This March, the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Humanities, under the leadership of Professor Benjamin Tischler, organized an International Spring School that brought a fresh wave of academic energy to Technische Hochschule Rosenheim. Over the course of two weeks, master's and Ph.D. students from programs in Wood Technology, Building Physics, Management and Engineering, Advanced Industrial Engineering, and Computer Sciences participated in a series of lectures on Agent-Based Modeling (ABM).
The sessions were delivered by international visiting lecturer Professor Kathleen Salazar, from the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, Colombia. Holding a Ph.D. in Computer Sciences, Professor Salazar leads cutting-edge research in Latin America that applies ABM and Machine Learning to support decision-making in transport policy analysis.
The Spring School offered twelve THRO students the opportunity to explore new research approaches and engage in enriching discussions about their future projects and the potential of ABM as a powerful paradigm for simulating and analyzing complex systems. The experience was met with enthusiasm — students expressed genuine gratitude for the initiative, highlighting how exposure to different perspectives opens doors to interdisciplinary collaboration and broadens the scope of their research.
Professor Salazar herself reflected on the experience: "This was a wonderful experience. Interacting with students from different programs, backgrounds, and research interests was truly enriching. It is deeply satisfying to contribute to the development of new projects and ideas that strengthen the research being carried out at this institution. I also hope this is just the beginning — an open door for continued exchange between the cultures, knowledge, and experiences of Colombia and Germany."
Funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts, the Spring School proved fruitful not only as an academic exchange, but also as a catalyst for building lasting international partnerships. The collaboration between Professors Tischler and Salazar inspired the formalization of a Memorandum of Understanding between THRO and Universidad Javeriana, marking a significant first step toward promoting student exchanges, research stays, and joint academic projects between Germany and Colombia.
