Project Weeks
Whether it’s sustainability, AI, or entrepreneurship: many of the pressing issues of our time transcend disciplinary boundaries. The Project Weeks create a framework in which students and lecturers work on innovative solutions to current problems across disciplines, curricula and locations.
Project Weeks 2025
In the winter semester 2025/26, TUM students will again be invited to work in interdisciplinary teams on future topics from areas such as AI & Digitization, Creativity & Design, Entrepreneurship, Health, Social, or Sustainability.
The Project Weeks in the winter semester 2025/26 will take place from 12 to 16 January 2026.
In addition to the TUM-wide Project Weeks in winter, project-based courses are also offered in the summer semester.
Registration is possible via TUMonline at the usual deadlines.
All information on how to offer a Project Week and apply for funding can be found at collab.dvb.bayern/x/3lA2B.
Project-based courses in the summer semester 2025
AI & Digitization
In this course, participants will enhance an existing AI-powered learning platform by adding new interactive and proactive features that aim to boost students’ learning effectiveness. Building on the current systems (e.g., sam.edu.sot.tum.de/), they will introduce personalized user profiles, track learning progress, and allow users to upload supplementary materials. develop features that foster interactive discussions and automatically generate questions after lectures, creating a more engaging and productive learning experience.
Contact: Anna Bodonhelyi
For: Master’s students with experience in web development and a strong interest in LLMs
Course no.: 0000001684
ECTS: 6
Period: 24 March to 4 April 2025 or 31 March to 11 April 2025
This course focuses on two interrelated topics: First, we explore how social science disciplines can benefit from the use of AI tools that enable new approaches to research, analysis, and problem solving. Second, we consider the wide-ranging impacts of generative AI on society and the economy and examine how these transformative processes can be measured, evaluated and regulated.
Contact: Jan Zilinsky
For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001814
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
Participants explore the future of human-AI collaboration. In this exciting Project Week, they will work in small teams to design and develop AI teammates that enhance collaborative problem-solving skills. Using multimodal Large Language Models (LLMs), they will implement AI teammates with speech input and output, enabling natural interactions with learners. But this isn’t just about building AI—it’s about understanding how AI can contribute strategically to collaborative-problem solving. The students will experiment with team dynamics, ensuring that AI teammates foster meaningful collaboration while aligning with pedagogical principles. By the end of the week, they will have hands-on experience developing AI-driven collaboration tools and deepened their understanding of educational technology, teamwork, and human-AI interaction.
Contact: Babette Bühler
For: Master’s students with either experience with web development and experience working with natural language processing and LLMs OR profound knowledge in research on education and educational psychology and interest in educational AI applications
Course no.: 0000003869
ETCS: 6
Period: 15 to 26 September 2025
In this project, students collaboratively develop criteria-based and cross-professional optimization proposals for professional action situations, based on considerations of data-related contexts. In doing so, the use of digital networking or digitally networked technologies should result in a clearly presented benefit for defined recipients, with data-related contexts being explicitly described in the final elaboration.
Contact: Friederike Rechl: friederike.rechl@tum.de
For: Bachelor’s students in Vocational Education from the 6th semester onwards, Master’s students in Vocational Education, and Master’s students in Informatics within the scope of the required IDP
Course no.: 0000000694
ECTS: 8
Period: block course sessions on Fridays from April until August 2025
As AI systems play an ever-growing role in our daily lives, their ability to comprehend human thoughts, behaviors, and needs is essential for developing truly transformative assistive technologies. This project week is dedicated to exploring how AI can bridge the gap between machines and humans, enabling deeper, more intuitive interactions that enhance accessibility and support.
Students will engage in collaborative, hands-on projects to design and prototype innovative solutions that improve how assistive systems understand and respond to human needs. By focusing on both the identification of challenges and the creation of impactful solutions, participants will push the boundaries of AI’s potential to create smarter, more empathetic assistive technologies
Contact: Khaoula Otmani
For: Master’s students with experience with LLMs and interest in personalization
Course no.: 0000002632
ETCS: 6
This Project Week builds on an interactive oral examination prototype, which supports students and streamlines assessments for educators. The system simulates real-time oral exams by having an AI ask questions based on uploaded coursework, evaluate verbal responses, and offer personalized feedback. In the Project Week, we’re taking it a step further by integrating web-based eye-tracking technology, allowing the AI to adjust its questions and feedback in real time based on students’ gaze.
Contact: Carrie Lau
For: Master’s students with experience with TypeScript/JavaScript, modern web frameworks, and a basic understanding of eye-tracking technology.
Course no.: 0000002600
ETCS: 6
Period: 25 March to 2 April 2025 or 31 March to 11 April 2025
Within this Project Weeks, students will follow a user-centered design approach to develop an app that enhances smartphone and social media use with educational content. The project is divided into two phases, a phase concerning the app concept development and a second app implementation phase. Students will collaborate in small teams (2–3 students) and conclude with a final presentation showcasing their app prototypes and how they can help users make more meaningful use of their smartphones.
Contact: Dr. Nađa Terzimehić
For: Master’s students from the fields of computer science, data science, human factors, business informatics, or educational sciences with experience in mobile development
Course no.: 0000002602
ECTS: 6
Period: 1 to 11 April 2025
Creativity & Design
This project is a collaboration between the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Its goal is to bring together students from various disciplines and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to develop innovative video game prototypes.
As part of a hands-on course with two iterations in 2025 and 2026, participants will be divided into teams and go through three phases: an intensive block seminar focused on concept development, a project phase, and accompanying theme weeks. The block seminar, lasting two and a half weeks, introduces the fundamentals of narrative design and game design, followed by the development of initial game concepts.
In the subsequent three-month project phase, students will work intensively on their prototypes, supported by mentors. Regular checkpoints and networking events during the theme weeks will promote exchange with academia and industry.
The project spans two years and begins with new student cohorts in March 2025 and 2026, allowing for collaboration with students from HFF.
Students can participate either as part of a bachelor’s module (from the 4th semester onwards) or as a master’s internship. This setup enables teams to pick up and further develop projects from the previous round.
Contact: Daniel Dyrda, Sven Liedtke, David Plecher
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000002298
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
Medicine & Health
The European Women's Football Championship 2025 in Switzerland will be used as the linchpin of this seminar to promote equal opportunities, health, and sport as a driver and booster for socially relevant topics. The concept is based on the successfully practiced inclusive settings of TUM's Department Health and Sport Sciences and is to be further developed internationally. The aim is to creatively promote gender-specific and interdisciplinary work and learning.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Contact: Daniela Schwarz, Elke Langbein
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: MHP0000501
ECTS: 2
Period: whole semester
From 27 to 29 June 2025, the Kunstareal Festival will again take place, with the TUM family among its contributors. TUM plans to participate with the format “TUM tanzt!” The overall project is being organized in cooperation between the Applied Sports Science division of the Department for Health and Sport Sciences and the TUM Center for Culture and Arts. The objective and aim of this contribution is to make dance as a part of cultural and aesthetic education accessible and tangible in all its diversity for the TUM community and visitors of the Kunstareal Festival. Both existing dance initiatives at TUM will be showcased and new project formats specifically developed for “TUM tanzt!” will be launched.
