University of Technology Sydney visits the Technische Universität Braunschweig Cotutelle agreement signed

TU Braunschweig has been cooperating with the Australian University of Technology in Sydney (UTS) for more than ten years. In mid-May, Professor James Wallman, Dean of the Faculty of Science at UTS, travelled to Braunschweig for a visit during which both universities signed a cotutelle agreement.

Founded in its current form in 1988, the University of Technology Sydney is one of Australia’s leading universities. 45,000 students are enrolled across nine faculties. UTS is also home to over 45 research centres and institutes and cooperates closely with partners from industry and government.

Initial contacts between the two universities were established through a jointly supervised master’s thesis at the Institute of Energy and Systems Process Engineering at TU Braunschweig in 2013. That was followed by joint research publications in battery research and, since May 2023, intensive collaboration with the Centre for Clean Energy Technology at UTS and other partners in the BMBF-funded ScaleH2 research project, which is investigating scalable electrolysers with innovative materials for the production of hydrogen. Both universities also have long-standing contacts and an extremely positive dialogue at management level. As part of a TU9 delegation trip, Professor Angela Ittel, President of TU Braunschweig, visited the long-standing partner university in September 2023. As part of the visit, the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which forms the basis for further expanding the successful collaboration.

Cotutelle agreement signed

Signing of the cotutelle agreement. From left: Dr Ute Kopka, International House, Prof Dr Daniel Schröder, Head of the Institute of Energy and Process Systems Engineering, TU President Prof Angela Ittel, Prof James Wallman, Dean of the Faculty of Science at UTS, and doctoral student Moritz Stahl. Photo: Daniel Götjen/TU Braunschweig

The programme for James Wallman’s visit included a tour of the Institute of Energy and Systems Process Engineering, visits to the Centre for Pharmaceutical Process Engineering (PVZ), the Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology (LENA), the Braunschweig Centre for Systems Biology (BRICS) and a meeting with TU President Angela Ittel. As part of the meeting, both universities signed a cotutelle agreement that will enable doctoral students from both universities to complete a binational doctorate in the future. The signing was also the starting point for the first concrete doctoral project, supervised by Professor Daniel Schröder from TU Braunschweig and Professor Guoxiu Wang from UTS: Doctoral student Moritz Stahl will conduct binational research into the longevity of electrolyser materials in the coming years.

“I am very pleased that the partnership between our universities is continuing to grow and will also explore new paths in the future. With the Cotutelle agreement, we have created an attractive opportunity for both sides to further internationalise the education of our doctoral students,” emphasises TU President Angela Ittel. “The University of Technology Sydney is a highly attractive partner for us, which greatly enriches our overseas network,” she adds.

Both universities would like to intensify their cooperation. This was confirmed by TU President Angela Ittel and James Wallman, Dean of the Faculty of Science at UTS, during the visit. Photo: Daniel Götjen/TU Braunschweig

For James Wallman, the visit to TU Braunschweig was also an important step in the further development of the cooperation: “The relationship has now been enhanced through the Cotutelle Agreement. TU Braunschweig is an excellent university and I was very impressed by the quality of the facilities. I look forward to the prospect of extending our partnership into other important areas of science and engineering for mutual benefit and I thank TU Braunschweig most sincerely for the gracious hospitality I received during my interesting visit.”