Archive: News of Technische Universität Darmstadt
We apologize for not being able to present all of our news in English. Please find a selection of the most important news below. To see all news, please visit our German website.
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![Porträtbild Professor Dr. Justus Thies, Fachbereich Informatik]() Picture: Patrick Bal Picture: Patrick Bal![Porträtbild Professor Dr. Justus Thies, Fachbereich Informatik]() Picture: Patrick Bal Picture: Patrick BalThe convincing digital doppelganger 2024/09/05 ERC supports TU professor Justus Thies with Starting Grant TU professor Justus Thies is receiving a Starting Grant totalling 1.5 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC) for his project ‘Learning Digital Humans in Motion’. The exciting research goal: to develop AI-based image processing and graphic tools to create lifelike digital representations of people for the immersive digital world. 
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![]() Picture: Klaus Mai Picture: Klaus Mai![]() Picture: Klaus Mai Picture: Klaus MaiBreaking new ground in nuclear physics 2024/09/05 ERC Starting Grant for physicist Alexander Tichai Alexander Tichai is receiving a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for his project “DeformedNuclei – Ab initio pathway to deformed nuclei”. In the project the theoretical physicist is developing new methods for investigating deformed atomic nuclei and analysing the effects of interaction models on the predicted nuclear shapes. The funding totals 1.5 million euros. 
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![Porträt von Georgia Chalvatzaki mit einem humanoiden Roboter]() Picture: Katrin Binner Picture: Katrin Binner![Porträt von Georgia Chalvatzaki mit einem humanoiden Roboter]() Picture: Katrin Binner Picture: Katrin BinnerGiving AI a robotic body 2024/09/05 TU professor Georgia Chalvatzaki receives ERC Starting Grant for her project SIREN The “SIREN” research project at TU Darmstadt has been awarded a Starting Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). Professor Georgia Chalvatzaki will receive around 1.5 million euros of funding for five years. The computer scientist is researching innovative AI robot software architectures, which enable human-like robots to perform challenging tasks in unstructured and dynamic environments. 
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![UNITE!]() Picture: UNITTE! Picture: UNITTE!![UNITE!]() Picture: UNITTE! Picture: UNITTE!Unite!-Start-up-Award 2024/09/02 Unite! honors start-ups for the first time Unite! meets for the 10th time – and is growing. More members are taking part in the biannual Dialogue, more projects and ideas have emerged and more connections have been made: The Start-up & Innovation Day 2024 (InnoDay24) of the Innovation and Start-up Center HIGHEST at TU Darmstadt concludes the Dialogue and takes the opportunity to also give the start-up scene of the nine partner universities space and to network with each other. For the first time, an international jury of experts will present the Unite! start-up award to the two best start-ups. 
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![]() Picture: Matthias Spieler Picture: Matthias Spieler![]() Picture: Matthias Spieler Picture: Matthias SpielerA feel for snow 2024/09/02 Publication in “Nature Communications” on the prediction of avalanches Even a single person in the snow can exert enough pressure on it to cause a buried weak layer of snow to collapse and the snow cover to slide away. In this case, experts speak of anticracks. The fundamental fracture properties that can lead to powerful slab avalanches are still largely unknown, but crucial in order to accurately predict when avalanches will occur. In the journal “Nature Communications”, researchers led by TU scientist Dr.-Ing. Philipp Rosendahl are now presenting an innovative method that enables the fracture toughness of weak snow layers to be measured in the field under controlled conditions. 
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![Katrin Binner]() Picture: Katrin Binner Picture: Katrin Binner![Katrin Binner]() Picture: Katrin Binner Picture: Katrin Binner„Ein Netzwerk von Stockholm bis Lissabon“ 2024/08/30 Unite! and TU President in an FAZ interview The X. Dialogue represents another milestone in the five-year history of Unite!. The university alliance is growing, more and more ideas and projects are being implemented and many more connections are being made. TU Darmstadt, coordinator of the university alliance, invites to Darmstadt in September – a good opportunity to take stock. Unite! and TU President Professor Tanja Brühl did just that in an interview with the FAZ. 
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![Jan-Christoph Hartung]() Picture: Jan-Christoph Hartung Picture: Jan-Christoph Hartung![Jan-Christoph Hartung]() Picture: Jan-Christoph Hartung Picture: Jan-Christoph HartungUnite! 21-Day Diversity & Inclusion Challenge 2024/08/27 A self-directed, online and free learning tool designed to deepen your understanding of diversity and inclusion Do you sometimes feel the world we live in should be more inclusive? And do you feel that your social or work environment is accessible and safe? Can you identify situations that might make you feel uncomfortable or could be improved? Then the “21 Day Diversity and Inclusion Challenge” is for you! 
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![]() Picture: ryon Picture: ryon![]() Picture: ryon Picture: ryonBiomaterials in the entrepreneurial focus 2024/08/15 ryon Rhine-Main-Universities Summer School 2024 From October 7 to 11, 2024, the ryon Summer School in Darmstadt and Gernsheim offers the opportunity to help shape the future of synthetic biology and biomaterials. Under the motto “From idea to start-up”, a platform will be created to offer young researchers the opportunity to develop and realize new business ideas. The event is part of the “CoM2Life” cluster project, which is in the running for a cluster of excellence in the prestigious Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. 
