11 March 2025

Win-win: Visiting Professors

Unite! Guest Professors at TU Darmstadt: In the winter semester of 2024/2025, four Unite! guest professors will be teaching and conducting research at TU Darmstadt for the first time.

The Unite! Guest Professorship aims to attract outstanding international talent to promote interdisciplinary teaching and didactic innovation through international experience. We introduce the visiting scholars and their research. The next call for applications is already open, with the deadline for submissions being 31 March 2025. 

The new format of strategic collaboration between the Unite! universities promotes networking among the academic communities and supports the career development of guest researchers. In addition, students benefit from internationally oriented teaching. The target group is primarily experienced postdocs at the Unite! universities, but advanced career levels (lecturers, professors) are also welcome to apply.

“It really is a win-win for everyone involved: the guest professors can expand or gain their (first) teaching experience, the hosting department can offer classes they usually don't, research collaborations can be established or deepened, and the guest professors contribute to the diverse and international culture of TU Darmstadt”

Meet Felix Siebenhühner

TU alumnus Felix Siebenhühner is returning to his alma mater (where he graduated with an MSc in Physics in 2009) for the duration of the Guest Professorship, after conducting research at Goethe University Frankfurt, the University of California, Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Helsinki University, and most recently at the Unite! partner university, Aalto University in Finland. Together with colleagues at Aalto University and Helsinki University, he pioneered new methods for the analysis of critical dynamics in the brain. He is now conducting research and teaching as a guest professor in computational and clinical neuroscience at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (etit) at TU Darmstadt.

-Why should students be interested in your scientific subject? What makes it exciting?

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field that connects many different areas. Its goal is to shed light on how our brains and minds work. Specifically, clinical neuroscience focuses on understanding neurological and psychiatric disorders, as well as developing new approaches for diagnosis and treatment.

-At TU Darmstadt, the need for interdisciplinarity is emphasised. What are the key intersections or interfaces with other faculties in your area of research?

Neuroscience is closely related to neurobiology (e.g., the research group of Professor Galuske, Department of Biology), as well as to psychology and cognitive sciences (Department of Human Sciences). Neuroscientific methods for imaging and data processing intersect with engineering, signal processing, and physics (Departments of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (etit), Mechanical Engineering, and Physics). Additionally, methods for data analysis overlap with signal processing, information technology, computer science, mathematics, and physics (Departments of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (etit), Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics).

-Which faculty would you like to spend a day in to get a feel for it? Why?

I would be most interested in spending some time at the institute for psychology and/or the Center for Cognitive Science. 

Meet Klaus Roppert

Klaus Roppert studied and received his PhD at TU Wien. He is currently a postdoc at Graz University of Technology and has been the head of the Multiphysical Modelling and Simulation Group at the Institute of Fundamentals and Theory in Electrical Engineering since 2020. The 33-year-old researcher specializes in computational electromagnetics, with a focus on magnetic material modeling. He is now conducting research and teaching as a guest professor at TU Darmstadt.

-Why should students be interested in your scientific subject? What makes it exciting?

Computational Electromagnetics (CEM) is not just about simulating electromagnetic fields; it integrates material science, numerical methods, and physics to solve real-world problems. For example, the study of materials – such as the fascinating phenomenon of hysteresis, where materials "remember" past experiences – plays a critical role in determining electromagnetic behavior. This makes CEM essential for advancing technologies like electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, medical imaging, and 5G communication networks.

What makes CEM particularly exciting, and the niche I specialize in, is the modeling of magnetic materials and their incorporation into simulations of real-world applications. My approach starts at a fundamental level: understanding the effects occurring in magnetic materials, identifying the most relevant ones, and developing fast, practical models that application engineers can actually use. This balance between fundamental research and real-world applicability is what I enjoy the most. I never get lost in intricate details because I always keep the end user – the application engineer – in mind.

-At TU Darmstadt, the need for interdisciplinarity is emphasized. What are the key intersections or interfaces with other faculties in your area of research?

Interdisciplinarity is at the core of my research, and collaborations with other faculties are essential. For instance, mathematicians play a vital role in complementing the work of engineers like myself. While we often develop methods based on intuition or practical experience – what I would call a “gut feeling” – mathematicians provide the rigorous proofs that validate these methods, ensuring their reliability and correctness. Similarly, material scientists are indispensable in the study of (ferro)magnetic materials, such as the steel sheets used in power transformers or electric machines. Understanding how grain and crystal orientation, as well as processes like heat treatment and rolling, affect material parameters is crucial. Their expertise allows us to uncover these relationships and collaborate on optimizing production techniques to improve efficiency.

Electrical engineering, my 'home faculty,' brings all these developments together, applying mathematical, physical, and material insights to practical simulations of electric machines and power transformers.

-If I were a student today, I would…

Take a broader, more exploratory approach to learning, rather than rushing through the curriculum just to meet deadlines or pass exams. I would focus on truly understanding the foundational concepts, as these are the ones you'll draw upon in unexpected ways later in your career. Beyond this, I would actively seek out opportunities to study topics outside my immediate field (in my case, mechanical engineering). For example, during my PhD, I realized how much I benefited from attending lectures in physics and mathematics. These disciplines provided invaluable insights into topics like material behavior and numerical methods, which became essential for solving complex interdisciplinary multiphysical problems during my research.

These early years are about pushing boundaries, stepping outside your comfort zone, and embracing the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow. It's the perfect time to cultivate a lifelong passion for learning new things and staying agile.