000 euros. The prize honours outstanding Explores the dynamics of ultracold gases: Jens Braun. achievements in the natural sciences and engin- Winner of the Kurt-Ruths Prize: Moien Rezvani (left). eering as well as economics, social sciences and the humanities. nitrogen atoms. Unlike haemoglobin, the molecular centres developed by Kramm are integrated in pure Assistant professor Kramm, who is an associate of carbon in the form of graphene. The catalysts do the Departments of Chemistry, Materials Science not necessarily contain iron, but also cobalt, copper and Geosciences, wants to make forward-looking or manganese. The need for metal for catalysis is technologies even “greener”. Many energy-relevant greatly reduced by its integration into the molecular applications, such as low-temperature fuel cells, centre. The TU researcher is regarded as a leader in contain catalysts made of precious metals that this promising technology. are scarce, expensive and often mined under questionable conditions.
In her search for a replacement, Kramm is guided by a model from nature: the blood pigment haemoglo- “This is a fascinating topic because it puts our bin. At its centre is an iron atom surrounded by four understanding of how particles generally bind to each other to the test”. Awards Jens Braun, Heisenberg Professor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics at TU Darmstadt
94 95 Deutschlandstipendium – List of sponsors
• Airbus Defence & Space GmbH, • IBM Client Innovation Center Taufkirchen Germany GmbH, Frankfurt a. M. • ALD Vacuum Technologies • IBM Deutschland GmbH, GmbH, Hanau Ehningen • Atotech Deutschland GmbH, • Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst Berlin KG, Frankfurt a. M. • Avanade Deutschland GmbH, • ING AG, Frankfurt a. M. Kronberg • Ingenieursozietät Prof. Dr.-Ing. • BASF SE , Ludwigshafen Katzenbach, Darmstadt Instructive • BBBank Stiftung, Karlsruhe • Isra Vision AG , Darmstadt Outstanding • Bickhardt Bau AG , Kirchheim • ITCatalysts GmbH , Kriftel • BIG Bau Investitionsgesellschaft • Jakob Wilhelm Mengler- mbH, Kronhagen Stiftung, Alsbach-Hähnlein • Bosch Gruppe, • KFT Chemieservice GmbH, vertreten durch Bosch Rexroth Griesheim AG, Lohr am Main • KSB AG , Frankenthal Start-ups of TU Darmstadt Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. • • Kurt und Lilo Werner RC Compredict GmbH (30,000 euros): Second prize in the “Digital Start-up of the Year” Kommanditgesellschaft, Coburg Darmstadt Stiftung , Darmstadt • BSI Business Systems competition of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Integration Deutschland GmbH, • LEONHARD WEISS Darmstadt GmbH & Co. KG, Satteldorf Freemotion Systems: First prize in the “Start-up Competition – Digital Innovations” • Ludwig-Schunk Stiftung e.V., of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy for the project „Walkerchair“ • campoint AG , Seligenstadt Heuchelheim (participants: Professor Oskar von Stryk (Department of Computer Science at TU Darmstadt, • Carlo und Karin Giersch-Stiftung Lufthansa Technik AG, Hamburg an der TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt • research associates Felix Biemüller and Johannes Geisler) • Merck KGaA, Darmstadt • Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) Xelera (32,000 euros): First prize in the “Start-up Competition – Digital Innovations” GmbH, Frankfurt a. M. • MEWA Textil-Service AG & Co. Management OHG , Wiesbaden • Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Aachen • Miele & Cie. KG, Gütersloh FeetBack (10,000 euros): Winner and distinguished with the Information Technology Award • Deloitte GmbH Wirtschafts- • MLP Finanzberatung SE, in Virginia Tech’s (USA) „Global Challenge” start-up competition prüfungsgesellschaft, Düsseldorf Wiesloch • Deutsche Bahn AG, Berlin • msg systems ag, Ismaning agriBORA: Start-up award “Hessischer Gründerpreis” in the category “Start-up from the university” • Deutsche Bank AG Group • Opel Automobile GmbH, for Kizito Odhiambo, student of electrical engineering and information technology. Technology & Operations Rüsselsheim Strategic Management Services, Start-up teams “Digital Shopfloor Management”, “Floating Office”, “Harvey”, “Karuna”, Eschborn • osd GmbH & Co. KG , Frankfurt a. M. “Process Control Unit for additive manufacturing using the FDM process”, „Quodera”: • d-fine GmbH, Frankfurt a. M. Certificates of support as part of the “Hessen Ideas Scholarship” competition initiated by the State • Poclain Hydraulics GmbH , • Döhler GmbH, Darmstadt Pfungstadt of Hesse • 360 Treasury Systems AG, • PPI AG Informationstechnologie, Frankfurt a. M. Frankfurt a. M. • DS Smith Paper Deutschland • PSI Energy Markets GmbH, Prof. Gerhard Sessler, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information GmbH , Aschaffenburg Aschaffenburg Technology: Information