One of these project formats is the Community Dance Project, which will take place as part of a student Project Week. TUM students will have the opportunity to experience and shape dance as an art form and cultural asset by actively participating. During the project week, the participants will work with two lecturers/dance artists in Pavilion 333 to create a professional, artistic dance piece. This piece will thematically refer to an exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne (PdM) and will be performed there as part of the Kunstareal Festival. Regarding the thematic orientation, there will be close collaboration with the PdM’s education and outreach team.
Contact: Tina Schwender, Felix Mayer
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: MHP0001101
ECTS: 1
Period: 23 to 27 July 2025
The aim of this Project work is to solve a theoretical or implementation-related problem, which is developed over several phases (initiation, problem definition, role distribution, idea generation, criteria development, decision-making, execution, documentation, presentation). The focus is on the foundations of motivation, emotion, and coping, basics of computational modeling, modeling motivation and coping, integrated modeling approaches as well as project development and presentation.
Contact: Markus Quirin
For: Master’s students of Human Factors Engineering, Biomedical Neuroscience, Computational Mechanics, Energie- und Prozesstechnik, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics & Biomechanical Engineering, Management & Technology, Finance & Information Management or Consumer Science
Course no.: MHP0001000
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
Sustainability & Transformation
In this semester-long course, students explore various aspects of sustainability. They enhance their target-language project skills by researching a self-chosen subtopic and, in group work and with the help of AI tools, develop in-depth interview questions—e.g., for conversations with experts both within and outside the university, either via Zoom or in person, such as at a nature conservation organization or in a national park.
In doing so, they practice key communication techniques and improve both their speaking skills and their mediation competencies. Vocabulary, useful expressions, and grammatical structures at level B2.2 are applied and reinforced throughout the course.
The research topics are interdisciplinary in nature, allowing students to engage with general-language discourses beyond their own field of study—touching on (natural) sciences such as biology, geography, or even management.
Contact: Heide Stiebeler, Christina Thunstedt
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 220000DE40
ECTS: 4
Period: whole semester
The module consists of a seminar that accompanies the project work. The seminar includes lectures, an excursion, and supervision of the project work. At the beginning of the module, students are introduced to the topic of mobility through a series of lectures. In addition, student groups take part in a two-week excursion to a selected European metropolitan region, where they conduct interviews with relevant stakeholders from academia, industry, and society on the topic of mobility, as well as carry out independent research in small teams.
During the development of the project work, the interdisciplinary teams receive guidance and support from the instructors as part of the seminar.
Contact: Yihan Xu
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000003365
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
The EuroTeQ Collider is a challenge-based learning format that connects students with professionals to tackle current societal challenges. Coordinated by EuroTeQ – an alliance of eight leading technological universities and business schools – the project aims to modernize European engineering education. In spring 2025, the fifth edition will take place at each EuroTeQ university, with local Colliders operating independently. The local Collider at TUM spans five weeks (25 April – 3 June). During this period, interdisciplinary student teams work on real-world challenges by developing prototypes or concepts.
The EuroTeQ Collider module enables students to apply their knowledge to real-world issues aligned with the theme “Enhance Connections for Sustainable Futures.” These challenges are sourced from TUM schools, student organizations, NGOs, and industry partners. The course format supports teams with workshops on topics such as agile project management, storytelling, and pitch presentation, as well as several feedback sessions with professionals throughout the project phase. Final presentations determine the local TUM Collider winners, who will be invited to attend the EuroTeQaThon in Eindhoven from 14 to 16 June.
Find more information at www.ja.tum.de/ja/euroteq/.
Contact: Angela Wester
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000004329
ECTS: 6
Period: 25 April 25 to 3 June 2025
Hackathons are collaborative events where participants work intensively over a short period to develop innovative solutions to specific challenges. This particular hackathon focuses on addressing issues of gender and diversity in an academic context, combining critical discussions with practical, team-based problem-solving.
This Hackathon is not necessarily built around knowledge of coding. You can also come up with an idea on how to address a specific gender/diversity issue in an academic context through means other than building more technology!
Contact: Amy Clare
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000005062
ECTS: 2–5
Dates: 24, 25, 28, and 30 April 2025
A look back: Project Weeks in the winter semester 2024/25
AI & Digitization
Operational Problems as Challenge-based Learning of Industrial Culture
Even after completing their Master’s degree, many students have no precise idea of operational processes and cultural characteristics of industry and only limited knowledge of how and where they can best use their skills. TUM students graduating with a Master's degree have an inadequate idea of operational processes, industrial culture of companies and knowledge of opportunities where they can apply their skills. This Project Week enables student teams to get to know a real operational problem and develop solution strategies for the partner by working together with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular. The groups get to know operational processes and strengthen their understanding of problems such as resource limitations, communication, product development, and decision-making processes through interviews and role-playing. The Project Week concludes with a poster and a presentation of the results to the partner and joint reflection on the approach.
Contact: Prof. Oliver Hayden, Nina Santner (1000plus@cit.tum.de)
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
TUMonline module no.: CIT6430001
ECTS: 2
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
Registration: until October 2024 at 1000plus.cit.tum.de
As part of the project, an interactive academic program advisory assistant is being developed, capable of automatically answering FAQ from current and prospective students. Participants will work with modern technologies in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing to create user-friendly solutions. This includes both the technical implementation, such as the integration of chatbot frameworks, and the content development through building and maintaining a knowledge database. Fundamental AI concepts will be taught in a practical context and applied in the development of the assistant. By the end of the project, the software will be able to independently answer typical questions about academic programs, admission requirements, and application deadlines. In addition to the technical implementation, teamwork and the development of soft skills will also be key focuses of the project.
Contact: Enkeleda Thaqi
For: Master’s students from AI in Society, Informatics, Data Science, Mechanical Engineering, Information Systems, Education Science; experience with web development (frontend and backend; JavaScript); optional: basic understanding of machine learning, transformer models, and natural language processing
Course no.: 0000004871
ECTS: 4
Period: January 13 to 24, 2025
The course is structured around two interconnected themes. First, we investigate how social science disciplines can benefit from adopting AI tools, opening up new avenues for research, analysis, and problem-solving. Second, we examine the far-reaching impacts of generative AI on society and the economy, exploring how these transformative processes can be measured, evaluated, and potentially regulated.
Contact: Dr. Jan Zilinsky
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001278
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
Would you like to become an educational technology researcher? Are you interested in educational technology design? Are you dreaming of building educational technology? To get started, you will need knowledge about how data flows in and out of educational technology and may influence and capture human behavior and learning. Integrating data-oriented thinking is not trivial. “Data Design Studio” will provide a dive into the world of data-driven thinking. This Project Weeks course is an intensive, student-centered, and project-oriented learning experience of a scaffolded process for data collection design in the context of AI-powered EdTech. This project-based course targets all TUM students interested in AI-powered EdTech at any level (Bachelor, Master, PhD) and any school. Participating students will have the opportunity to select a real educational problem and to design and implement data flows for AI-powered EdTech that could tackle this problem. Participants will work independently with special instructional materials and instructor feedback to support their learning process at different stages of their projects. Registration in both lecture and seminar courses within this ProjectWeeks module are obligatory for enrolment in this module.
