KIT

With the Department Teaching Awards, the Executive Board recognizes courses that stand out in particular for their research- and application-oriented teaching modules, as well as new forms of teaching and learning, interdisciplinarity, or the high relevance of the subject matter taught. This year, the introductory course “Information Technology and Automation Technology” in the second semester of the bachelor’s programs in Medical Technology, Electrical and Information Technology, and Mechatronics—taught by Prof. Mike Barth, Marwin Madsen, Marcel Auer, and Jakob Pfefferle—received the Department Teaching Award in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. The Department Teaching Award in Mechanical Engineering went to Prof. Sven Matthiesen, Oliver Liewerenz, and Christoph Wittig from the Institute for Product Development (IPEK) and Prof. Sören Hohmann and Armin Teltschik from the Institute for Control and Regulation Systems (IRS) for the course “Mechatronic Systems and Products.”

Hugo Larocque, KIT

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a novel component that enables very fast, cost-effective, and reliable data transmission through advanced manufacturing technology. The electro-optical modulator efficiently transmits data through fiber-optic cables and can be cost-effectively manufactured in large quantities on standard semiconductor wafers. This is important because data centers and fiber-optic networks are reaching their performance limits due to AI applications and increasing data traffic. Results published in Nature Communications.

(DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69769-3)

Isabelle Hartmann, KIT

Around 50 years ago, Sanda Wolf became the first woman to earn a doctorate at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, formerly the Department of Electrical Engineering, with her dissertation "Thermal Noise and Frequency Dependence of High-Resistance Resistors." She was the first woman ever to earn a doctorate in electrical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe (TH). Being the only woman among hundreds of men did not intimidate her, neither during her studies in her hometown of Bucharest nor during her doctoral studies in Karlsruhe. We warmly congratulate Dr. Sanda Wolf on her golden doctorate.

KIT

Gemeinsam mit CELEST war das IAM-ESS erfolgreich im Wettbewerb des Landes Baden-Württemberg um Fördermittel aus dem Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung (EFRE). Mit CELEST-CERL (CELEST Circular Economy Recycling Lab) entsteht am KIT eine Forschungsinfrastruktur zur Entwicklung nachhaltiger Recyclingstrategien für kritische Materialien, insbesondere Altbatterien (Gesamtbudget: 1.53Mio EUR, davon 153TEUR Eigenanteil). CERL schafft somit die Grundlage für die Entwicklung neuartiger Recyclingverfahren. Im Fokus stehen ein Großgerät zur gezielten mechanochemischen Rezyklatbehandlung und ein halothermisches Verfahren zur Rückgewinnung wertvoller Rohstoffe bei moderaten Temperaturen. Beide Verfahren arbeiten im Verbund mit hochspezialisierten Analysegeräten, die eine Qualitätskontrolle unmittelbar nach dem Prozess ermöglichen. Langfristig sollen die Methoden auch auf weitere Rezyklate ausgeweitet werden, denn für innovative Batteriekonzepte mit geringem Materialwert sind klassische Methoden oft nicht nachhaltig genug. Im Rahmen der EFRE-Ausschreibung war das KIT mit drei weiteren Vorhaben erfolgreich.

Yvonne Bliestle, KIT

At the end of the winter semester on February 20, 2026, the Department of Mechanical Engineering held its traditional department colloquium. In a festive setting, letters of congratulations were presented to the master's graduates, prizes were awarded, and honors were bestowed. This year's keynote speech, entitled "Shaping Movement – Robotic Intelligence in a Dynamic World," was given by Professor Arne Rönnau from the Institute for Information Management in Engineering (IMI). We would like to congratulate all graduates and award winners.

Daniela Di Maio, KIT

Ron Kikinis, professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, is the recipient of this year’s International Excellence Award of KIT and the Fellowship of SCHROFF Foundation. With the awards, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) honors an internationally recognized expert in medical image processing, image-guided therapy, and biomedical informatics. The awards include a research stay of up to six months at KIT. The award ceremony took place on February 10, 2026.