Scholarship Recipients 2017

Bachelor’s degree course:

B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Master’s degree course:

M. Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Professional and career goals:

After finishing my studies I’d like to start out as a research assistant in the field of fluid mechanics.

Focus and special interests in course of study

I’ve designed my master’s degree course with the aim of gaining good foundational knowledge in classical mechanical theory, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and numerical mathematics – secondly I’m trying to supplement these theoretical courses with classes related to the application of these fields.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Darmstadt University of Technology?

I especially value the quality of the courses, meaning the opportunity to learn from people who are absolute experts in their fields, and to occasionally hear something about current research as well. In mechanical engineering I like the fact that I can design my master’s degree course myself by choosing among courses. I’m especially interested in fluid mechanics, and I’m glad that there is a wide range of courses offered on this subject.

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do? The funding has made it possible for me to concentrate solely on my studies. I plan to use part of the scholarship money to finance a stay abroad. Apart from that I naturally enjoy having contact with the other scholarship recipients.

Bachelor’s degree course

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a focus on automation technology at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Master’s degree course

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a focus on automation technology at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Professional and career goals

Autonomous driving has fascinated me for a long time. In my opinion this is an impressive example of how technology can improve human lives. One reason is that the time we spend in cars every day could be put to better use. Another – much more important – reason is that a large number of car accidents could be avoided. I would like to contribute to making autonomous driving a reality in people’s daily lives in the near future. This is why, in a few years when I’ve finished my university studies, I’d like to be working in the research or development department of a company, looking at how to bring us one step closer to having vehicles without steering wheels on German streets.

Focus and special interests in course of study

During my electrical engineering course I’ve delved into automation technology. In this field you can learn, independently of any application, the fundamentals of how a behaviour is imported into a system, a behaviour which is not in accordance with that system’s own physical or natural dynamics. For example, how can you ensure that a vehicle automatically maintains a certain distance from the car in front of it? It’s always astonishing to see how, when the steering calculations have been made, the system exhibits behaviour which is entirely contrary to human intuition. In my master’s degree studies I would like to focus even more on automated systems. In more specialised lectures I’ll be able to learn how cameras and image processing allow a car to “see” its environment, for example.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt?

What I like about my electrical engineering studies at the Darmstadt University of Technology is the ability to choose from a broad range of options. First during the bachelor’s degree course we’re able to choose a focus and later in the master’s degree course students are able to choose the lectures we attend. So each electrical engineering student at the Darmstadt University of Technology can take their own path according to their individual interests, and can develop completely different skills.

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do?

The scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation has made it possible for me to pursue my studies and my club activities without having to worry about finances. In a university city such as Darmstadt, where the prices for rental accommodation are almost out of reach for students, this is something no one can take for granted and I’m very grateful.

Bachelor’s degree course

B. Sc. in Industrial Engineering in the subjects electrical engineering and computer science at the Darmstadt University of Technology

B.Sc. in Physics at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Master’s degree course

M. Sc. in Industrial Engineering in the subjects electrical engineering and computer science at the Darmstadt University of Technology

M. Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Darmstadt University of Technology

M. Sc. in Physics at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Professional and career goals

After my studies I’d like to work in the research and development of electrical energy technologies. I’m especially interested in how these technologies interface with other fields such as the business aspects of project planning, information management, and questions related to materials science with direct technical applicability. I can see myself working in the commercial realm or in an academic environment, either one.

Focus and special interests in course of study

The technical focus of my studies is electrical energy technologies, in particular energy conversion. Currently I’m learning a lot about electrical machines and, within that field, high-power generators in particular. In physics I’m learning about solid state physics and dynamics in soft matter. When it comes to economic topics, I’m primarily interested in mathematical modelling and optimisation for various applications.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt?

What I like about the university is that it’s possible to be on several courses at the same time so as to follow one’s own personal interests. For the most part the environment is favourable to interdisciplinary studies and therefore promotes interdisciplinary thinking as well. In addition, students receive a solid education in mathematical/technical subjects and have a broad range of possible subjects to focus on during their master’s degree studies.

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do?

The scholarship makes it possible to concentrate entirely on the progress of my studies. It gives me the necessary time, including for writing my master’s degree thesis, and has helped/will help to partly finance an internship.

Bachelor’s degree course

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences

Master’s degree course

Master’s degree in Mechanics at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Professional and career goals

Later I’d like to work in research and development at a technology-orientated company, working in the field of engineering mechanics. I find new technologies especially fascinating.

Focus and special interests in course of study

Within the broad topic of engineering mechanics, my focus is on structural mechanics.

In particular, I’m interested in strength calculation and structural durability. Interdisciplinary knowledge is necessary to accurately determine durability; it requires the description of the construction component load, its impact on the structure, and the mechanical description of the material in question.

Only sufficient knowledge of the quantities involved makes the cost- and resource-optimised design of construction components possible.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt?

The broad range of choices makes it possible for me to design my studies as I like.