Contact: Laura Graf, Santiago Hurtado
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001149, 0000001249
ECTS: 3
Perion: January 13 to 17, 2025
The “Data Governance in Action” module focuses on the practical implementation of data governance principles in modern organizations. It encompasses an extensive range of crucial topics vital for comprehending and executing effective data governance strategies. The module commences with an introduction to the data governance concepts and their pivotal significance in the digital economy. Students will delve into the legal and regulatory frameworks for data management, including GDPR, the EU Data Act, and the EU Data Governance Act to ensure adherence to regulations and best practices.
Contact: Akanksha Bisoyi
For: Master’s students from the fields of Informatics, Data Science, Mechanical Engineering, Information Systems, Medical Engineering
Course no.: 0000003114
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
This Project Week aims to reflect on how can we improve decision-making competence among university students, with the goal to design the outline of a program on decision education, able to empower students with the skills and dispositions essential to be able to learn actively, independently, and efficiently, make sound inferences, and take informed decisions. This project would also provide a unique opportunity to reflect on how to conscientiously and effectively utilize digital and AI tools, such as ChatGPT, alongside social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, to support our decision-making skills.
Contact: Prof. Azzurra Ruggeri
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools (fluency in English is necessary)
Course no.: 00SOT10083
ECTS: 5
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
Have you ever sat in a lecture and suddenly realized that your mind is on planning your dinner instead of paying attention to the lecturer? This phenomenon, known as “mind wandering”, can disrupt the learning process. But what if we had a video player that recognizes when our attention wanders and helps us to refocus?
In this Project Week, students will develop AI-based real-time learning interventions for an existing attention-aware video player. Students will be able to integrate adaptive support, such as intermediate comprehension questions, directly into the video player, prompting learners to refocus.
After an initial introduction to the topic and the existing video player tool, students will work independently and receive feedback from the trainers at different stages of development. Finally, participants will conduct a small user study to evaluate the effectiveness of their actions to improve attention and learning outcomes. This hands-on project provides a unique opportunity to combine pedagogy and computer science and gives students the chance to develop innovative solutions that support attention in educational situations.
Contact: Dr. Babette Bühler
For: Master’s students from the fields of Informatics, Data Science, Mechanical Engineering, Information Systems, Education Science; experience with web development (frontend + backend; JavaScript); optional: basic understanding of machine learning, transformer models and natural language processing.
Course no.: 0000004592
ECTS: 4
Period: January 13 to 25, 2025
An interdisciplinary module entitled “Understanding the Digital Transformation of the Professional World” was anchored in each of the subject-related sub-courses of the Master’s programs in Vocational Education (Metal Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Health and Health Care Science, Nutrition and Home Economics, Agriculture). As part of a problem-solving, project-based learning approach, students from all six disciplines are required to work together with each other and with Master’s students of Informatics in order to develop prototypes for the improvement of digital transformation scenarios. The starting point is physically equipped scenarios in the TUM DigiLLab, a facility of the TUM EdTech Center (Industry 4.0, Health 4.0, Smart Home). In addition to technical evaluation dimensions, innovation, sustainability, data protection and data security are central evaluation dimensions. The interdisciplinary approach includes supervision by expert lecturers, IT support, and legal preparation.
Contact: Dr. Friederike Rechl
Course no.:
- Module part 1
- Lecture: Legal Foundations of Digital Transformation: 000000169
- Module part 2
- Seminar: Digital Transformation of Labor, part 1: 0000000714
- Seminar: Digital Transformation of Labor, part 2: 0000000694
- Exercise: Practical Phase in the Digital Laboratory – Construction Engineering: 0000000304
- Exercise: Practical Phase in the Digital Laboratory – Electrical and Information Technology: 0000000313
- Exercise: Practical Phase in the Digital Laboratory – Nutritional and Household Economics: 0000002921
- Exercise: Practical Phase in the Digital Laboratory – Health and Nursing Science: 0000002926
- Exercise: Practical Phase in the Digital Laboratory – Metal Engineering: 0000002932
ECTS: 8
Period: whole semester
Registration: until October 11, 2024, via TUM Online (course number: 0000000694)
The interdisciplinary project “FEM for FSI with Open Source Software” deals with the challenges of coupled phenomena in nature and technology and their numerical simulation with FEM. Internationally recognized experts provide insight into the latest innovations in research and high-performance computing as well as the implementation of various solution strategies for FSI in the open source software Kratos Multiphysics. In the project work, students immerse themselves in this numerical environment and solve various challenges in the field of fluid-structure interaction in interdisciplinary teams.
Contact: Dr. Ann-Kathrin Goldbach
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools, especially of the TUM School of Natural Sciences, TUM School Life Sciences und TUM School of Medicine Health
Course no.: 0000002027
ECTS: 3
Dates: 13.01., 20.01., 27.01., 03.02., 28.04.2025
As part of the Project Week 2024/25, the “Future Mobility Camp” is intensively dedicated to driving forward the mobility of tomorrow, a key challenge of our century, with a clear focus on the interdisciplinary fusion of different subject areas. By bringing together students from different disciplines, the “Future Mobility Camp” aims to develop new, innovative mobility solutions that are technically feasible, economically viable, and socially acceptable. While technologies such as autonomous and networked vehicles form the foundation for the development of advanced mobility concepts, interdisciplinary collaboration will be used to take a holistic view of the aspects of transport infrastructure and social mobility. Furthermore, business cases for new mobility concepts will be developed in order to offer a comprehensive perspective on the mobility of the future. By using real autonomous vehicles on a scale of 1:10 in a miniature city, students will be introduced to the technologies of autonomous and networked vehicles. The aim is to recognize the need to view technology not just as a tool, but as a pioneer for sustainable mobility solutions. The Project Week thus gives students the unique opportunity to develop future-oriented concepts that form the basis for the mobility of the next generation in a holistic way between technology, (transport) infrastructure, users, society, and the environment.
Contact: Prof. Johannes Betz
For: Master’s students of the TUM School of Engineering and Design, the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, and the TUM School of Management
Course no.: 0000001246
ECTS: 3
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
In this course, students will develop insights from geospatial data and AI in regards to climate change and conflict and will produce a detailed visualization of their results in order to better inform decision-makers, politicians, and the broader public. This course is the result of a collaborative partnership involving various professorships from the TUM School of Engineering and Design, TUM School of Life Sciences, and the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, alongside the United Nations (UN), and other esteemed partners like the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI at the University of Birmingham, the Rhode Island School of Design, the Al Jazeera Data Lab, and DesignIt, Munich. The project engages students as they work alongside UN and academic experts, gaining practical experience while contributing to global efforts in addressing environmental issues and promoting peace. By integrating theoretical instruction, practical lab work, and hands-on projects, this course will enable participants to develop crucial skills in two key areas: (1) leveraging geospatial data in decision-making processes, and (2) utilizing storytelling techniques to effectively communicate complex narratives. Through fostering a deep understanding of these intertwined challenges, the course is designed to empower students to initiate meaningful change and contribute to addressing climate-induced conflict on a global scale. Students from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to join, as in-depth training in each focus area will be provided.
Contact: Brittany Engle
For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001273
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
The project is aimed at building (and later operating) a virtual society based on large language models (LLMs). As part of the project, students will create a virtual environment in three-dimensional space in which virtual characters based on LLM agents interact with each other in a similar way to people in a society. In addition, the students will design and implement a constitution for the virtual space. At the end of the Project Week, the virtual space will be released for further interdisciplinary research. The aim is to create a virtual reality that can provide the basis for further testing and research in the field of LLMs as well as interdisciplinary research, particularly in the field of sociology.
