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Teaching and collaborating across Europe: Aalto researchers at TU Darmstadt
The Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme enables academics to spend time teaching and working at partner institutions across the alliance. Hear from Aalto researchers about their experience at TU Darmstadt.
International collaboration and the strengthening of academic networks across Europe are central to the Unite! University Alliance. During the winter semester 2025–2026, several Aalto academics collaborated with colleagues at the Technical University of Darmstadt (TUDa) in Germany. While there, they taught specialised courses, collaborated with local research groups, and connected with colleagues and students in their fields.
Some of the participants share reflections on their time in Germany and what the experience meant for their work.
Dr Zhengmao Li
Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, School of Electrical Engineering
Dr Zhengmao Li’s research focuses on intelligent energy systems, optimisation, and AI-driven methods for planning and operating integrated energy infrastructures. His work connects topics such as hydrogen integration, resilient energy networks, and sector coupling across electricity, heat, and mobility systems.
During his stay at TUDa, Li taught his Elements of Hydrogen Systems and Storage course, gave lectures, delivered research talks, and also organised informal gatherings to bring colleagues and students together.
Li shared that 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.
When asked how the visiting professorship experience would influence his teaching and research moving forward, Li shared: “The experience provided valuable insights into different academic and teaching cultures and enriched my perspective on interdisciplinary education and research collaboration. The programme also serves as a strong example of European academic integration, as it creates opportunities for deeper involvement within the EU research and education ecosystem."
Dr Maria Nazarova
Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science
Dr Maria Nazarova works at the intersection of medical technology, signal processing, and artificial intelligence. Her research focuses on AI-supported diagnostics and neurotechnologies, to improve communication between engineers and clinicians.
At TU Darmstadt, she taught the course Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, exploring how knowledge of the human nervous system can inspire technological innovation and support advances in healthcare.
"Spending a longer period at another Unite! university let me experience something that short visits and conferences usually cannot offer: the feeling of actually belonging there for a while instead of simply appearing for a day, giving a talk, and disappearing again. It gave me time to build relationships with colleagues, and to observe how students learn and interact in different countries. It also created a kind of mini-sabbatical effect: more space for writing, reflection, and the sort of meaningful conversations with colleagues and other visiting researchers that are often squeezed out by everyday work and family routines.”
Dr Ali Amiri
Department of Built Environment, School of Engineering
Dr Ali Amiri specialises in sustainable construction, material ecology, and circular building processes. His research focuses on integrating life-cycle assessment methods into architecture and construction in order to support climate-neutral building design.
At TU Darmstadt, he taught his course, Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Building, which introduces students to methods for evaluating the environmental impacts of buildings and construction materials.
"What stood out most for me was the high level of student engagement, particularly in topics related to life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon storage, and the role of timber as a low-emission building material. Students were highly motivated… and frequently initiated thoughtful discussions and asked in-depth questions.
This strong interest led to several bachelor’s and master’s thesis requests, which I have been supervising, and the collaboration has continued beyond my stay. Notably, I am still receiving new requests to supervise theses focusing on LCA and comparative assessments of timber versus conventional materials such as concrete and steel, highlighting the lasting academic impact of this experience."
Dr Avleen Malhi
Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Science
Dr Avleen Malhi’s research focuses on artificial intelligence, control systems, and algorithmic transparency.
During her stay at TU Darmstadt, she contributed to teaching and research in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. The course she developed and taught was Explainable and Ethical Artificial Intelligence for Control Systems.
Reflecting on the experience, Malhi shared how the Unite! Visiting Professorship led to new collaborations and valuable informal academic exchanges.
“Overall, the visiting professorship provided significant academic and networking value, supporting both immediate collaborative activities and the development of future joint research initiatives. I established new connections with colleagues from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, which led to the preparation of a Unite! European University Alliance Seed Funding application for a joint research project. The visit also facilitated connections with the architecture department, opening possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration."
Some snapshots from the Aalto-TU Darmstadt collaboration
Similar opportunities for Aalto staff
The Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme is one of several initiatives that support mobility and collaboration within the alliance. Aalto staff interested in similar opportunities can explore current and upcoming calls on the Unite! for researchers page and in the Training Catalgoue for faculty and staff.
Training Catalogue for Faculty & Staff in Unite! Universities (external link)
On this page you can find the upcoming trainings for faculty and staff offered by Unite! universities.
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