and Communication Technology Science Award by the Information • DuPont Sustainable Solutions, • Qytera Software Testing Technology Society of the VDE (5,000 euros). The highest distinction of the professional Neu-Isenburg Solutions GmbH, Eschborn association is awarded every three years. • DZ BANK-Stiftung, • Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Frankfurt a. M. Mannheim Prof. Petra Gehring, Department of History and Social Sciences: Confirmation • Ed. Züblin AG , Stuttgart • Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland as Chairperson of the German Council for Scientific Information Infrastructures on behalf of the GmbH, Frankfurt a. M. • Endress + Hauser Messtechnik Joint Science Conference GmbH + Co.KG , Weil am Rhein • SAP SE , Walldorf Prof. Oliver Gutfleisch, Department of Materials and Geosciences: • ENTEGA NATURpur Institut • SCHENCK RoTec GmbH , gGmbH , Darmstadt Darmstadt Prize of the German Materials Society • Essity , Ismaning • Schwarz IT GmbH & Co. KG, Prof. Mira Mezini, Department of Computer Science: Google Faculty Research Award Gathered and congratulated by the Executive Board: Winners of the Athene Prizes for Good Teaching. Neckarsulm • Evonik Stiftung, Essen for the project “Identifying Problematic Children Apps” (70,000 euros) • Sigi und Hans Meder Stiftung, • Ferchau Engineering GmbH, Bad Soden/Taunus Darmstadt Prof. Jan Peters, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science: Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Every year, the Athene Prize for Good Teaching is The Special Award for Interdisciplinary Teaching • SolidLine AG, Walluf Electronics Engineers, IFEE • Förderverein der Freunde awarded by the Carlo and Karin Giersch Foundation was presented to a team from “Interdisciplinary des Institutes für Geotechnik • Sparkasse Darmstadt , Darmstadt an der Technischen Universität Prof. Jürgen Rödel, Department of Materials and Geosciences: Robert B. Sosman Award Darmstadt e.V., Darmstadt • Stiftung Zusammen Wachsen, at the TU in several categories. They are endowed Key Study Fields iSP”. The jury’s statement said: Darmstadt Prof. Helmut F. Schlaak, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information • Fritz und Margot Faudi-Stiftung, with a total of 46,000 euros. In 2018, Professor “Over the past ten years, the “Global Challenges” Frankfurt a. M. • STRABAG AG, Darmstadt Technology: VDE Ring of Honour Jens Ivo Engels, Department of History and Social lecture series has created an additional continuous • GFP Goldschmidt Fischer Schütz • TE Connectivity Germany Prof. Ruth Stock-Homburg, Department of Law and Economics, and GmbH, Bensheim Projektmanagementgesellschaft Prof. Ralf Steinmetz, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology: Sciences, was awarded the Special Prize for Digital interdisciplinary range of courses at the TU Darm- mbH, Heusenstamm Tosoh Bioscience GmbH, • Appointment to the Council for Digital Ethics of the Government of the State of Hesse • GOLDBECK GmbH, Griesheim Teaching: He combined research-based learning stadt, with which socially highly relevant global Hirschberg/Bergstraße • TRUMPF GmbH & Co. KG, Prof. Peter Stephan, Department of Mechanical Engineering: Golden VDI Medal with a permanently visible digital presentation problems can be integrated into interdisciplinary • Gruber + Hartmann Ingenieur- Ditzingen büro für Baustatik, Darmstadt of Honour of the Society for Chemical and Process Engineering of the work that is relevant for regional cultural degree programmes as cross-sectional topics”. • Union Investment Stiftung, • Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung, Frankfurt a. M. Wipperfürth promotion in the Rhine-Main region. The initiators Professor Liselotte Schebek, Professor • Vereinigung von Freunden der TU zu Darmstadt e.V. , Darmstadt Alfred Nordmann and Professor Jens Steffek want • HEAG mobilo GmbH , Darmstadt Giersch Excellence Awards of the Carlo and Karin Giersch Foundation for outstanding doctoral • Heinrich Sauer & Josef Schmidt • Viessmann Werke Allendorf theses at the TU Darmstadt (6,000 euros each): Dr. Julius Gronefeld, Dr. Alexander Tichai, The special prize for gender and diversity-sensitive to contribute to consolidating a sustainable devel- Stiftung, Gelnhausen GmbH, Allendorf (Eder) Dr. Olga Sokol. • Vössing Ingenieurgesellschaft teaching went to Dr. Meinrad von Engelberg, opment mindset at the TU. The general topic 2018: • Herrhausen, Traudl, mbH, Frankfurt a. M. Giersch Excellence Grants for the doctorate phase (2,500 euros each): Sajjad Hussain Mirza, Lukas Bad Homburg Department of Architecture, for the seminar “Frauen “Fake News”. • von Ledebur, Ernst, Freiherr, Rammelmüller, Jan-Paul Hucka, Alexey Prosvetov, Philipp Bolz, Bernhard Maaß, Frederic • hkp Deutschland GmbH, Darmstadt Frankfurt