Sustainable commitment honoured The TUmorrow Awards 2025 at TU Braunschweig

With the TUmorrow Awards, Technische Universität Braunschweig has once again recognised outstanding commitment to sustainability on campus this year. In four categories – student commitment, final theses (bachelor’s and master’s) and courses – awards were presented to projects that combine ecological, social and economic aspects of sustainability in an exemplary manner. The prizes, each worth 500 euros, are awarded by the Green Office, the sustainability office of TU Braunschweig, in cooperation with the Braunschweigischer Hochschulbund e.V. (BHB).

This year’s winners of the TUmorrow Awards together with TU Vice President Prof. Manfred Krafczyk, Anne Scheler from the Green Office and BHB Chairman Prof. Joachim Block. Photo credits: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

The aim of the TUmorrow Awards is to raise awareness of sustainable thinking and action at the university and to encourage people to engage with the issues. “We want to reward particularly high-quality, innovative and forward-looking initiatives for their commitment – both in the field of study and teaching and in voluntary work,” says Anne Scheler from the Green Office. A key evaluation criterion is the relevance to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), alongside innovation potential, role model status and other individual criteria.

The jury is reconstituted each year and brings together representatives from all status groups at the university, including professors, research assistants, administrative staff, students and the Braunschweigischer Hochschulbund e.V., which finances the awards.

The winners of the TUmorrow Awards 2025

Bachelor’s thesis

Award winner Lukas Jungwirth with Amelie from the AStA. Photo credits: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Lukas Jungwirth was honoured for his bachelor’s thesis in civil engineering. Entitled ‘Development and static calculation of a modular and parametric design for dry separation toilets in the Global South,’ he made a solution-oriented contribution to improving sanitary infrastructure in resource-poor regions. The thesis impressed with its comprehensive focus on sustainability: ecological, social and economic. The jury particularly highlighted the practical applicability and social relevance of the concepts developed – a well-founded, solution-oriented contribution to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Master’s thesis

Award winner Paul Knauer with Amelie from the AStA. Photo credits: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

In the Master’s thesis category, Paul Knauer (Architecture) was honoured for his work ‘Over the fence – The home and the ageing generation’. In it, he critically examines the single-family home as the dominant form of housing and develops perspectives for a more sustainable building and living culture. The jury was impressed by the innovative approach and depth of content. The thesis links social, ecological and urban planning aspects and offers creative, realistic ideas for communal and climate-friendly living. The thesis also sets standards in terms of language and design.

Course

Prof. Christof Backhaus and Bettina Herz together with TU Vice President Prof. Manfred Krafczyk. Photo credits: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Professor Christof Backhaus and Bettina Herz received the TUmorrow Award for their master’s course ‘Sustainability Transformation Management’. The practice-oriented course teaches key concepts and strategies of sustainable corporate management and enables students to develop their own sustainability strategies for real companies. The jury highlighted the successful combination of theory and practice as well as the breadth of topics covered, ranging from greenwashing to consumer behaviour. The course thus makes a significant contribution to the training of future sustainability designers.

Student commitment

The team from the Union of Muslim Students at the award ceremony with Prof. Joachim Block, BHB Chairman of the Board. Photo credits: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

In the ‘Student commitment’ category, the prize went to Hasan Manavbaşı, Soumaia Ismail, Zelal Ülgün, Laurine Krasniqi, Özlem Bozan, Deniz Orhan, Mohammed Makki, Şaban Coşkun and the extended team of the Union of Muslim Students. As part of Ramadan, they organised an intercultural fast-breaking event that brought together around 600 guests from a wide variety of cultural and religious backgrounds. The jury particularly praised the contribution to social sustainability. Ecological aspects were also taken into account: in addition to a vegan menu and free admission, guests were encouraged to bring their own containers to avoid food waste.