Wolfgang Seemann, Professor for Technical Mechanics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and co-founder of the German-French Initiative at the KIT, was granted the “Ordre des Palmes Académiques”. With this award, the French Republic honors Seemann’s high merits for German-French cooperation in the university sector. Today, the French Ambassador in Germany, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, handed over the “Palmes Académiques, Grade Officier” to Seemann during a ceremony at the French Embassy in Berlin.
The “Order des Palmes Académiques” is one of the highest awards in France for merits in the French education sector. The KIT traditionally attaches a high importance to cooperation with French partners in research, education, and innovation. These activities are coordinated by the German-French Initiative at the KIT, KIT-DeFI. Professor Wolfgang Seemann, Division Head at the Institute of Engineering Mechanics (ITM), is one of the founders of KIT-DeFI and manages it together with Professor Johannes Orphal. KIT-DeFI among others offers a large scope of German-French double-degree study programs, supports joint research projects, establishes partnerships with French institutions, organizes meetings, summer schools, language and training courses.
In addition, Wolfgang Seemann is responsible for the cooperation program of the KIT with ENSAM – Arts et Métiers ParisTech and with the École Polytechnique ParisTech, two of the most renowned Grandes Écoles in France. Until recently, Professor Seemann was member of the Scientific Council of the German-French University (DFH), an association of universities in Germany and France to enhance cooperation in the university and research sector.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.