© PantherMedia / Goodluz

The Alumni Magazine Focuses on International Alumni Support

International alumni play an important role in the university’s identity. More than enough reason for the current issue of the magazine to focus on the international alumni relations supported by the Excellence Program. Dive into an interview with TUD’s Rector and her views on alumni work. Explore the career paths of selected alumni in the San Francisco Bay Area and the founding of an alumni chapter there. And be sure to watch the video that introduces some of dedicated alumni ambassadors and the vision behind the network.

           

Dresden: Summer Schools in Germany’s Research Hub

Dresden has many excellent summer schools, and TUD’s Strategy and Internationalization Team, working closely with DRESDEN-concept, have put together a comprehensive overview. A list of the summer schools in Dresden for the year 2025 is now online. There is also an overview of what’s happening in Dresden and the special exhibitions put on by DRESDEN-concept partners, as well as tips for organizing a summer school in Dresden.
Save the date: on June 12, a networking meeting for summer school organizers will take place under the motto ´Science meets Culture´.

© Sarah Jonek/Wissenswerkstadt Bielefeld

Science in Three Minutes

On April 27, at 7 pm, early-career researchers will take to the stage of the Kleines Haus at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden. Their goal: to explain science in just three minutes. Every year, young researchers from around the world compete in “FameLab”, an international science communication competition. Dresden is hosting one of the regional stages of the competition in Germany. Come and watch this exciting competition live and on site. The admission is free, there are over 300 seats available – and the audience gets to pick winner.

© Freepik.com/asierromero

Let's Talk About Air on April 10

´Let's talk about...´ is the title and content of a special series of events organized by DRESDEN-concept and the German Hygiene Museum Dresden (Deutsches Hygiene-Museum). Join us on April 10 where, inspired by the exhibition “Air. One for All”, we’ll be talking to Dresden’s residents about the role of air in our lives. As an introduction, experts based in Dresden from the natural, cultural and engineering sciences will briefly present their research fields. Afterwards, you will be able to talk to the scientists in small groups and address questions. Admission is free.

© Laura Hartmann/Integrale

Lecture Series “Air for Life – Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Cooperation with DRESDEN-concept”

Air is omnipresent, essential - and yet intangible. It is a central element that connects us and yet often goes unnoticed. This series of lectures will take place every Tuesday between 6:30 and 8:00 pm starting on April 15 and aims to highlight the complex significance of air in science, society and the environment. Experts from TUD and the DRESDEN-concept research alliance will shed light on the diverse issues surrounding the topic of air from the perspective of different scientific and cultural disciplines.

           

Sustainability Week: On the Lookout for Ideas, Events and Projects

For the fourth time now, TUD is hosting the “Sustainability Week – DO IT NOW”. Between June 16 and 20, university groups and local sustainability initiatives will have a platform to share their work through workshops, lectures, events or booths. The call for participants is now open! If you’d like to contribute, simply submit your proposal using the participation form by April 18. The Green Office is the coordinating institution for the Sustainability Week and is available to answer any questions you may have and provide support.

Dr. Ludovica Sasso © Robert Jentzsch

Dr. Sasso is the new Eleonore Trefftz Professor

Dr. Ludovica Sasso has been a visiting professor at the Institute of History in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science since April 1. She teaches and conducts research as part of the Eleonore Trefftz Program. During her one-year stay, she will lend her expertise to the DFG-funded project Invective Asymmetrization while enriching the faculty’s curriculum with intercultural topics. Collaborations with Medieval History, Early Modern History, and the DFG project Protestant Hagiography and Sermons on the Turks are also in the making. Beyond this, Dr. Sasso will actively participate in the Center for Italian Studies, fostering and expanding the institute’s connections with Italy.

© PantherMedia / anna_stasiia

Open Call: Queer Science Panel enters its 4th round

Queer research or queer methodologies – whatever your focus, TUD’s Queer Science Panel on May 16 is the place to share it. Academics and students are encouraged to give brief presentations (7–10 min) on their work. All fields and perspectives are welcome!