a. M. Kornas lassen bauen – Auftraggeberinnen in der Architek- • vwd Vereinigte Wirtschafts- • Honda Research Institute Europe dienste GmbH , Kaiserslautern Awards of the Vereinigung von Freunden der Technischen Universität zu Darmstadt e.V. for turgeschichte von Hatschepsut bis Merkel” (“Female GmbH , Offenbach outstanding doctoral theses (2,500 euros each): • Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau Dr. Konstantin Biel (law and economics), construction clients in the history of architecture • Horst Görtz Stiftung , AG, Frankfurt a. M. Dr. Dirk Hommrich (social sciences and history), Dr. Marzia Ahmad Sharbafi (humanities), Neu Anspach from Hatshepsut to Merkel”), conceived in cooper- • Weisenburger Bau GmbH, Rastatt Dr.-Ing. Alexandru Calotoiu (computer science), Dr.-Ing. Björn Richerzhagen, (electrical • Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik ation with the Deutsches Architekturmuseum Frank- GmbH , Darmstadt • wörner traxler richter engineering and information technology), Dr.-Ing Bernhard Jochen Simon (mechanical planungsgesellschaft mbh, engineering), Dr.-Ing. Hendrik Hellmers (civil and environmental engineering), furt am Main. • HPP – Harnischfeger, Frankfurt a. M. Awards Pietsch & Partner Strategie- Dr. Hannes Meinlschmidt (mathematics), Dr. Johannes Simonis (physics), Dr. Doreen Könning und Marketingberatung GmbH, • Yatta Solutions GmbH, Frankfurt a. M. Frankfurt a. M. (chemistry), Dr. Anne Kathrin Ludwig (biology), Dr. Stephan Schulz (materials and geosciences)
96 97 Proximity to the Nobel Prize Concentrated inspirations
As a guest in Stockholm Norbert Pietralla and Markus Roth, TU professors Infrastructure” (ELI), a network of three large at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, were invited research facilities in Prague, Bucharest and Szeged, by Gérard Mourou to attend the Nobel Prize which will house the new generation of laser sys- celebrations in Stockholm. Together with Donna tems. The TU has supported and accompanied ELI Strickland, Mourou received the Nobel Prize in from the very beginning. Physics for their pioneering contributions to nuclear photonics. The representatives from Darmstadt Outstanding chemist with TU connection were also present when Mourou gave his Nobel Frances H. Arnold, who was awarded a Nobel Prize Prize lecture at the University of Stockholm. in Chemistry in 2018, has connections with TU Darmstadt: In 2013, the enzyme researcher received During the celebrations, Mourou sent greetings to the Emanuel Merck Lectureship prize, which is the TU and emphasized that he was looking forward jointly awarded by Merck and the TU. Arnold to further cooperation. Professor Roth has worked showed for the first time 25 years ago that proteins closely with the Nobel laureate and is also research- can specifically acquire a non-natural quality in ing high-energy lasers at the TU. the laboratory. Her “guided evolution in the test tube” has fundamentally changed the development Mourous’s contributions have revolutionised laser of catalysts. and plasma physics. Thanks to new developments by Strickland and himself, lasers that shone more than a thousand times brighter than previous systems were built as early as the 1980s. In recent years, Mourou has pursued the vision of building a European infrastructure for high-performance Nobel Laureate Conference in Lindau with young scientists from all over the world. lasers. He initiated the European “Extreme Light The numbers alone are impressive: At the 68th They travelled to Lake Constance with the support Nobel Laureate Conference in Lindau, 39 of those of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. Nobel laureate honoured in Stockholm in the disciplines of medi- Gérard Mourou, cine, chemistry and physics met around 600 young The conference included different formats. In flanked by Professors researchers from 84 nations. Student Ann Schirin “classic” lectures, the Nobel Laureates reported on Norbert Pietralla (left) Mirsanaye and doctoral student Oliver Rauh the latest developments in their research and per- and Markus Roth. attended this special event on behalf of the TU. sonal experiences that have shaped their scientific careers. In the relaxed atmosphere of the “Agora Talks”, the guests spoke about a topic of their choice and were available for questions of any kind. „This week in Lindau was unique The “Open Discussions” offered the opportunity to discuss scientific, political or personal topics with in many respects and has the Nobel laureates in a relaxed atmosphere. certainly inspired us. We can A special highlight for the two TU associates was only encourage anyone the “Academic Dinner” of the Dieter Schwarz who enjoys research to apply Foundation with Professor Tomas Lindahl, the Nobel to participate“. Laureate for Chemistry 2015.