The project is interdisciplinary in nature and is aimed at students from various disciplines, in particular, but not exclusively: social sciences, political sciences, computer science, games engineering, architecture, law. The project team is expected to be divided into three groups (first group: game design and 3D modeling; second group: backend and LLM infrastructure; third group: legal system).
Contact: Konstantinos Krikis
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all discplines, especially from the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, or the TUM School of Engineering and Design
TUMonline module no.: POL86090
TUMonline course no..: 0000001272
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
This Project Week offers students the opportunity to gain fundamental knowledge about the application of AI in business scenarios and to deepen their knowledge by developing practical AI solutions for real business use cases. The seminar is divided into two separate blocks: “AI for Business – Essentials” and “AI for Business – Advanced”. In the first, participants will acquire basic theoretical knowledge about AI and an understanding of how it can be applied for business purposes. The second block is designed as a hands-on module where students work in interdisciplinary teams of three to four members with partner companies to solve real-world business problems using AI. The advanced module ends in a hackathon during the Project Week, where the teams present their proposals; the best projects have the chance to be awarded.
Contact: Andrea Capogrosso, Lukas Beckenbauer
For: Master’s students of the TUM School of Management and the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
TUMonline module no.: MGT001445
TUMonline course no.: MGT001445S
ECTS: 12
Period: whole semester
As AI technologies become more and more integrated into everyday life, understanding and using AI is becoming an important skill, especially for younger people. It is therefore important that children and young people not only understand how AI works, but also develop critical thinking about its ethical and social implications. This Project Week combines the potential of Massive Open Online Courses for free educational access with the promotion of AI-related skills. Students will explore how children can learn with and about AI and develop solutions at the intersection of e-learning and AI literacy.
Contact: Pauline Sailer
For: Master’s students with a background in AI or education
Course no.: 0000004738
ECTS: 6
Period: January 13 to 25, 2025
Within this project, students will follow a user-centered design approach to develop an app that enhances smartphone and social media use with educational content. The project is divided into two phases, a phase concerning the app concept development and a second app implementation phase. Students will collaborate in small teams of two to three persons and conclude with a final presentation showcasing their app prototypes and how they can help users make more meaningful use of their smartphones.
Contact: Dr. Nađa Terzimehić
For: Master’s students from the fields of computer science, data science, human factors, business informatics, educational sciences with experience in mobile development
Course no.: 0000005095
ECTS: 6
Period: January 13 to 24, 2025
Creativity & Design
In this teaching initiative, students become part of the MoralPLai project, which combines AI ethics with the method of research-based theater. Through this hands-on experience, they will gain knowledge about an innovative approach to research and science communication that focuses on AI systems and their impact on ethical decision-making.
Contact: Franziska Poszler
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001275
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester; start as early as mid-September
This Project Week aims at fostering scientific curiosity within the community. Students will collaborate to design, plan, and execute an engaging pop-up exhibition centered around the theme of curiosity in science. The exhibition will feature interactive displays, hands-on activities, and informative presentations. As part of the course, students will (1) decide on the contents of the exhibition and the formats for presenting them in an accessible and engaging way, (2) actually implement the components of the exhibit, (3) plan the event logistics, (4) present the exhibition in public spaces in Munich and present to and interact with visitors, and (5) reflect their role in the project as well as potential future projects.
Contact: Laura Schlingloff-Nemecz
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001240
ECTS: 5
Period: February/March 2025
The course translates foundational principles of geometric design and computing and applies them within a comprehensive design project, leveraging methods and tools for 3D shape generation, simulation, structural design, and digital fabrication. After familiarisation with selected computational design tools and fabrication technologies, students are expected to examine a domain-specific case study in-depth, culminating in a practical design and fabrication task. Through the hands-on application of computational design solutions for advanced fabrication and construction techniques, students will navigate the intersection of various scientific disciplines, including mathematics, computer science, structural engineering, and architecture.
Contact: Jakob Kellnberger
For: Master’s students of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computational Mechanics, Information Technologies for the Built Environment
Course no.: 0000001615
ECTS: 3
Period: March 24 to 28, 2025
Five full-day workshops with expert input and discussions introduce aspects of artistic work. In cooperation with the Kunstakademie Bad Reichenhall, three lecturers will teach the participants different creative practices (workshop character on site at TUM), which will be tested in practice (artistic media), conveyed theoretically in discussion and lecture, and deepened with group work and presentations. The content and aim of the project is to apply the acquired knowledge to AI models such as DALL-2 in order to explore the possibilities and limits of new creative potentials in the communication of technology and genuinely human creativity.
Contact: Clara Valdes Stauber, Prof. Felix Mayer
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: CVL0001052
ECTS: 2
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
Critical Making is a method that combines critical thinking and rapid prototyping, allowing for students from different disciplines to collaborate. In this course, we combine the theoretical foundations and practical application of the method in an interactive prototype, created in multidisciplinary groups. Together with the Fraunhofer Institut, we explore how biases, often invisible, are built into innovations and products during the research and development (R&D) process. We uncover far-reaching consequences in mechanical engineering, medicine, urban design, public transport planning, and many more fields.
Guest lectures and engaging examples will help illustrate the complex issues we explore. In this project week, you will not only dig deep to open up a brand new problem space, but you will also develop basic design skills that help you communicate your findings. Together, we get creative with Arduinos and other microcontrollers, 3D printers, and other rapid prototyping tools in the UnternehmerTUM MakerSpace, during a hardware hackathon day. As a result, you will build interactive, research-backed prototypes that are surprising, engaging and stimulate discussions for novel insights.
Contact: Dr. Regina Sipos
For: Master’s students of the TUM School of Engineering and Design, the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, or the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology
Course no.: 0000004188
ECTS: 6
Period: December 16, 2024, to February 7, 2025
The “Design Futuring” Project Week provides an insight into the methods of futurology, speculative design and design futuring. The 2025 project week is dedicated to the topic of “The Future of Sports”. How will sport develop in the next 10, 20, or 50 years? Possible scenarios include, for example, an increase in athletic performance and the avoidance of injuries through technical or chemical-biological innovations (exoskeletons, implants, extreme doping, etc.), the integration of robots or other AI-based members in team sports, through to virtual sporting activities in AR/VR/XR environments. New technologies such as the Internet of Things, digital twins, shape-shifting materials or AI in general make it possible to invent completely new types of sport. On the other hand, the perspective of passive spectators or the role of the trainer can also become the object of speculative investigation. The ability to develop future scenarios, visualize them, critically reflect on them and translate them into correspondig design solutions is an elementary skill for future-oriented design in practically all disciplines. Design has a special role to play here in developing visions for possible futures, shaping them in such a way that a discourse on the futures is made possible and, if necessary, developing concrete solutions to actively shape desirable futures or prevent undesirable ones. During this project week, students will learn the basic design methods for these tasks and apply them in an exemplary manner. In a concluding symposium, the project results are critically discussed and reflected upon with an invited specialist audience.
This Project Week will be held in English.
Contact: Prof. Katja Thoring
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000004340
Registration: If you want to participate in this exciting project, please send an e-mail before October 10, 2024, with a short introduction of yourself and why you are interested in participating to ipd@ed.tum.de, using the subject “Design Futuring”. We will allocate the limited places on a first-come, first-serve basis.
