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Ecology of the Biebrza floodplains in Poland
06.07.2023The huge area of the Biebrza floodplain and the high heterogeneity at the landscape level result in a very high biodiversity and ensure the survival of species-rich communities. Thus, 130 bird species and more than 300 plant species (about 1/3 of the occurring species), including relict species of the ice ages (e.g. Polemonium caeruleum ), could be detected during the field work. “Together with the observations of Lesser Spotted Eagles, Moose and even a Wolf trotting through the sedge meadows, this left nothing to be desired. The eleven students of the Environmental Monitoring course were thus able to get to know a typical lowland floodplain landscape, which unfortunately no longer exists in Western Europe.”, sums up Professor Frank Dziock, leader of the field course. "We were able to use the faculty's own field station, which is equipped with two large dormitories and a large kitchen, as well as places for plant and insect identification. The Gugny Field Station is located in the middle of the National Park. Thus, extensive experiencing and exploring of the floodplain (wearing rubber boots and a mosquito net on your head, of course) could start right outside the station. It was an incredibly enriching experience." is how one participant of the field course summed it up. This was made possible by the cooperation with the University of Białystok (Faculty of Biology), which has been running since 2021. Professor Frank Dziock: “The Faculty LUC of HTW Dresden and the participants of the field trip would therefore like to express their sincere thanks to Dr Krzysztof Deoniziak, Dr Paweł Mirski, Prof. Mirosław Ratkiewicz and Prof. Jan Taylor from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Białystok, who made our field course possible through a wide range of organisational work, suggestions for field trip destinations, the provision of the "Gugny Field Station" and lectures as well as the provision of literature.” The cooperation is financially supported by the ERASMUS programme. News release University of Białystok
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Conference Ostpartner
15.06.2023We look back happily to our conference “Ostpartner”: Exciting days full of interesting discussions, interdisciplinary exchange and lectures lie behind us! From June 6 to 8, the HTWD hosted the conference Ostpartner within the framework of the DAAD funding programme and HTWDgoesEU. Colleagues from Prague, Budapest, Tbilisi, Hanoi and Hangzhou together with colleagues of HTWD enriched the conference with presentations in the fields #international #digital #sustainable and had the possibility to deepen networks and break down new collaboration opportunities. Our guests also had the opportunity to visit laboratories and service facilities of the HTWD and actively participate in the Dies academicus. A big thank from the organisation team goes to all presenters, supporters and participants!
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Why even cycling contributes to more microplastics in waterways: The best young research 2023
13.06.2023The award-winning research topic Microplastic particles are polymeric materials that represent a worldwide environmental problem with as yet incalculable consequences. Microplastics are directly related to the major crises of our present: climate change, loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution. In his work, Mr. Kurzweg develops a time- and cost-efficient method to determine these plastic particles in river sediments. He is investigating how changes in microplastics in the environment affect their accumulation from sediments and how microplastics are formed by abrasion on the riverbed. Studying such changes contributes to a better understanding of the behavior of microplastics during transport in a river - a good basis for developing tailored approaches to protect particularly vulnerable ecosystems. With the presentation of his dissertation topic, the chemical engineer convinced the jury not only in the first evaluation stage. During the Young Scientists Symposium, he used a live experiment to illustrate to the audience how even daily bicycle riding contributes to tire abrasion and thus the accumulation of microplastic particles in the environment. "My sincere congratulations to the winner," congratulated Professor Göbel, Prorector Research and Transfer. "Mr. Kurzweg and all the finalists in the Young Scientists Award prove with their topics that it is important to create fast and applicable solutions for the crises of our time. That's why it's all the more important for us at HTWD to make precisely this new generation of researchers heard and to make their work more visible." Lucas Kurzweg is pursuing his cooperative doctorate with the Technical University of Dresden and the Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry at HTW Dresden under the supervision of Professor Kathrin Harre. The second and third place research projects In second place, David Schaarschmidt qualified with his doctoral project on the topic of " Zur Beurteilung der Oberflächen- und Materialdegradation zyklisch beanspruchter, vorgespannter Trockenfugen zwischen Betonfertigteilen ". In his thesis, Mr. Schaarschmidt investigates the long-term behavior of modular precast concrete elements and their connection by means of dry jointing. The civil engineer illustrated his research work in a concise short film. For this he received the prize of 500 euros. Third place went to Benjamin Härtel from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. In his doctoral project on the topic of " Entwicklung eines biofidelen Dummys zur Darstellung komplexer Verletzungsentstehungen im Crashverhalten der Fahrzeugsicherheit ", he is developing a biofidel dummy which - unlike conventional crash test dummies - acts as a surrogate of the human body and can thus display human injuries for specific load ranges and purposes. The award ceremony took place for the ninth time at HTW Dresden. During the Dies Academicus on June 7, 2023, the winners were honored by Professor Salchert and Professor Göbel. Already in the morning, the young researchers had faced the questions of the large and interested audience at the Young Scientists Symposium. Young Scientists Award of the HTW Dresden The Young Scientists Award recognizes outstanding achievements at HTW Dresden in the field of applied research. Researchers at HTW Dresden and ZAFT e.V. who have started a cooperative doctoral project or whose doctoral degree was completed no longer than one year ago are eligible to apply. The jury consists of the members of the senate commission for research of the HTW Dresden.
