24 November 2025

International impulses for teaching: Visiting Professors at TU Darmstadt

For the winter semester 2025/2026, TU Darmstadt welcomed eleven visiting professors as part of the second round of the Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme.

The Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme strengthens strategic collaboration among Unite! universities, fostering academic networking, supporting the career development of early-career researchers, and offering students the chance to benefit from international teaching through complementary courses.

Following a successful pilot in winter 2024/2025 with four visiting professors, this year’s edition brings together eleven experts from six Unite! partner universities, contributing to teaching and research across seven departments at TU Darmstadt.

“The proposition of visiting professorships within our European University Alliance Unite! contributes significantly to the internationality, diversity, and research scope of both TU Darmstadt and the alliance. It offers lecturers valuable opportunities to gain international experience, allows the host departments to offer courses that complement their regular curriculum, and gives students more options for (external) theses, research and work opportunities. In this way, personal contact is an essential element of success in bringing the idea of European integration to life and brings us one step closer to our common goal of creating a European Higher Education and Research Area".

Meet the Visiting Professors

The second round of the Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme welcomed eleven professors from six European universities. They offer innovative courses in fields such as sustainability, robotics, energy, and AI, combining research and practical application. Students gain an international and interdisciplinary perspective, while professors value European collaboration and opportunities for professional development.

Some of the aspects highlighted by the participating professors:

Alexandra Gierko (Wroclaw Tech)

"The Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme is an opportunity to work in a new, stimulating, international environment, while exchanging experiences with other researchers and tutors. I believed from the scratch, that my visit could be also a starting point for the future joint courses of Wrocław Tech and TU Darmstadt within the Unite! Network and a basis for research collaboration with scientists from the host Chair and Faculty". 

Mrudul Chellapurath (KTH)

"Teaching and researching in such an environment allow me to exchange ideas with colleagues from different cultures, co-supervise international students, and co-develop educational content that reflects Europe’s collective vision for innovation and inclusiveness". 

"Being part of Unite! means not only teaching and mentoring students in Finland and Germany, but also co-developing curricula and research that support Europe’s green transition and carbon neutrality targets".

Seyedmilad Komarizadehasl (UPC - Barcelona Tech)

"As someone deeply shaped by Unite! (having joined 6 years ago during my PhD and received teacher training from partner universities like TU Darmstadt, Aalto, Grenoble, and Torino, alongside my home institution UPC), I bring an international lens to the classroom. This "co-education" by the Unite! network equips me to connect with students across cultures, making complex topics accessible and inspiring them to think globally". 

The second edition of the Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme at TU Darmstadt demonstrates the university’s commitment to international collaboration, interdisciplinary research, and broadening educational opportunities for students. With eleven professors bringing expertise from diverse fields, the programme continues to enrich both teaching and research across the campus.