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester, including a field trip from Ocotber 24 to 27, 2024, and the Project Week from January 13 to 17, 2025
Timber structures can make a decisive contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine. In particular, kindergartens and schools can be built quickly and easily using the system construction method. As part of the Project Week, the students will transfer a corresponding construction system from a theoretical design to application maturity. This first includes the creation of execution and assembly planning. Subsequent practical implementation on a 1:1 scale is used to demonstrate feasibility, find errors, and make optimizations. The system is completed with suitable construction instructions and training documents for the fitters in Ukraine as well as a logistics concept.
During the project, students will learn how to work in multidisciplinary teams, gain practical experience, and present and reflect on their results and findings.
Contact: Dr. Michael Merk
For: Master’s students of Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Resource Efficient and Sustainable Building, or Vocational Education
Course no.: 0000001187
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester; Project Week from March 24 to 28, 2025
Imagine that the Earth is completely destroyed. But you can create a new civilization – in a distant galaxy. How will people live there? How will they live, how will they organize their everyday lives and how will they interact with each other? We approach these questions about the future in a creative way, firstly by creating new worlds (“creare”) and secondly by using creative skills: Discovering connections, bringing the whole into view, thinking processually and cooperating across disciplines. Painters, video artists, writers, dramatists, and musicians will inspire us with their projects and suggestions to engage in artistic perception and work in order to create visions of human life and present them in extraordinary presentations.
Contact: Ingrid Lughofer
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
TUMonline module no.: CVL0001040
ECTS: 1,5
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
This Project Week examines research in Tangible Design Technologies in relation to how people learn. It has a special focus on designing new tangible computational experiences that support learning in STEM+C fields by building on state-of-the-art learning theory. It is designed as a student-centered project-based learning experience, where participants will tinker and design with the latest construction kits (e.g., electronic textiles, Chibitronics paper circuits, and Playtronica) through guided activities in heterogeneous small groups and conduct a final project. The Project Week is accompanied by relevant Tangible Design Technologies for Learning research. Overall, students will be empowered to reflect on the design of educational technologies for impacts on learning outcomes and participation and to recognize underlying assumptions of learning in educational technologies.
Contact: Prof. Anna Keune, Prof. Michaeli Tilman
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000003247
ECTS: 3
Period: Februar 3 to 7, 2025
In the Project Week “Technology-Supported Design Research”, students from all disciplines learn how to leverage technology-supported design research methods for investigating and understanding users’ responses to designed artifacts and environments. Understanding human emotions and physiological reactions in relation to (a) the environment they are in, (b) physical or digital products they interact with, or (c) intangible services they use, is relevant for many disciplines. This interdisciplinary project introduces a variety of technological measurement tools to the participating students, for example, heart rate monitors, EEG headsets, motion tracking devices, facial expression recognition software, skin conductors, and other bodily monitoring tools. Students develop a research design and conduct an exemplary study around one of the provided technologies.
This Project Week will be held in English.
Contact: Dr. Chris McTeaguge
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000004369
Registration: If you want to participate in this project, please register and also send an e-mail with a short introduction of yourself and why you are interested in participating to ipd@ed.tum.de, using the subject “Technology Supported Design Research”. We will allocate the limited places on a first-come, first-serve basis
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester, including the Project Week from January 13 to 17, 2025
This course examines the role of creativity in the innovation development process, focusing particularly on how artistic methods can be effectively utilized for this purpose. In addition to theoretical foundations and working creative-artistically, participants will also deal with key issues of social progress and the potential of socially-oriented entrepreneurial action in society.
The course is offered in interdisciplinary and cross-university fashion, organized in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Munich, and guided by experts in design, innovation, and organization. Practically, this year’s focus is on the use of photography and how it can contribute to the development of innovative approaches to achieve positive social change. The semester will conclude with a photo exhibition created by the participants, discussing alternative realities of life and unconventional strategies for realising the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) in practice. Artistic experience in photography or owning a professional camera is not a prerequisite for course participation.
Contact: Julian Krauss
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
TUMonline module no.: MGT001447
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
Entrepreneurship
Discover your entrepreneurial potential with our Business Plan Basic Seminar, ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs. Are you bursting with ideas but unsure where to start? Our program is designed as a gentle introduction, prioritizing creativity over perfection. Delve into ideation, prototype development, market analysis, and business models with agile methodologies. Receive personalized coaching to refine your ideas and gain confidence in presenting your vision. Whether dreaming of your venture or simply curious, our seminar supports you every step.
Contact: Christian Orth
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: MGT000159S
ECTS: 3–4
Period: whole Semester
In this course, students from different disciplines work intensively over the course of a semester on social, ecological, or technological challenges and the question of how these can be solved using entrepreneurial means. To this end, methods and knowledge on topics such as system innovation, design thinking, future thinking, regenerative and impact-oriented business models, impact management and financing are taught. The systemic perspective is of particular importance. In particular, the major social and ecological problems of our time are “wicked problems” which cannot be viewd in isolation – solutions, thus, can only be developed on the basis of their analysis as phenomena integrated into systems.
Working in teams, the students tackle social, ecological or technological challenges and apply the methods they have learned to develop an entrepreneurial solution for the chosen problem. This process is structured and supported by lecturers and coaches. As a blended learning format, the course consists of an online course, several block dates on site, and online sessions. The program also includes input from experts and founders and provides insights into the impact entrepreneurship ecosystem. At the end of the semester, the students present the solutions they have developed in the form of impact-oriented business and impact models. They receive feedback and the opportunity to apply for follow-up coaching.
Contact: Carola Vogel, Verena Kaoui
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
TUMonline module no.: MGT001435
TUMonline course no.: MGT001435S
ECTS: 9
Period: whole semester
In five days you learn the basics on how to develop innovative customer centric and impact-driven business ideas while working on a challenge from a partner in an interdisciplinary student team. The Sprint is led by experienced Innovation Facilitators. You will get practical insights, useful templates and tools, constant feedback and opportunities to reflect on your learnings. A great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, get to know new people and identify innovative ideas.
Contact: Felix Hagleitner
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: MGT001348S
ECTS: 6
Period: January 8 to 16, 2025
Join us for an inspiring lecture series featuring outstanding founders, managers and executives from a variety of industries. Our guest speakers will share their wealth of knowledge on various aspects of entrepreneurship and leadership, from identifying opportunities to managing innovation and growth. By gaining practical insights into the diversity of entrepreneurial life, personalities, skills and motivations, you will be equipped to think outside the box and develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Contact: Christine Schuster
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: WI000285VO
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
This course will challenge the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs to think critically about how their personal values and principles inform the difficult decisions they will have to make as they start or grow their business. The course will first equip participants with frameworks to crystalize their own values and principles. A selection of readings and case studies will provide participants with tangible examples of the challenges other entrepreneurs have faced. Each class will be highly immersive, featuring conversations with entrepreneurial guest speakers, break-out sessions and role plays. Through conversations with case protagonists and each other, participants will leave the class more prepared to navigate the ethical dilemmas that they may encounter during their professional lives.