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![Professor Peter Gruss]() Picture: OIST Picture: OIST![Professor Peter Gruss]() Picture: OIST Picture: OIST“Studying at the TU was extremely effective for me” 2024/08/13 Prof. Peter Gruss began his international career as a microbiologist in Darmstadt He is regarded as an American-style maker and the news magazine “Der Spiegel” once described him as “the humble high-flyer”. In fact, Peter Gruss is one of the world's leading cell biologists. He has successfully conducted research into tumour viruses and gene regulation at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg and in the United States. As President for many years, he developed the Max Planck Society further and strengthened its internationalisation. The basis for his scientific career was a degree in biology at TU Darmstadt. “Studying there was a privilege,” says the alumnus today. 
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![Chatgpt-Eingabemaske ist auf einem Smartphone zu sehen]() Picture: Tada Images - stock.adobe.com Picture: Tada Images - stock.adobe.com![Chatgpt-Eingabemaske ist auf einem Smartphone zu sehen]() Picture: Tada Images - stock.adobe.com Picture: Tada Images - stock.adobe.comIndependent, complex thinking not (yet) possible after all 2024/08/12 Study led by the TU shows limitations of ChatGPT & co. According to a new study led by TU Darmstadt, AI models such as ChatGPT are apparently less capable of learning independently than previously assumed. According to the study, there is no evidence that what are known as large language models (LLMs) are beginning to develop a general “intelligent” behaviour that would enable them to proceed in a planned or intuitive manner or to think in a complex way. The study will be presented in August at the annual conference of the renowned Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) in Bangkok, the largest international conference on automatic language processing. 
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![]() Picture: Dr. Simone Schaub-Meyer Picture: Dr. Simone Schaub-Meyer![]() Picture: Dr. Simone Schaub-Meyer Picture: Dr. Simone Schaub-Meyer“RAI” researchers awarded 2024/08/08 Successful participation in renowned conference Researchers from the “Reasonable Artificial Intelligence” (RAI) project took part in this year's “Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition” (CVPR) and successfully presented the results of their work in workshops and conference papers. “RAI” is in the running for a Cluster of Excellence in the prestigious Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. 
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![Der rheinland-pfälzische Wissenschaftsminister Clemens Hoch (l.), JGU-Präsident Prof. Dr. Georg Krausch (3.v.l.) und JGU-Vizepräsident Prof. Dr. Stefan Müller-Stach (5.v.l.) mit Wissenschaftler*innen des Exzellenzprojekts CoM2Life, darunter Professor Heinz Koeppl von der TU Darmstadt (5.v.l.).]() Picture: JGU Mainz/Stefan F. Sämmer Picture: JGU Mainz/Stefan F. Sämmer![Der rheinland-pfälzische Wissenschaftsminister Clemens Hoch (l.), JGU-Präsident Prof. Dr. Georg Krausch (3.v.l.) und JGU-Vizepräsident Prof. Dr. Stefan Müller-Stach (5.v.l.) mit Wissenschaftler*innen des Exzellenzprojekts CoM2Life, darunter Professor Heinz Koeppl von der TU Darmstadt (5.v.l.).]() Picture: JGU Mainz/Stefan F. Sämmer Picture: JGU Mainz/Stefan F. SämmerRhineland-Palatinate Science Minister at “CoM2Life” 2024/07/31 Clemens Hoch visits cluster project at Mainz University On his summer trip this year, Rhineland-Palatinate Science Minister Clemens Hoch visited Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) last week and learned about the joint cluster project “CoM2Life” of TU Darmstadt, JGU Mainz and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. 
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![Porträtbild Eginhard Jungmann]() Picture: privat/TU Darmstadt Picture: privat/TU Darmstadt![Porträtbild Eginhard Jungmann]() Picture: privat/TU Darmstadt Picture: privat/TU DarmstadtDonation for TU Darmstadt 2024/07/31 Alumnus Eginhard Jungmann expresses his thanks to his alma mater Eginhard Jungmann came to Germany as a young man and late resettler from the former Upper Silesia in 1958. Since he had come across publications and books by two professors teaching in Darmstadt, his path led him to the Technical University. More than 60 years and a successful management career with Siemens later, he now expresses his thanks to his alma mater and his former department of Electrical Engineering by making a generous donation. 
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![]()  ![]()  Unite! Research School 2024/07/26 Registration is Open! From 14th to 18th October 2024, the Unite! Research School will bring together MSc and PhD students, as well as researchers from across Europe, in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, Industry 4.0, Nuclear Engineering and Sustainable Electronics. 
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![]() Picture: TU Darmstadt Picture: TU Darmstadt![]() Picture: TU Darmstadt Picture: TU DarmstadtEurope visits Darmstadt 2024/07/22 The European university alliance Unite! meets from September 24 to 26 and presents itself to the public Since its inception five years ago, the Unite! University Network for Innovation, Technology, and Engineering has thrived thanks to the collaborative efforts of its nine partner universities. Under the theme “Inspiring People – Sparking Innovation,” these events aim to emphasise the collaboration between universities and society, as well as to showcase and disseminate the achievements of the alliance to a wider public. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
