New doctoral research centre launches

In future, engineering graduates will also be able to obtain a doctorate in their discipline at UAS (universities of applied sciences) in Hesse. A corresponding cooperation agreement between RheinMain University of Applied Sciences (HSRM), Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Fulda University of Applied Sciences and Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) for the joint doctoral research centre "System-integrated Engineering" was signed by the Presidential Board Offices. The office of the doctoral research centre is located at the HSRM.

The chairman of HAW Hessen (the association of Hessian HAWs) and president of Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr Karim Khakzar, expressed his satisfaction at the signing ceremony: "Following the successful introduction of the independent right to award doctoral degrees at Hessian HAWs in 2016 and the subsequent expansion of the Hessian model to practically all federal states, an important development step was taken in Hesse - the establishment of an inter-university doctoral research centre for engineering disciplines. It also reflects the special importance of UASs in the technical disciplines, as most engineers in Germany are trained at UASs. The "System-integrated Engineering" doctoral research centre will now provide a significantly better framework for applied research in this field, giving it an important boost."

Another milestone for Hesse
"The new inter-university and interdisciplinary doctoral research centre "System-integrated Engineering" is another milestone for Hesse. We are very pleased that, as universities of applied research, we can now manage our own junior researchers up to a doctoral degree in this profile-forming area of Hesse's universities," says Prof Dr Eva Waller, President of RheinMain University of Applied Sciences.

Professors from the fields of civil engineering, electrical engineering and information technology, geomatics, engineering sciences, physical engineering and mechanical engineering are involved in the doctoral research centre. The researchers at the new doctoral research centre are conducting research into topics such as resource efficiency, sustainable energy supply, medical and physical technology and digitised systems. For example, they are working on how the energy networks of the future must be designed so that they are both socially acceptable and meet demand and business needs. Improvements in medical technology through innovative materials and functionalised surfaces or aspects of our digital and technological sovereignty are also being researched. At the same time, the doctoral research centre offers doctoral candidates good and quality-assured conditions on their path to a doctoral degree.

The member universities have been granted the law to carry out independent doctoral procedures and to award the academic title of "Doctor of Engineering" (Dr.-Ing.) in the discipline of "System-integrated Engineering" by the Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Arts and the Arts (HMWK) as of 1 October 2025.

Independent right to award doctoral degrees for HAW
Following the THM's doctoral research centre specialising in the specialist field of life science engineering, this is the first doctoral research centre for the Dr.-Ing. in traditional engineering disciplines. Since the award of the independent right to award doctoral degrees to Hessian universities of applied sciences, inter-university doctoral centres have already been established in the fields of applied computer science, social work and mobility and logistics. In addition, Fulda University of Applied Sciences has its own doctoral research centres in social sciences and public health, while Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences has a doctoral research centre in sustainability sciences.