Contact: Oliver Bücken
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: WI001141SE
ECTS: 6
Period: October 21 to December 9, 2024
“The Entrepreneur’s Playbook” offers TUM students the opportunity to gain deep insights into the world of venture capital firms (VCs) and entrepreneurship. The course focuses on direct interaction with successful venture capitalists and founders and provides both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The seminar includes guest lectures, workshops and project work. Students work in interdisciplinary teams to develop pitch decks for start-up ideas and receive feedback from experienced VCs and entrepreneurs. The course ends with a pitch session in which the teams present their work.
Contact: Felix Kuhn, Andrea Capogrosso
For: Master’s students of the TUM School of Management
TUMonline module no.: MGT001444
TUMonline course no.: MGT001444S
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
Health
The project presents current problems in medical technology in a real clinical environment and teaches skills for independently solving complex technical problems. Students learn about surgical procedures by observing real operations in the operating room. In workshops, they are familiarized with the principles of the iterative and human-centered design process in an interdisciplinary environment. The students then work independently in small groups to develop and evaluate solutions, receiving coaching on development strategies from an interdisciplinary team of experts. Comprehensive material and a practical environment at the TUM University Hospital are available for development. Finally, the students present the solutions they have developed, classify them critically and reflect on the development process.
Contact: Max Bergholz
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students og the TUM School of Engineering and Design, the TUM School of Medicine and Health, and the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
Course no.: 0000005005
ECTS: 4
Period: January 8 to 17, 2025
Prevention, from risk reduction through to rehabilitation, is a field that requires specialists from a wide variety of fields, including doctors, sports and health scientists as well as engineers, statisticians, computer scientists, and sociologists. The field of assessment in neurology in particular offers many points of contact. As part of an intensive Project Week, students will learn the basics of neurology as well as clinical and technology-supported assessment, and develop instrumented tests in heterogeneous small groups, which they will then test on a small patient sample (multiple sclerosis). The program is accompanied by practical sessions, invited lectures (i.a., medicine, neuroengineering) and team building exercises and includes a field trip to a neurorehabilitation facility.
Contact: Dr. Philipp Gulde
For: Bachelor’s students from the fourth semester and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools
TUMonline module no.: MHP0100101
ECTS: 3
Period: October 7 to 11, 2024
Das Projekt hat die Gründung eines Instagram-Kanals zum Ziel, der wissenschaftlich fundierte Informationen aus der Ernährungswissenschaft aufbereitet und unterhaltsam präsentiert. Hintergrund ist, dass viele verschiedene Akteure (Journalistinnen, Köche, Food-Blogger, Selbst-Optimiererinnen, Klimaaktivisten) sich in Social Media zu Ernährungsthemen äußern, diesen aber vielfach das Wissen fehlt und Informationen damit falsch oder verzerrt dargestellt werden. Wir wollen Studierende dafür gewinnen, als Gegenpol zu den fachfremden Äußerungen ihr erworbenes Wissen selbstbewusst und wirkungsvoll in der Öffentlichkeit zu platzieren. Durch die Abstimmung von Themen, Redaktionsplänen und Beiträgen in der Projektgruppe werden ein hoher Standard und eine steigende Reichweite angestrebt. Die studentischen Beiträge werden eng mit den Dozierenden abgestimmt, die das Projekt dauerhaft begleiten.
Contact: PD Dr. Jürgen Stolz
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools, in particular the Bachelor’s degree program in Life Sciences Nutritional Science from the fourth semester onwards, and related subjects
Course no.: 0000001301
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
The teaching project takes an interdisciplinary approach to recognizing and understanding current challenges in the fields of Medicine and the architecture of hospitals and healthcare buildings. Working in transdisciplinary teams with experts from different disciplines promotes mutual understanding between the respective disciplines and opens up the potential of new developments outside one's own discipline for one’s own field.
Contact: Anja Böckl
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000002808
ECTS: 3
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
Digital technologies such as virtual reality, machine learning and robotics are perceived as highly promising facilitate movement training and -therapy. However, in order for these tools to become successful, they must to individual therapy goals and to the requirements of special populations. Thus, health professionals and as well as patients and users need to communicate and to collaborate on further developing these methods.In this module, students with engineering background can interact with students of the health sector to design develop a product prototype to assist in neurorehabilitation and motor learning.Beforehand, they will meet experts, scientists and professionals from informatics, electronical engineering, science and neurorehabilitation. After being introduced to theoretic considerations about functional principles technologies and to ethical challenges, the students will have the opportunity to talk to prosthesis users and patients and will learn about best practice examples from industry representants and therapists. Student discuss the outcomes of their projects with experts and users and will present the final results to module and supervisors.
Contact: Dr. Waltraud Stadler
For: Master’s students of Informatics, Robotics, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Health Science, Sport and Exercise Science, Human Factors Engineering, and Neuroengineering
TUMonline module nos.:
- MHP000031: Exercise “New Technologies in Neurorehabilitation and Motor Learning”
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MHP0000302 Exercise “Applied New Technologies in Neurorehabilitation and Motor Learning”
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MHP0000303 Lecture: “Introduction to New Technologies in Neurorehabilitation and Motor Learning”
ECTS: 5
Period: October 7 to 11, 2024
The module introduces students to an enzyme engineering project from current research and state-of-the-art techniques in the field. This includes advanced library cloning and medium to ultra-high throughput screening methods. Two libraries are cloned with a different number of resulting variants. Screening is performed using a pipetting robot and a droplet sorter.
Contact: Dr. Enrico Hupfeld, Dennis Romeis
For: Master’s students of Chemical Biotechnology, Molecular Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Industrial Biotechnology, or Biology who have successfully completed one of the “Enzyme Engineering” modules (CS0008 or CS0076)
Course no.: 0000004324
ECTS: 5
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
The Project Week consists of theoretical and practical parts. The theoretical input includes brief introductions to the topics of nutrition, exercise and sleep, their importance for health and well-being, as well as an overview of traditional recording methods and their limitations. Furthermore, an overview of sensors and wearables used for the automatic detection and recording of these concepts will be given. There will also be a detailed introduction to the modalities used during the project week as well as use cases and future prospects from a variety of areas.
Contact: Dr. Christoph Höchsmann
For: Bachelor’s students from the third semester und Master’s students of all disciplines and schools with prior knowledge in the fields of Health and Sport Sciences, Nutritional Science, Medicine, Informatics, or Engineering
Course no.: MHP0000201
ECTS: 4
Period: November 2024: Preparation (self-study of video and text materials via Moodle); December 2024: Introduction (development of project ideas and introduction to modalities in two 120-minute classroom sessions); January 13 to 17, 2025: Practical block (implementation and evaluation of pilot projects in five 240-minute classroom sessions); February 28, 2025: Completion (deadline for project report)
Social
In this project-oriented module, students will work in interdisciplinary teams alongside staff from public administration and government entities. By researching and analyzing current public sector projects, students will identify gaps and devise novel methods for political engagement. They will present and discuss their ideas with peers, public officials, learning how to successfully realize their proposals and create impactful projects for social purposes in interdisciplinary teams.
The primary goal of the module is to actively create new methods to support and enhance public sector innovation for various groups. Students will develop their ideas independently and then discuss their potential projects with representatives of public instiutions. After completion the resulting projects will be ready and fit to be used by the public sector for enhancing digital participation and democratic engagement. The module acts as a bridge between public sector entities and TUM, supporting the development of new digital participation opportunities and the interdisciplinary integration of technical implementation, governance perspectives, and societal needs concerning digital participation. The students will be working together on projects through a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to enhance digital participation and democratic engagement, thus strengthening democracy.
