Energy, mobility, and information: In these areas, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) significantly contributes to mastering major challenges of society, such as the energy turnaround. KIT’s annual celebration at the Karlsruhe Congress Center presented these research areas and their interfaces. They are covered by the KIT 2025 Umbrella Strategy adopted last year. “This was a major milestone and gives us the opportunity to actively shape and design our future,” the President of KIT, Professor Holger Hanselka, said.
“The past year was not only successful for KIT, it was path-breaking: With the KIT 2025 Umbrella Strategy, we have taken the necessary steps for the next years,” Hanselka emphasized. “As KIT – The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, we make clear that we have become one KIT. This gives rise to incredibly exciting perspectives and major synergy potentials that can be used to the full extent.”
Based on its wide scope of disciplines, KIT plans to enhance its focus on energy, mobility, and information and to align its research activities to these global challenges. ”The interfaces of these areas of demand of society are of particular relevance and have to be covered optimally by both fundamental and applied research. Only in this way will we contribute essentially to the success of big projects, such as the energiewende, sustainable mobility or smart information technologies,” Holger Hanselka pointed out. Top-level research, education, and innovation are clear objectives of KIT, he continued. “With research-based university studies, our students are prepared well for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science. Our innovation efforts build a bridge between findings and application,” the President of KIT emphasized.
“KIT has accepted the challenge of merging two institutions in an entity. Today, we can proudly say that KIT has managed to optimally seize the associated opportunities and to establish itself as a brand known worldwide,” the Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KIT, Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, said. “KIT now is prepared well for addressing big tasks in the future.”
The Mayor of the City of Karlsruhe, Dr. Frank Mentrup, emphasized: “Karlsruhe and the KIT are very closely linked. International competitiveness of the region of Karlsruhe is based on the constantly growing interconnection of science and industry. KIT works on the pulse of industry and society and makes essential contributions to national and international cutting-edge research.”
Panel Discussion
Electric mobility, smart power grids, user acceptance, IT security, and industry 4.0: The effects of technology in these areas were in the focus of the panel discussion presented by Markus Brock. With Professor for Technology Ethics and Science Philosophy, Rafaela Hillerbrand, Martin Doppelbauer, Professor of Hybrid Electric Vehicles, and Professor Veit Hagenmeyer, Energy Informatics Expert, Brock talked about KIT’s research activities in the areas of energy, mobility, and information as well as about the importance of the interfaces and of dialog with society.
“How will technology effect our mobile future, digitization, and energy transition?“: Presenter Markus Brock discussed this question with Rafaela Hillerbrand, Veit Hagenmeyer, and Martin Doppelbauer.
(From left to right. Photo: Markus Breig, KIT)
Department Teaching Awards
Research- and application-oriented teaching modules, innovative teaching formats, interdisciplinarity, and up-to-date approaches: Outstanding education efforts of the KIT departments are honored by the Department Teaching Award of KIT’s Presidential Committee. At the annual celebration, Professor Alexander Wanner, KIT Vice President for Higher Education and Academic Affairs, handed over the awards to 18 lecturers of KIT. The awards in the amount of EUR 10,000 each are granted annually to teaching staff of the eleven KIT departments.
For video portraits of the award winners, click www.kit.edu/foerdern/19689.php (in German only).
Elevator Pitch
The idea underlying an elevator pitch is to convince the boss or potential investors of a business idea within a short period of time spent in an elevator together. Six startups of KIT presented their ideas for about 90 seconds each. The audience chose the winner: store2be, an online platform for the temporary booking of action and sales areas in retail stores or shopping centers. All six startups were founded by members of the Pioniergarage university group of KIT.
Result of the elevator pitch: The audience voted via smartphone.
(Photo: Markus Breig, KIT)
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.