My interdisciplinary course has given me insights into many fields and what it is like to work in them. I’ve attended classes on classical engineering, such as civil and mechanical engineering, as well as physics, computer science, and mathematics.

Lectures which address a topic in greater depth, and have a high faculty-student ratio, also give me the opportunity to learn in a very direct way.

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do?

The scholarship allows me to concentrate fully on my studies. The financial support creates the circumstances in which this can take place, and makes it possible for me to attend university without being forced to work on the side.

Bachelor’s degree course

B. Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a focus on automation technology at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Master’s degree course

M. Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a focus on automation technology at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Professional and career goals

After finishing my studies I’d like to work in the field of automated control technology research. I can picture myself working in any one of several industries: automotive, robotics, facilities construction.

Focus and special interests in course of study

My focus is on automation technology, particularly the automated control of dynamic systems, which in mathematical terms leads to linear or non-linear differential equations. The design of an automated control which is meant to improve the existing system dynamics in certain ways is done more or less entirely via applied mathematics. The part I enjoy the most is when the solution we’ve developed is put to use in an actual system. Even if we have calculated it in advance, it’s still fascinating to see how the automated control works in practice. Automated control technology is like wizardry to me, and that’s why I like this course so much. An addition subject this focus addresses is machine learning, which can often supplement automated control technology.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt?

What really appealed to me about my bachelor’s degree course was the large selection of exciting lectures and internships, which provide broad foundational knowledge in electrical engineering. My master’s degree course also offers me many opportunities to personalise my studies of automated control technology. In addition, I appreciate the (mostly) modern equipment in our department, whether it’s PC pods or very well-equipped laboratories.

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do?

The funding provided by the Thomas Weiland Foundation means that I can concentrate fully on my master’s degree studies, and for me that’s the most important aspect. It has also helped me find an interesting internship at a company independent of financial concerns – the internship will help me deepen the specialised knowledge I’ve gained in my course.

Bachelor’s degree course

B. Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Master’s degree course

M. Sc. in Robotics at the Carnegie Mellon University, USA

M. Sc. in Autonomous Systems at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Professional and career goals

My goal is to work in the robotics field and to do research either in the commercial realm or an academic setting.

Focus and special interests in course of study

In my studies I’m focusing on the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Within these fields, my research interests are especially the development and optimisation of self-learning robot algorithms. The aim is one day to set up a robot at home and have it learn individual tasks, starting with the very basics.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt?

The Darmstadt University of Technology’s great strength is its broad offerings in research and lectures, some of which are in English. The university pays special attention to international exchange, and these ties have made it possible for me to do a second master’s degree at the Carnegie Mellon University in the United States..

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do?

The monthly financial support from the Thomas Weiland Foundation helps me because I don’t have to find a job on the side. This frees up time which I can use for my studies and research-related activities.

Bachelor’s degree course

B. Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Master’s degree course

M. Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a focus on automation technology

Professional and career goals

After my master’s degree I’d like to obtain a doctorate either in machine learning or robotics. In my professional career, I’d like to design technologies to make processes safer and more efficient.

Focus and special interests in course of study

In my studies I’m especially interested in the fields of automated control technology, image processing, and programming. In my master’s degree course I’d like to expand on this foundational knowledge and apply what I learn in the fields of robotics and machine learning.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt?

What I especially like about studying at the Darmstadt University of Technology is that we don’t simply learn about an application at a superficial level; we learn about the mathematics behind it.

Besides this I think it’s great that there are so many opportunities to learn about topics outside my own subject of study and that we have support in gaining international experience. During my studies I’ve spent two semesters abroad, in Spain and in Taiwan, and benefited from the fact that the university in Darmstadt has good relationships with partner universities abroad.

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do?

The scholarship gives me the freedom to follow my interests and learn more than is necessary simply to obtain my degree. I’m very grateful for this.

Bachelor’s degree course

B. Sc. in Mechanical and Process Engineering at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Master’s degree course

M. Sc. in Mechanical and Process Engineering at the Darmstadt University of Technology

Professional and career goals

My goal is to work in the research and development of new technologies and make a contribution. I’m especially interested in topics related to aerospace engineering.

Focus and special interests in course of study

One main aspect of my studies is the field of aerospace engineering, especially fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, which I learned quite a bit about for my bachelor’s degree thesis. I’d like to gain additional skills in this field. I’m also very interested in mechatronics and automated control technology.

What do I especially like about my studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt?

What I especially appreciate about studying at the Darmstadt University of Technology is the broad range and the quality of the courses and lectures. My course has allowed me to gain comprehensive knowledge of a wide variety of topics in mechanical engineering and I’ve been able to choose between a large number of different subjects. The close ties between individual departments and current research and developments in companies create a foundation, so that in our projects and theses students are easily able to learn about practical applications and possible combinations with theoretical principles.

What has the scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation enabled me to do?

The scholarship from the Thomas Weiland Foundation makes it possible for me to concentrate fully on my studies. It will also be helpful in realising my goal of studying abroad for one semester. In addition, it gives me the opportunity to get to know other motivated students who are especially interested in science and technology.