Contact: Janine Schröder
Für: Master’s students of STEM subjects
Course no.: 0000001276
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
The “Applied Citizen Participation” Project Week creates a joint platform for interdisciplinary learning among students to explore the topic of participation in greater depth. During the week, intensive methodological knowledge is built up for citizen participation in urban and mobility development. However, the skills learned in the field of participation can also be transferred to other areas of application. The block course enables practice-oriented and interactive learning in which students develop a joint participation strategy for a real mobility challenge in the Munich metropolitan region. The challenges are given by the Munich Cluster for the Future of Mobility in Metropolitan Regions (MCube). The question: “How can participation processes be designed in a transformative way so that they contribute to the cultural anchoring of the mobility transition in the long term?” accompanies the entire course. In order to develop the methodological skills of the participants, each seminar day is accompanied by a participation expert. They impart their expertise to the students through workshops, case study presentations and playful elements. Throughout the week, the students work on a participation strategy to overcome their real-life challenge. The expert sessions, active mentoring (from the Chair of Settlement Structure and Transport Planning) and peer learning are key elements of this process. On the last day of the block seminar, the student groups present their solutions to the real challenge in front of an expert audience (scientists, participation experts, challenge providers). At the end of the block seminar, there will be a discussion round in which the insights gained will be reflected upon.
Contact: Matthias Grundei, Carolin Zimmer
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001089
ECTS: 3
Period: February 17 to 21, 2025
The aim of the Project Week is to make the topic of diversity visible and tangible in the urban space and to expand the historical perspective of the collection and exhibition by embedding it in contemporary discourse. The focus will be on equal opportunities in the teaching and practice of the design disciplines. During the Project Week, installations in Munich’s urban space will be designed and implemented together in a 1:1 design build workshop. The aim is to communicate and introduce the projects and architects in the urban space and to link the project with contemporary issues in architecture and (urban) design. The collective, interdisciplinary self-build project breaks new ground in teaching on the one hand, while on the other hand the project steps out of the university context and becomes present in the public sphere. The installations offer opportunities for the involvement, interaction and participation of urban society.
Contact: Jana Hartmann
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000002456
ECTS: 3
Period: October 7 to 11, 2024
Sustainability
The linear “throwaway society” is based on ever-increasing resource consumption that is clearly reaching its limits on a planet of finite resources: In 2019, humanity consumed over 100 billion tons of natural resources for the first time. Around 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and over 90 percent of biodiversity losses are attributable to the current modes of extracting and processing of resources. The circular economy as a sustainable alternative to the linear economy is considered a promising concept for decoupling prosperity from environmental pollution. Despite the fundamental support for circular economy concepts, circular economy-oriented offers have met with little response from consumers. Behavioral science findings from behavioral economics and psychology can help to increase acceptance of and commitment to such initiatives. By applying economic incentive systems and social norms, the behavior of individuals and communities can be influenced to promote greater environmental responsibility and resource efficiency.
In this interdisciplinary project, students from different disciplines receive a project-oriented introduction to the two topics of circular economy and behavioral economics. Based on these theoretical foundations and input from various practice partners (e.g. from start-ups and academia), students learn about different approaches to developing their own circular economy solutions in a problem-oriented manner. During the Project Week in January, participants work on a specific problem in the form of a team challenge in which they collect and analyze their own data and present a solution concept. The module is carried out as a group project.
Contact: Konrad Kober, Robert Burkhardt
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
TUMonline module no.: MGT001446
TUMonline course no.: MGT001446S
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
Our circumstances and society will change radically over the next 20 years. In order to create a liveable future, we need people who can develop creative and visionary solutions and then implement them. In short: entrepreneurial and creative skills. This is exactly what this module is about: focus to define a problem well; courage to actively initiate change; imagination to develop and articulate ideas; and action to drive an idea towards implementation.
In this course, participants will address the question of how we will live in 2044. A fictitious future scenario (based on scientific forecasts) illustrates what our world could look like then. The impulse symposium, which precedes the Project Week, offers inspiration and insights to stimulate the imagination for this future scenario. During the Project Week, participants work in small teams to develop a practical solution to a real societal problem they encounter in these scenarios, learning to apply design and entrepreneurship methods. They are encouraged to use generative AI tools to visualize the solution scenarios they create and to articulate their vision through prototyping. By reflecting on their work following the Project Week, participants can deepen their newly acquired skills. And perhaps most importantly, acquiring entrepreneurship and design skills is fun – and gives them hope of being able to actively shape major social transformations themselves.
Here you will find detailed information about the seminar.
Contact: Prof. Anne Tryba, Prof. Annette Diefenthaler
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: MGT001410S
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
The ecological and climate crisis that we are facing today demands that we think and work differently and, in par-ticular, that we teach and learn differently. We cannot solve these issues alone and have to learn not only the processes but also the language by which to communicate with other disciplines. To value our resources and to value the greater ecology of our cities, we have to work in interdisciplinary collaborations that see the aesthetic question as deeply tied to the technical and the ecological. Being resource-conscious, for example, demands that we con-sider the role of structures (Tragwerk) not only as a means for a building to stand but also as the expressive identity of it. It also demands that we think about the lifespan of a building and the separation of the different systems that would allow us to more responsibly care for a building over the years. Moreover, it requires that we rethink the question of building technologies and how we achieve comfort in buildings through natural or passive means. These are all concepts that require a close relationship between engineer and architect. This Project Week will focus on the complex relationship of structures, climate and space as primary driving forces behind the conception of a sustainable building.
Contact: Valentin Martin, Daniel Stephany
For: Bachelor’s students of the TUM School of Engineering and Design
Course no.: 0000002791
ECTS: 3
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
This design challenge is an ambitious project that aims to develop an interactive gaming simulation on the climate crisis in heterogeneous teams. Despite the urgency and importance of the global challenges of climate change, there is a lack of effective and motivating learning environments that appeal to teenagers and young adults and are suitable for use in schools and universities. Simulation games can close this gap and help young people to find their way around this complex topic and derive sustainable options for action. This impact is also easily scalable, as large numbers of users can be reached with a ready-to-use product. The participants in the design challenge develop a playable prototype over the course of the project. They will receive relevant input and support from experienced experts from the fields of pedagogical-psychological teaching-learning research, game design on sustainability topics, and the design of innovative democratic processes, among others. Participants can expand their knowledge and skills in an interdisciplinary way, ensuring that the game design implements key findings from relevant branches of research. Teachers from reference secondary schools of TUM will also accompany the project in order to ensure the practical suitability of the design for the school context and to enable initial test rounds with pupils.
Contact: Dr. Maximilian Knogler
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000001244
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
In this project, students of a foreign language course deal with the topic of sustainability using the example of a national park. They expand their target language project skills by researching information on a sub-topic of their choice and developing further questions for interviews in group work and with the help of AI, e.g. with people with relevant expertise inside and outside the university, on Zoom, or on site in the national park. In doing so, they practise important interview techniques and improve their oral skills as well as their mediation skills, using and consolidating vocabulary and phrases as well as structures from level B2.2. The content of the research is designed to be interdisciplinary, so that students gain an insight into general language discourses with (natural) scientific references beyond their own subject, e.g. biology, geography, or management. Specific subtopics include: Water management, animal monitoring, visitor management, etc. At the end, the students evaluate their research results and reflect on their approach and methods. They network with a working group from another language area of the TUM Language Center that has researched similar questions and a national park from another country, and jointly develop a presentation in which multilingualism plays a role in addition to intercultural aspects.
