Today, three graduates of the Universität Karlsruhe will be given the Werner von Siemens Excellence Award in Munich. These are Marlene Harter, Yalamas Claire, and Simon Clausen, who submitted remarkable theses in their disciplines. With the awards in the total amount of EUR 100,000, the Siemens AG rewards excellent diploma and master theses in engineering and natural sciences. This year, a total of 37 graduates from 12 German universities will be decorated. Apart from their scientific achievements, the jury mainly honors the innovative character and practical applicability of the ideas presented. The laureates will be granted EUR 2,500 each.
Marlene Harter’s diploma thesis in electrical engineering and information technology studies the “Influence of Polarization and Line Pattern on the Radio Channel of High-speed Trains”. In her thesis, she analyzes the possibilities of using a train communication system based on OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing), which promises to result in a remarkable bandwidth efficiency even at high speeds. According to the jury, the system tested by Marlene Harter possesses an high innovation potential for future train communication systems.
The future mechanical engineer Claire Yalamas submitted a diploma thesis focusing on the tilting behavior of trains in case of side wind. Her simulations provide indications as to how lightweight trains might be conceived. The SWOT analysis made by Simon Clausen in his diploma thesis in economic engineering focuses on the “Emerging Battleground Supply Chain Management – Strategic Challenges within the Highly Dynamic Industrial IT Context” and analyzes the industrial IT market. It identifies strategic fields of action in the automation pyramid.
Annually, the Werner von Siemens Excellence Award is set at 14 renowned universities. Apart from Karlsruhe, the universities and technical universities of Aachen, Berlin, Braunschweig, Darmstadt, Dresden, Freiberg, Munich, Bremen, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Greifswald, and Stuttgart are participating this year.
The award is part of the worldwide Siemens Generation21 education program. It comprises a number of activities for preschools, schools, and universities to promote the potentials of young people interested in engineering and support their careers.
Further information can be found under www.siemens.de/generation21/hochschule.
Photos of the awards ceremony will be available from Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 11.00 hrs under www.siemens.de/excellence-award (“Preisverleihung 2008”).
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is the merger of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, member of the Helmholtz Association, and the Universität Karlsruhe. This merger will give rise to an institution of internationally excellent research and teaching in natural and engineering sciences. In total, the KIT has 8000 employees and an annual budget of 700 million Euros. The KIT focuses on the knowledge triangle of research – teaching – innovation.
The Karlsruhe institution is a leading European energy research center and plays a visible role in nanosciences worldwide. KIT sets new standards in teaching and promotion of young scientists and attracts top scientists from all over the world. Moreover, KIT is a leading cooperation partner of industry.