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Conference „Ostpartner“ – Networking and Exchange arevinternational, digital and sustainable
02.06.2023A welcome event for registered guests will take place on June 6 at 5 p.m. The conference will be opened by our Rector on Wednesday, June 7 at 9:30 a.m. in Z208. The three blocks #international, #digital and #sustainable will conduct us through inspiring plenary sessions. The afternoon programme on June 7 will take place from 4:00 p.m. to max. 5:30 p.m. as a teaching and research exhibition: So will speakers present their projects during the exhibition, and “discussion tables” will be set up for sharing ideas, discussing and networking with other colleagues. On June 8 after final presentations there will be a campus tour with lab visits and we will close the conference with an optional cultural programme. You can find the programme on the website https://www.htw-dresden.de/en/international/coming-to-htw-dresden/conference-eastpartner .
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HTWD cooperates with University of Florida
25.05.2023The Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida in Gainesville (UF) and the Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry at HTW Dresden have already had an intensive exchange for several years. The cooperation agreement was initiated by Professor John Schueller from UF and Professor Karl Wild from HTWD. In the future, it is planned to expand the cooperation beyond the two initiating areas. The cooperation will focus, for instance, on exchanges between teachers and staff as well as students within the framework of excursions and cooperation in student projects. Experiences in innovative teaching methods and course design are also to be shared. About the University of Florida The University of Florida in Gainesville is one of the top universities in the USA. It offers over 300 different degree programmes in a wide range of disciplines. UF has outstanding faculties consisting of more than 4,000 professors. With more than 50,000 students, the university is one of the largest educational institutions in the country. UF is also a centre for cutting-edge research, with annual research spending of more than $800 million. It has over 100 research centres and institutes. The university has produced many outstanding alumni, including Nobel laureates and many CEOs of major companies.
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Kick-Off Workshop in Entrepreneurship Education at the University of Applied Sciences in Dresden
24.05.2023As part of the project "intercultural Co-Creation for international Entrepreneurship Education (iCCiEE)", funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), teachers and students from the participating universities in Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Germany met at the University of Applied Sciences in Dresden in early May. In an intensive series of workshops, they collaborated, alongside visiting stakeholders, to develop the foundations and roadmap for the creation of a master's level study programme in entrepreneurship. This was the first of a total of four events planned at different locations over the next few months. "The main objective of the two-year project is to develop a framework for a joint entrepreneurship master's programme and thereby stimulate dialog between the participating universities and their members," said Professor Baierl, one of the two project leaders. His colleague Professor Thamm added that: "In the scheduled workshops, participants will not only acquire professional and methodological knowledge, but will also be able to directly experience or try out innovative teaching methods”. Through the intensive work in transnational teams, the project promotes intercultural exchange between the participants. This dialogue takes place both in small groups of international students, during working sessions of all project participants, and during intercultural excursions. For example, an excursion to the IKTS Fraunhofer Institute and to Saxon Switzerland, as well a tour through the historic part of Dresden and Pillnitz Palace offered diverse insights into the cultural and historical features of the region. About the project The project is funded by the DAAD within the programme framework "Higher education Dialogue with the Muslim World 2023 - 2024" with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office. Under the project leadership of Professor Baierl and Professor Thamm, HTW Dresden is cooperating with the German Jordanian University in Amman (Jordan) and the New Uzbekistan University in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), and is supported by TUM International GmbH. For more information about the project, visit https://ogy.de/iCCiEE .
