Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is among the winners of the competition “Researcher Alumni Strategies” 2014. With its project idea to integrate former international guest scientists into its innovation culture, KIT convinced the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Researcher alumni are to act as KIT ambassadors all over the world. In return, they profit from special offers and exclusive access to the knowledge network of KIT.
What comes after a stay for research abroad, a doctorate? What becomes of the research results? Are they implemented and if yes, how? Innovation is the starting point of KIT’s project idea for a researcher alumni initiative. Together with former international guest scientists, KIT plans to initiate a dialog about the economic and societal use of research activities and to accompany the way from the idea to the marketable product or concept.
What comes after a stay for research abroad, a doctorate? What becomes of the research results? Are they implemented and if yes, how? Innovation is the starting point of KIT’s project idea for a researcher alumni initiative. Together with former international guest scientists, KIT plans to initiate a dialog about the economic and societal use of research activities and to accompany the way from the idea to the marketable product or concept.
Researcher alumni are international scientists, who came to KIT to conduct research as doctoral students, post-docs or executive scientists and continued their career at home or in another country. They are considered ideal multipliers to inform young scientists in their community networks about the opportunities associated with a stay for research abroad and to arouse their interest. Moreover, researcher alumni have the potential, motivation, and often also the opportunities to start innovations. KIT offers ideal prerequisites to support the implementation of innovations by these scientists and alumni.
It is planned to directly contact and inform researcher alumni, to offer them specially tailored trainings, and to establish platforms for personal exchange. The “KIT meets…” events are to be extended to the international level. Future researcher alumni will be requested to take part in events and activities relating to innovations during their stay at KIT.
As a winner of the “Researcher Alumni Strategies” competition, the KIT will be granted funds in the amount of nearly EUR 30,000 by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In total, 19 universities and research institutions in Germany have won the competition that is part of the project “International Research Marketing” of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, the German Research Foundation, and the Fraunhofer Society. This project is funded by the BMBF under the initiative “Research in Germany”.
The project “Researcher Alumni and KIT in Dialog: Research Follow-up Activities and Innovation” is managed by the International Affairs and Relationship Management/KIT Alumni Service Units. Activities are coordinated by the International Scholars & Welcome Office of KIT, the central contact partner for international scientists.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.