Awards Student Ann Schirin Mirsanaye and doctoral student Oliver Rauh
98 99 5 Foundation Professorships international* appointments NATURpur Institut für Klima- und Umweltschutz und Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft: Foundation Professorship Applied Geothermal Science and Technology in the Department of Materials and Earth Sciences Professor Ingo Sass
Deutsche Bahn Stiftung gGmbH: 12 Foundation Professorship Railway Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Andreas Oetting appointments in total Institut Wohnen und Umwelt GmbH * Appointments of foreign citizens or individuals abroad Foundation Assistant Professorship Models of Housing and Energy Policy in the Department of History and Social Sciences to professorships/assistant professorships Professor Kai Schulze
New honorary professors New Professors Name from Department Rudolf Pfaendner Nathalie Behnke University of Konstanz History and Social Sciences Reinhold Bertrand Mechanical Engineering Department of Chemistry European Space Agency, European Space Operation Center, Darmstadt Thomas Burg Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen Electrical Engineering an Information Technology Marco Durante Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Italy Physics Jörg H. Mayer Jan Giesselmann University of Stuttgart Mathematics Department of Law Sophie Loidolt University of Vienna, Österreich History and Social Sciences and Economics Alexandre Obertelli Technische Universität Darmstadt Physics Thomas Schneider Technische Universität Darmstadt Computer Science Markus Landgraf Anke Weidenkaff University of Stuttgart Materials and Earth Sciences Department of Mechanical Engineering
Henning Puder New Assistant Professors Department of Electrical Engineering Name from Department and information technology Jochen Hack Technische Universität Darmstadt Materials and Earth Sciences Vera Krewald* University of Bath, United Kingdom Chemistry Matthias Scheitza Yingkun Li Technische Universität Darmstadt Mathematics Department of Mechanical Engineering * Tenure-Track
New Adjunct Professors New KIVA-Professors (apl. Prof.) Name from Department Annette Mütze Graz University of Technology Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Yuri Genenko Antke Engel Institute for queer theory, Berlin History and Social Sciences Department of Materials Claudia Harzer University of Kassel Human Sciences Marco Weber Human Sciences and Earth Sciences University of Kassel Awards figures and Facts
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Botanical Gardens August-Euler Airfield (with wind tunnel) University Stadium
City Centre
Imprint
Publisher Translation Hiroko Tadokoro / World Robot Concept and Design President of TU Darmstadt Lund Languages, Köln Summit 1 conclouso GmbH & Co. KG, Mainz Karolinenplatz 5 Felix Gauger: 1 www.conclouso.de 64289 Darmstadt Photo Editor Thomas Eicken: 1 Patrick Bal Christoph Jaeckle: 1 Printing Editor Julia Nimke / Lindau Druckerei Ph. Reinheimer Jörg Feuck Photography Nobel Laureate Meeting: 1 GmbH Darmstadt Corporate Communications, Titelbild Ellen Lewis Stephanie Werner: 1 TU Darmstadt Katrin Binner: 32 Linda Theisinger-Reinartz: 1 Circulation (english): Jan-Christoph Hartung: 19 Bettina Bastian: 1 350 Copy Patrick Bal: 10 Daniel Thieme: 1 TU Darmstadt, Astrid Ludwig, Claus Völker: 5 Jens Guthermuth: 1 May 2019 Uta Neubauer. Felipe Fernandes: 4 HIGHEST: 1 Authors: Boris Hänßler, Thomas Ott: 4 Jürgen Mai / ESA: 1 Hildegard Kaulen, Sandra Junker: 4 Continental: 1 Christian Meier, Jutta Witte Gregor Rynkowski: 3 Gregor Schuster: 1
Campus impressions Campus Michael Jorden / DAAD: 1 Ellen Lewis: 1
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