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10,000 steps towards climate-friendly and sustainable cities
04.05.2023The students of the current cohort come from 16 countries in Asia and Africa, the Middle East, North, Central and South America and Europe. In addition to their university degrees, they also bring professional experience from various disciplines such as civil engineering, urban planning, architecture and landscape architecture and environmental sciences. During the intensive programme in the second semester at HTW Dresden, they attend lectures and work in the laboratories of the faculties of civil engineering and agriculture/environment/chemistry. On excursions and at expert lectures, they get to know the cooperating Dresden scientific institutions and practical partners such as the Leibniz Institute for Ecological Spatial Development (IÖR), the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology and the engineering company Prof. Dr. Sieker mbH Berlin. "We have rarely experienced such an interesting programme, but we have also never been on foot so much" says a student and shows the smartphone screen with the pedometer. 11,200 steps are displayed. Students from the last year enrolled at the HTW as part of their master's theses and are jointly supervised by the teachers in the MUrCS team and the practice partners. Presentation and discussion of the results On 28 April 2023, the students presented the results of their work at HTW Dresden: For example, how ecological and technical aspects can be combined in climate-oriented sustainable urban and open space development with regard to soil, water and vegetation, or how building greening, traffic greening, stormwater retention and revitalised watercourses are considered in context when planning urban districts and green infrastructure. MUrCS+1.5 Master in Urban Climate and Sustainability Together with Glasgow Caledonian University (Scotland), LAB University of Applied Sciences in Lahti (Finland), Universidad de Huelva (Spain), HTW Dresden offers the two-year Master's programme MUrCS+1.5. Further information on the Master's programme can be found at https://murcs.eu/
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Alumni Story: Fabian Naumann from the Faculty of Geoinformation
27.02.2023What does Apus Systems do? We see ourselves as specialists in the field of hydromelioration. We develop a system for the cost-efficient detection, management and analysis of drainage systems under agricultural land. This enables farmers to find drainage systems and monitor them more easily in the future. The use of our service and software increases the profitability of individual farms and contributes decisively to securing yields in agriculture. What do you particularly like about your current job? Already during my studies I quickly realised that working independently and solving new problems really appeals to me. The idea or solution of a concrete problem in agriculture was ultimately also the reason for founding the company. In everyday work, you are always faced with new challenges that need to be solved. I particularly like this versatility. What memories do you have of your studies at HTW Dresden? I remember HTW Dresden as being very practical and informal. Thanks to the EXIST start-up grant, we were able to use the premises of the Gründungsschmiede for two years. This was enormously helpful in the initial phase. But above all, we were able to draw on the university's very well-developed network of founders. Even today, I am still in regular contact with HTW Dresden. We supervise final theses and offer internships for geoinformatics students. To what extent did your studies prepare you for entering professional life? I was able to take a lot with me from my studies. Professionally, I was very well prepared. However, the working world is very different from the everyday life of a student. In terms of business administration, I was thrown in at the deep end as a cartographer. I had to quickly learn a lot on my own. But here, too, there was always good support from the university's start-up network. However, what I experience again and again from interns is the lack of ability to work out new things independently. This ability is extremely important, especially at a time when technologies are developing so rapidly. More attention should be paid to this during studies. What tips can you give today's students? My tip for constantly developing yourself: look beyond the end of your nose and question things! That's often how you get the best ideas. More alumni stories can be found on our alumni portal.
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Human chain on 13 February
07.02.2023Every year on 13 February, the people of Dresden, together with numerous actors from politics, business, research, education and culture, remember the destruction of the city during the Second World War. Their common concern is to set a sign for peace and against violence and war. For the commemoration on the 78th anniversary, the members of the 13 February AG and numerous initiatives in Dresden have prepared a diverse commemoration. An important sign against war and destruction is the human chain, which - after two years of pandemic - will again encircle the entire Dresden city centre with several thousand people. "The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, but also numerous other conflicts worldwide, show us every day that peace cannot be taken for granted. More than ever, it is important to stand up for peaceful coexistence, to listen to each other and to take a stand against violence and intolerance. This is our responsibility to protect peace and freedom. Our thoughts are with all people affected by war, persecution and exclusion," says the rector of HTW Dresden, Prof. Katrin Salchert.
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University cooperation: Germany - Vietnam
23.11.2022The UTC is the largest and oldest university in the field of transport and communication in Vietnam. There has been a cooperation agreement with HTW Dresden since 2000. During the meeting, possibilities for student exchange were discussed together. Furthermore, a future joint workshop on university administration at HTW Dresden was discussed. In the coming year, the exchange is to be deepened and implemented in practice. In order to continue to fill the existing contact network with life, an online get-together is planned for faculty from both universities to get to know each other and evaluate joint teaching and research opportunities. Students have the opportunity to study abroad at UTC. The call for scholarships for Vietnam is under the following link: https://www.htw-dresden.de/international/wege-ins-ausland/studienaufenthalt/weltweit - funding opportunities worldwide). If you have any questions, please contact the International Office or Prof. Stehr (gunther.stehr@htw-dresden.de).