Contact: Heide Stiebeler, Christina Thunstedt
For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools (knowledge of German at level B2.1 is recommended)
Course no.: 220000DE35
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
The question of how the real estate industry can implement sustainability requirements as a result of increasing political regulation at property level is both highly topical and complex. It touches on ecological, social, economic and, last but not least, entrepreneurial aspects. At the same time, work on real estate issues involves many different players. During the Project Week, we bring together these different players from planning and development in order to honestly discuss the debate in real form.
Stadtwerke München is involved in the development of new sustainable properties and districts on its own land. They provide the participants with a case study from their portfolio, which the students use to develop scenarios for a new district in thematic group work. Expert input and the expertise of the owner (Stadtwerke München) provide important impetus for working on the case study.
The Project Week begins with an on-site visit. At the end of the week, the results are presented to the municipal utilities. Afterwards, the results will be published in a brochure and online.
Contact: Mathieu Wellner (TUM Cluster Sustainable Real Estate)
For: Master’s students of Architecture, Urbanism, Civil Engineering, or the Department of Governance at the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology
Course no.: 0000000664
ECTS: 5
Period: January 13 to 17, 2025
“Heritage for a Sustainable Future” aims to urge students to watch in retrospect at our past to progress in the future. This is to revisit sustainable building systems that respect our planet and reinvent them into a new perspective of architectural forms and structural designs that are able to reshape our cities of the future. Conceiving increasingly and more sustainable construction systems means taking advantage of our multi-faced heritage in its reality of an object of knowledge – thus, mainly made out of masonry – and recovering this lost knowledge to preserve our existing architectural heritage, therefore avoiding its dereliction and reactivating this into the consciousness of people.
Contact: Dr. Roberta Fonti
Course no.:0000001261
ECTS: 6
Period: whole semester
The project aims to develop solutions for a major socially relevant challenge: sustainable travel in winter in the face of climate change and increasing snow uncertainty in Bavaria. The aim of the project is to enable students to design group trips, taking into account multi-stakeholder processes and interdisciplinary scientific findings, in such a way that they (i) contribute to sustainable development and (ii) promote sustainability. The focus is on group trips for children and young people (e.g. in the context of winter sports weeks at school, vacation camps, training camps, or camps run by sports clubs or church providers). In the three months before the Project Week (12.10.2024 – 11.01.2025), students are prepared to work on issues from these areas with the help of problem-based learning. During the Project Week at the Schauerhaus in Oberaudorf, students will develop proposals for the ideal design of sustainable group tours with the help of findings from Sports and Health Sciences, Geosciences, and Management. The needs on site are taken into account against the background of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Project Week is open to students of all disciplines from Bachelor’s level upwards.
Contact: Dr. Thomas Froschmeier, Thomas Plank
For: teaching degree students in didactics of physical education, Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools
Course no.: MHP0000801, MHP0000802
Admission requirement: letter of motivation (see module description for details)
ECTS: 4
Period: three evening sessions between October and December 2024, and January 13 to 17, 2025
This Project Week contributes to the big picture of our sustainable future. It will enable to interact with students of different study lines in order to prepare yourself for the complex challenges of tomorrow. Our “Philosophy” inspires you individually to ask the core questions of life and helps you to find your own responses. How would you like to live in the future? What tasks are needed to overcome barriers in mind and matter? Why is a great plant variety valuable for our society? How can ethical aspects of biodiversity politics contribute to our sustainable future?
Environmental ethics promotes and enhances the ethical debate in biodiversity communication. Non human animals are valued “partners” within our society. What happens to our habits and interactions with the growing scientific evidence that a wide range of animals, including all vertebrates and many invertebrates, are likely conscious and are able to subjectively experience the world.We will combine real case scenarios from natural sciences with methods and perspectives from the social sciences. The chosen case studies should help you to participate in ongoing discussions and will support you to develop guiding principles towards certain topics. Wild life management for example is a topic that involves many different stakeholders and perspectives. It makes it important to rethink frameworks and guidelines from the “generalized” view. In order to combine the theoretical dimension of the argumentation scenarios with clear practical options for everyday life we will go into “field” work and have discussions with experts in theoretical and practical professions.
Contact: Dr. Eva Sandmann, PD Dr. Jörg-Wilhelm Wernecke
For: Master’s students of the TUM School of Life Sciences, the TUM School of Natural Sciences, or the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology
Course no.: 0000001903
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
The aim of the Project Week is to expose TUM students to challenges of mining, i.e. extraction of metals, minerals, and various materials critical for the EU and global decarbonisation goals. During the project week, participants will (1) learn about economic, environmental, and societal impacts of mining and the controversy around them, (2) visit operational mining site to get real world experience and exposure to the on-ground problems, and (3) participate in the virtual role-play multi-stakeholder negotiation process learning to resolve the disagreements and compromise on the pathway to SDGs (and strategies on achieving them), using an innovative AI-based tool, developed by the interdisciplinary TUM research team.
Contact: Li Gen
For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools
Course no.: MGT001443S
ECTS: 4
Period: whole semester
Cities are being transformed to meet the challenges of the future. The Urban Transitions Lab is designed as a problem-oriented, week-long collaborative learning space where students from all disciplines can test their expertise in interdisciplinary working groups and explore how they can contribute to improving the urban environment of the future. In response to the tendency of sectoral thinking in urban practice and the general lack of opportunities for interdisciplinarity in the regular curriculum of many courses, we aim to introduce a Project Week in the form of an exploratory design sprint. This structure will enable students to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams, follow their personal and group interests, engage in the discussion on urban transformation, and apply their expertise to real-world scenarios.
Contact: Dr. Norbert Kling
For: Bachelor’s students from the fifth semester and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000003157
ECTS: 3
Period: whole semester
During the Project Week, students have the opportunity to take an interdisciplinary approach to the topic of wind energy. The main aim is to jointly create a presentation that serves to impart knowledge about wind turbines, e.g. at information events for citizens.
Among other things, the students will learn to understand the relevance of wind energy in future energy systems, become familiar with important criteria for determining wind energy potential and analyze the central socio-political aspects of the construction of wind turbines. Several groups should each work on a key topic, such as the impact of wind turbines on the environment or different participation options for local authorities, and regularly present the most important points in cross-group discussions. Finally, a comprehensive presentation with the contributions of all groups will be created, which will contribute to an improved transfer of knowledge at information events on wind turbines, for example.
The Project Week promotes interdisciplinary cooperation between the students. It also enables them to deepen their knowledge in the field of wind energy and knowledge transfer and to make a contribution to the transformation from fossil to sustainable energy systems.
Contact: Lukas Martetschlaeger
For: Advanced Bachelor’s students and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools
Course no.: 0000005003
ECTS: 4
Period: whole semester
The Project Weeks at the Technical University of Munich are funded as part of the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments.
Are you interested in even more interdisciplinary, extracurricular, or international courses?
Find an overview of the various Key Skill Programs open to TUM students here.
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