The course „Transport Processes in Rivers“ is a vivid example of research and teaching going hand in hand at KIT.
Education and Research – Going Hand in Hand
The RIRO University of Excellence Project Transfers KIT's Unique Strengths into Higher Education
As part of the Helmholtz Association, KIT operates numerous infrastructures for large-scale research tasks that are unparalleled in the German higher education and science system. In order to strategically integrate this strength into teaching, KIT launched the RIRO – Research Infrastructures in Research-Oriented Teaching University of Excellence project seven years ago. A unique opportunity for students – and researchers.
It is an opportunity that is unique to KIT: RIRO gives bachelor's and master's students the chance to work with researchers on large-scale scientific instruments at an early stage of their studies. Knowledge is conveyed through hands-on experience – for example, in the Smart Energy System Lab, in an internship on autonomous driving, or at the Black Forest Observatory.
Within RIRO, students acquire skills that are closely linked to research, but at the same time go far beyond it. They work together in teams, develop solution strategies that transcend the boundaries of their own discipline, and acquire project management skills.
Combination of Lecture and Laboratory Work
One example is the course “Transport Processes in Rivers” at the Institute for Water and Environment (IWU) at KIT. Here, students work with the research infrastructure at the Theodor Rehbock Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory as part of a regular course and apply the theoretical principles taught in the lecture directly in practical experiments which they design and carry out themselves.
Dr. Frank Seidel, head of the Experimental Hydraulic section in the Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management division at IWU, describes the didactic approach as follows: “Our goal is to actively involve students in our research topics. We want them to not only be taught theoretical knowledge, but also to conduct experiments and develop their own questions. This gives them early insights into research and teaches them to think in a critical and scientific manner. The close integration of teaching and research promotes their understanding of complex interrelationships and strengthens their methodological and analytical skills.”
One of the participants is Carolin, who is studying civil engineering at KIT. She particularly emphasizes the independent work and comprehensive engagement with the subject matter: “In the lecture, we look at the topic from a more theoretical perspective. During the practical training, we explored all the relevant processes in depth and carried out everything ourselves, from setting up the experiments to evaluating the data.” One insight she gained from the project: “Conducting the experiment was a lot of fun, and I learned about different perspectives during the implementation.”
Active Involvement in Current Large-Scale Research
Sixteen projects of this kind have already been funded in a competitive process at KIT. With start-up funding of up to €120,000 per project, lecturers have the opportunity to design new courses such as lectures or internships, or to adapt existing courses – with the aim of offering them on a long-term basis.
The success of RIRO is evident not only in the large number of compelling project ideas received in each application round, but also in the response from those involved. Students appreciate the access to large-scale research and the opportunity to work with researchers. Teachers are enthusiastic about the motivation and commitment shown by the students. RIRO courses are fully booked on a regular basis, and the funded projects cover topics such as meteorology, astroparticle physics, synchrotron radiation, energy research, and high-performance computing. The courses thus cover the entire spectrum of the research infrastructure landscape at KIT.
“As an additional resource at KIT, RIRO makes a significant contribution to research-oriented teaching,” explains Professor Anke-Susanne Müller, one of the co-initiators of RIRO and Vice Provost Research Infrastructures at KIT. Unique research infrastructures and new teaching and learning formats are being linked even more closely and validated by the University of Excellence project – and on a permanent basis. Professor Oliver Kraft, Vice President Academic Affairs at KIT emphasizes: “It is essential to have the will, a plan, and the resources to continue the course after the funding period and to establish it in the curricula of the degree programs.”
Dr. Sabine Fodi, November 25, 2025
Translation: Dipl.-Übers. Veronika Zsófia Lázár