Strategy development of TU Darmstadt 2020-2023

The research strategy of TU Darmstadt had been developed in a participatory process in 2020. Starting with an analysis of the special characteristics of research at TU Darmstadt, we formulated our research strategy with the vision of in-depth, excellent and attractive research for both students and scientists in mind. All of this is relevant in transforming and sustainably advancing science, technology, economy and society. To realise this vision, we defined seven goals and various measures.

With three fields of research and starting out with four research topics for each field, we have conceptualised the contextual strength of research of TU Darmstadt anew within the strategy process. Our three fields of research Environment (E+E), Information and Intelligence (I+I) as well as Matter and Materials (M+M) span resonant spaces in which we jointly seek and find answers to important questions of science and society. Within these fields of research, top scientists and their teams propel research forward by way of highly focussed and relevant research topics. These high-profile research topics shape the academic reputation of Technical University of Darmstadt.

In a world that is increasingly interconnected globally, internationalising universities is not an option but a requirement. At TU Darmstadt, we see internationalisation as an instrument for achieving excellence and diversity in all areas of our University and for increasing our competitiveness. To this end, we are going to improve the framework conditions for physical and non-physical mobility of all members of our University community, to strengthen our strategic international partnerships, to develop additional formats of cooperation and to create new ones. We will incorporate functional multilingualism in our language concept and by doing so support the EU’s language policy as a European Technical University within our Unite! Alliance of European Universities. It is the EU’s objective to strengthen Europe’s mutual understanding, diversity and competitiveness. Gaining important insights while studying in multilingual and multicultural teams increases the personal skills and competences of our graduates and contributes significantly to their professional success after completing their academic studies.

How do we stay attractive as an institution for a pool of students, teachers and employees that is increasingly diverse? How do we get ready for a future that is diverse and multifaceted? Actively responding to diversity provides the University as an institution with the opportunity to assist people with differing needs, to use the different avenues available, to grow and to improve.

In the Strategy Concept 2020, TU Darmstadt identified diversity as one of the key cross-sectional topics to be worked on in depth, i.e., developing the diversity strategy takes place in coordination with other strategic goals of TU Darmstadt. The idea central to the diversity strategy is that diversity and (gender) equality are imperative to us and that we must promote and support them on all levels.

To implement this on all University levels, TU Darmstadt is developing a diversity strategy in collaboration with all members of the University to reveal needs, to formulate a mutual understanding of diversity and to derive concrete measures as a result. This process will be concluded in springtime 2023, when the Senate of TU Darmstadt will decide on the final version of the diversity strategy.

At our Technical University, the Third Mission has always been one of the most important and significant pillars. The number of innovations developed at TU Darmstadt and the numerous spin-offs established as a result demonstrate this impressively. From our point of view, the challenges and questions that we currently face and need to answer worldwide with increasing urgency, such as climate change and digital transformation, require a rethinking of the still widely practised unidirectional “transfer” of knowledge and technology to a multidirectional XChange in the sense of multilogs. At TU Darmstadt, we take a partner-centred perspective and we collaborate in solidarity with our partners in the world of business, civil society, politics and culture to find pioneering and sustainable solutions together: XChange4Transformation. Our in-house HIGHEST Innovation and Start-up Centre plays a central role in transforming pioneering ideas formed at our University via start-ups into concrete innovations.

Based on the strategy concept, a new guiding principle will emerge step by step which will include a sustainable transformation. The sustainable development strategy’s aim is to heighten the awareness of sustainable development among the members of the University and to intensify the interest and exchange in this matter across the University. As part of the overall strategy, the sustainable development strategy allows for building upon already existing achievements and potentials of sustainable development. In a participatory process, goals and measures for going easy on social, ecological and economic resources are formulated and subsequently implemented in a systematic order. In the long run, the sustainable development strategy will be known by all organisational structures of the University and be the basis for their actions. The Agenda 2030 with its 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) focussing on key problems of a global transformation will provide orientation and a higher-level objective.

Information on the partial strategy will be added in 2022.

The “Principles for Studying and Teaching”, adopted in November 2022, are the result of a broad discussion at the university in which all status groups actively participated over a period of twelve months.

This document reflects our understanding of teaching and learning. It presents guidelines and quality goals for the design of our study programmes and takes into account current social and technical challenges. This includes considerations on how the digitalisation of studies and teaching should be sensibly designed, how to deal with diversity, how the issue of sustainability should be included in the curricula of our degree programs, how to include broad international experiences when studying at TU Darmstadt as well a statement to promote the health of our student body. Long established profile elements of study at our university, such as research-oriented teaching and interdisciplinarity, have of course been retained.

The principles for studying and teaching formulate quality goals on:

• outstanding academic performance
• focus on our students‘ needs
• personal education and development
• appreciative interpersonal relationships
• culture of openness
• good studiability

In addition to being aimed at students, the principles also focus on the teachers who, as outstanding researchers and didactically competent teaching personalities, are central to achieving the quality goals that have been set.

The principles for studying and teaching adopted in 2022 will be taken into account in the development of Bachelor's, Master's and teaching degree programmes. They also form the basis of the academic continuing education programmes. The principles for studying and teaching are thus part of the quality management of TU Darmstadt and support the implementation of changes.