The delegation was received by TH-OWL President Professor Dr Jürgen Krahl, who warmly welcomed the Indian guests to Lemgo: ‘It is a great pleasure for us to have Professor Subbarao here with us again. The cooperation with the National Institute of Engineering in Mysuru opens up exciting prospects, particularly in the field of sustainable energy technologies and intercultural education.’ Professor Georg Heinrich Klepp and Professor Johannes Üpping from the Institute for Energy Research were also present.

Professor Krahl and Professor Subbarao first got to know each other in April of this year at a conference at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig. It was there that the two scientists first discussed the idea of an exchange. Professor Krahl took the opportunity to invite Professor Subbarao to visit Lemgo – an invitation that the Indian expert on renewable energies was happy to accept.

During their visit in spring, the programme included not only a tour of the Innovation Campus. The guests also took the opportunity to visit the power plant in the innovation centre in Dörentrup, a showcase project in the region for sustainable energy production and distribution. One particularly interesting aspect for Professor Subbarao was the topic of ‘microgrids’, small, local energy networks that can increase the security of supply in rural and remote areas. This technology offers great potential for rural areas and could be an exciting basis for joint research projects.

‘We received a warm welcome from President Professor Dr Jürgen Krahl and his colleagues. I was very pleased that our rector, Professor Rohini Nagapadma, as well as Professor Likith Kumar and I, received a comprehensive tour and an innovative presentation of the current and future projects and international courses at TH OWL Lemgo,’ summarised Professor Subbarao. ’In today's interconnected world, we see enormous potential for collaboration between our institute and TH OWL. During the visit, we discussed various projects focusing on sustainability, circular economy, intercultural programmes, biofuels, green hydrogen and microgrids for remote villages. We are now ready to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TH OWL Lemgo, and I see a strong and fruitful collaboration between our institute and THOWL in the near future. This partnership could include student and faculty exchanges, consulting and joint projects supported by the DAAD, IGST and other funding organisations. ´´

The TH OWL sees a promising opportunity in the cooperation with the NIE, also in the context of its new ‘Bachelor General Engineering’ degree programme, which is now starting in the winter semester. This course of study combines technical knowledge with intercultural skills by offering integrated language instruction: international students are given the opportunity to learn German intensively in order to better integrate into academic and social life in Germany. At the same time, German students can improve their English skills in order to be optimally prepared for the globalised world of of work. This bilingual focus creates a unique learning environment that promotes cultural diversity and understanding – an aspect that is becoming increasingly important in times of global interconnectedness.

For students at TH OWL, contact with the National Institute of Engineering in Mysuru could be a valuable asset. Not only joint research projects are conceivable, but also exchange programmes from which both sides could benefit. ‘India is an emerging market with great innovative strength, especially in the field of renewable energies,’ emphasised Professor Krahl. ‘Our students could learn a lot from the experiences of their Indian colleagues, and conversely, we could offer them new perspectives.’

The visit of Professor Subbarao and his colleagues underlines the growing importance of international cooperation in the field of education and research. The TH OWL is thus positioning itself as an important player in international exchange and as a pioneer of innovative solutions in the field of renewable energies.

‘We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the team at TH OWL, especially to the President Professor Dr. Jürgen Krahl, for the warm welcome extended to our delegation. His foresight in exploring avenues for international networking, especially with our institute and India as a whole, is much appreciated. Thank you once again for your support and cooperation’, Professor Subbarao concluded.