As part of the third edition of the Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme, TU Darmstadt is hosting two researchers from Unite! partner universities: Carlo Rosso from Politecnico di Torino and Muhammad Awais from Aalto University. Over the next two semesters, they will contribute to the university’s teaching and research activities, bringing international experience and new academic perspectives.
The Unite! Visiting Professorship Programme primarily targets experienced postdoctoral researchers from the nine universities forming the Unite! alliance. Its aim is to strengthen cooperation between academic communities, support researchers’ professional development and foster joint teaching and research initiatives.
Participation in the programme allows researchers to gain teaching experience in an international academic environment, while host universities benefit from new teaching methods and research perspectives. The programme also encourages the initiation and development of joint research projects and the sharing of research infrastructure among Unite! partner universities.
During the winter semester of the 2026/2027 academic year, Carlo Rosso will conduct teaching and research activities at TU Darmstadt, followed by Muhammad Awais in the summer semester of 2026/2027.
Carlo Rosso is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino. At TU Darmstadt, he will collaborate with Professor Rinderknecht in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Muhammad Awais is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems at Aalto University. At TU Darmstadt, he will collaborate with Professor Stark in the Department of Materials and Earth Sciences.
In an interview published by Unite!, Carlo Rosso highlights the importance of integrating the European academic community for the development of research and education. He points to the growing importance of gear dynamics, particularly in the context of electrification, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary research, in which artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly significant role.
Muhammad Awais will contribute to research on bio-based materials, particularly polymer-modified cellulose fibres, as part of the FiPRe (Functional Paper Research) consortium. In teaching, he will contribute to the Advanced Light Microscopy course and develop a new elective on the spectroscopic characterisation of bio-based materials.
His research combines spectroscopic imaging techniques, materials science and data analysis. As he emphasises, cooperation between Unite! universities makes it possible to combine research infrastructure and the expertise of different teams, while creating opportunities for joint publications and student exchange.
