TU9, the Alliance of leading Universities of Technology in Germany, will be represented with two events at the annual conference and Talent Fair of the German Academic International Network (GAIN) in Boston from August 29 to 31, 2025. Furthermore, TU9 Representatives will provide advice on funding opportunities and career paths at TU9 Universities in workshops, discussion panels and at the Talent Fair.

Events

On Saturday, August 29, 2025, four events will each take place in the morning and afternoon, attended by representatives of the TU9 Universities:

8:30–9:45 a.m.

"Einblicke in Berufungsverfahren – Dos and Don’ts" (in German)

The goal of all appointment procedures is to select the best candidates. But how does the se-lection process actually work? These and other questions will be answered by panelists such as Prof. Dr. Thomas Walther, Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs at TU Darm-stadt. Dr. Bettina Wagner, Managing Director of Ingenium, TU Darmstadt, will act as co-moderator.

"Professional Development and Career Planning" 

Prof. Dr. Fatma Deniz, Vice President for Digitalization and Sustainability, TU Berlin, and other representatives from Berlin universities, research institutions, the political sphere, and funding organizations will discuss with doctoral candidates and postdocs the challenges of developing an academic profile and the key career factors that should be considered. 

"Leading with Excellence: Women and Leadership in Academia" 

The workshop will focus on strategic decision-making processes, institutional renewal, and the changing challenges of maintaining and building excellence in higher education. Participants include Prof. Dr. Angela Ittel, President of TU Braunschweig and TU9 Co-President, and Prof. Dr. Ursula Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden. Peter Rosenbaum, Head of the International Of-fice at TU Dresden, will act as co-moderator.

"You Can Have it Both! Career (Promotion) at the Interface of Research and Society"

The aim of the workshop is to provide multi-perspective, innovative insights into career paths at the interface of research and society. A particular focus will be placed on the potential that arises from combining these two fields. Anna Steiger, Chancellor at the University of Stuttgart, will be one of the experts in attendance. 

2:00–3:15 p.m.

"Innovation & Transfer: Where Science Meets Industry"

The TU9 Roundtable will highlight the significance of the transfer of knowledge between sci-ence, industry and society to German innovation efforts. TU9 Managing Director Stephanie Christmann-Budian and the panelists will discuss creative career opportunities that are open to returnees in the interaction between universities, non-university research institutions and in-dustry in addition to established career paths in science.

Expert advice will be provided by Prof. Dr. Peter Middendorf, Rector of the University of Stuttgart and TU9 Co-President, Prof. Dr. Jan Hesthaven, President of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and Prof. Dr. Fatma Deniz, Vice President for Digitalization & Sustainability at TU Berlin. In addition, practical insights will be presented by Dr. Mridul Agrawal, Managing Director and co-founder of iuvando Health GmbH, Dr. Georg Schütte, CEO of the Volkswagen Foundation, and Dr. Christian Reimer, co-founder and Chief Architect of Hyper-Light.

"Individuelle Karrierewege in der Wissenschaft – aktive Gestaltung von Karrierephasen und Übergängen unter Berücksichtigung von Fördermöglichkeiten" (in German)

In this workshop, participants will identify and develop the most important steps and framework conditions for optimizing their own career path in science, including the transitions between career phases after the Ph.D. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kramer, Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), will be in attendance with other colleagues.

"3 Länder, 1 Ziel: Baden-Württemberg, Hessen und Niedersachsen unterstützen Wissen-schaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler in frühen Karrierephasen" (in German)

Moderated by the President of TU Braunschweig and TU9 Co-President, Prof. Dr. Angela Ittel, this panel will present the federal diversity of the German science system, opportunities, and paths to prospective scientists using three federal states as examples. These will be repre-sented by three ministries: Bettina Martin, Minister for Science, Culture, Federal and European Affairs of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern & President of the Wissenschaftsministerkonferenz, Timon Gremmels, Minister for Science and Research, Art and Culture of Hesse, and Falko Mohrs, Minister for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony.

"How to Successfully Compete for Tenure-Track Professorships in Germany"

Prof. Dr. Ursula Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Schlichthärle, profes-sor at TUM, together with colleagues such as Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee, provide infor-mation about this career path to attendants.

Sunday, August 31, 2025: 

9:00–10:15 a.m.

"Career Development in a Scientific Ecosystem – Research, Transfer and Outreach"

Prof. Dr. Angela Ittel, President of TU Braunschweig, and Prof. Dr. Ursula Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden, will be guests on this panel to discuss the influences of political upheavals, finan-cial cutbacks, and other social developments.

"Meinungsfreiheit auf dem Campus – Juristische Perspektiven" (in German)

Is freedom of science and expression at risk at universities? This question will be addressed in a workshop that will examine the legal foundations of freedom of expression, science, and demonstration, as well as real cases from everyday university life. Among the participants is Prof. Dr. Volker Epping, President of Leibniz University Hannover and Professor of Public Law, International Law, and European Law.

11:15 a.m–12:30 p.m.

"Professorship Appointment Procedures: Dos and Don’ts"

The TU9 workshop introduces participants to the appointment procedures at German (tech-nical) universities and provides answers to questions about requirements, applications, and procedures. Prof. Dr. Ursula Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden, and Prof. Dr. Volker Epping, President of Leibniz University Hannover, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior, Rector of Heidelberg Uni-versity, and Prof. Dr. Susanne Menzel-Riedl, President of Osnabrück University, will answer participants’ questions in a discussion moderated by Dr. Inken Dose, Science Manager and TU9 Deputy Head.

"Excellence Strategy: Opportunities and Prospects in the Excellence Clusters Program"

In light of the second funding phase of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder, Dr. Christine Petry, Head of Division Excellence Strategy and Research Impulses, German Research Foundation (DFG), will be in conversation with Prof. Dr. Angela Ittel, President, and Dr. Dominik Baumgarten, Advisor for Recruitment and Strategic Partnerships, TU Braunschweig, among others, in order to discuss the extent to which the funding initiative contributes to the creation of new jobs and the support of international research.

"Zurück in die Zukunft: Vom Expat zum erfolgreichen Repatriate End of GAIN25 Conference" (in German) 

The workshop provides concrete support on topics such as preparing for relocation, maintain-ing international networks, and dealing with new expectations that concern researchers who wish to return to Germany. Practical insights will be provided by Cathrin Urbanke, Head of Welcome Center for International Researchers at RWTH Aachen University, among others.

This year, eight TU9 Universities will be exhibiting at the Talent Fair: TU Berlin (booth no. 34), TU Braunschweig (no. 60), TU Darmstadt (no. 19 & 20), TU Dresden (no. 21), Leibniz University Hannover (no. 58), KIT (no. 42), TUM (no. 37) and University of Stuttgart (no. 41).

TU9-PM GAIN25

Website GAIN25