Bundled expertise

The establishment of the joint doctoral research centre on 1 October 2025 marks another important milestone for the academic qualification programmes at the UAS (universities of applied sciences) in Hesse. On the occasion of the constituent meeting last Friday, HAW Hessen invited Timon Gremmels, Hessian Minister for Research, Art and Culture, to a ceremony at the Wilhelm-Kempf-Haus in Wiesbaden-Naurod.

In his welcoming address, Hessian Minister of Science Timon Gremmels stated: "With the new doctoral research centre System-integrated Engineering, four Hessian universities of applied sciences are pooling their engineering expertise. Inter-university and interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial in the face of rapid technological change: only with strong research and only together can we overcome the major challenges of our time." The new doctoral research centre enables important research, supports its transfer to business and trains highly qualified specialists. "Universities of Applied Sciences also play a central role in educational advancement and educational equality. The doctoral centres create seamless transitions between university studies and doctoral degrees, which is particularly valuable for first-time graduates or people with special educational biographies," said Gremmels.

The Chairman of HAW Hessen, Prof. Dr Karim Khakzar, was delighted with the launch of the new doctoral research centre. "In Germany, the majority of engineering graduates have studied at a UAS. With the right to award doctoral degrees in this field, we are now creating significantly better conditions for applied research at our HAWs in Hessen. In particular, we also expect this to provide funding for the innovative capacity of technology companies in our regions. This is particularly important in times of major technological change," continued Khakzar.

Prof. Dr Joaquín Díaz then gave a presentation on the "Importance and prospects of the doctoral research centre for systems-integrated engineering".

About the doctoral research centre
The doctoral research centre "Systems Integrated Engineering" is a joint facility of the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences (HSRM), the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, the Fulda University of Applied Sciences and the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen and is based at the HSRM in Wiesbaden. It offers doctoral candidates quality-assured conditions on their way to obtaining the academic title of "Doctor of Engineering" (Dr.-Ing.) in the discipline of "Systems Integrated Engineering".

Prof. Dr Joaquín Díaz was chosen as the spokesperson for the "Systems Integrated Engineering" doctoral research centre. 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.