© GenderConceptGroup

Gender Lectures “Bytes and Bias”

Under the title “Bytes and Bias – Gender Sensitization and Stereotyping in Digital Teaching and Learning Spaces,” the Gender Concept Group, in cooperation with the Digital Teaching Team at the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, invites you to a new, interdisciplinary lecture series in the summer semester of 2025. The talks will explore how gender norms influence digital learning environments, look at strategies for designing gender-inclusive approaches to teaching, and discuss the potential benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and open educational resources in education.

© think-design | Jochen Thamm

Quantum Tornadoes in Momentum Space: First Experimental Proof of a New Quantum Phenomenon

A breakthrough that’s turning heads in the scientific community: A young research team from Würzburg has experimentally demonstrated a quantum tornado for the first time by refining an established method. In the quantum semimetal tantalum arsenide (TaAs), electrons in momentum space behave like a swirling vortex. This quantum phenomenon was first predicted eight years ago by a Dresden-based founding member of the Cluster of Excellence Complexity and Topology in Quantum Materials (ct.qmat). The discovery, a collaborative effort between ct.qmat, the research network of the Universities of Würzburg and Dresden, and international partners, has now been published in Physical Review X.

© German Robotics Conference

German Robotics Conference and Survey on Robotics

In March, the Cluster of Excellence Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI) was part of the first German Robotics Conference, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG). In addition to innovative developments, RIG also focuses on the role of robotics in education - which is also a central concern of CeTI.

How can robotics be sustainably integrated into the classroom? A survey will help to understand what role robotics currently plays in German schools, what framework conditions exist and what support teachers need. Participation helps to promote robotics in a targeted way!

© COSMO Wissenschaftsforum

PoL | New Exhibition at COSMO Wissenschaftsforum

The Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) has developed a new interactive exhibition for COSMO Wissenschaftsforum at the Kulturpalast in Dresden. The exhibition, titled “What is Life?”, is suitable for all ages, and contains experiments, comics, and videos demonstrating how the interplay of molecules, cells, and tissues shape an organism. Visitors are invited every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to glimpse into the world of biophysics and see how scientists study fundamental questions about life itself. There will be a PoL volunteer present to engage with the public and answer questions until the exhibition concludes on May 8.

© B CUBE

Engineering Life Symposium 2025: Origin and Function of Mechanical Forces in Biology

Dive into the fascinating world of mechanical forces with leading experts from around the globe. Explore advancements and challenges in biological research, from cellular mechanics to cutting-edge biotechnological applications. Register now so you do not miss out on engaging presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities that will inspire and connect you with the brightest minds in the field.

On the left: Single-cell green alga Chlamydomonas with two cilia (scale bar 3 µm). On the right: a schematic of a twisted internal structure of a cilium. © Veikko F. Geyer and Martin Striegler

The Hidden Twist: Scientists Capture Cilia’s Secret Motion

Sperm cells swim by rhythmically beating their tail. The tail is known as the cilium and can also be found in cells of the lungs and brain, where it helps to pump fluid through tissue. However, the details of how cilia generate their rhythmic beat are still unknown. Using high-speed microscopy, researchers from the B CUBE and the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) have found a new piece of the puzzle. They have captured that cilia twist during their beat. Their findings, published in Nature Physics, suggest that the twisting motion may play a key role in coordinating the movement of molecular motors inside cilia.

Prof. Franziska Knopf © Franziska Clauß/CRTD

Dr. Knopf Appointed Professor of Biology of Bone Regeneration in Model Organisms

Dr. Franziska Knopf was appointed Professor of Biology of Bone Regeneration in Model Organisms at TU Dresden. Her research group at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) and the Center for Healthy Aging at the Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus studies mechanisms of bone formation and regeneration in zebrafish.