TUM Center for Culture and Arts

As editor and project manager of the KreativLab WDR Symphony Orchestra, Robert Blank combines journalistic excellence with innovative cultural projects. With his experience in creative media design and music management, he provides valuable impulses for ongoing artistic and cultural development at TUM.

Prof. Dr Thomas Girst is a recognised global expert in arts promotion and cultural management. As Head of Cultural Engagement at BMW AG, Honorary Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and Adjunct Professor at the IE Business School Madrid, he is committed to interdisciplinary synergies between art, science and business. His numerous books have been translated into many languages worldwide.

As a political scientist at TUM and a committed member of the HfP Senate, Alexander Hermansdorfer brings a young, dynamic perspective to the Advisory Board. His interest in cultural policy and social change makes him a valuable voice for the university public.

As a renowned writer and head of the “Kultur München & Bayern” editorial team at Süddeutsche Zeitung, Susanne Hermanski has been following artistic developments in Munich and beyond for many years. Her expertise in journalism, her feel for current trends and her large network enrich the exchange at the TUM Center for Culture and Arts.

As Bavarian State Minister for Science, Research and the Arts, Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch played a key role in promoting cultural and scientific institutions. His profound understanding of cultural policy and university development makes him a valuable source of inspiration for TUM.

Prof Ali Nikrang works at the interface of music, technology and artificial intelligence. As a researcher and lecturer at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, he explores the creative potential of new technologies - a valuable contribution to the interdisciplinary work at the TUM Center for Culture and Arts.

With his background in political science at TUM and as a long-standing member of the student representation, Linus Schmitz is committed to a strong connection between students and the arts. His perspective on political processes and university culture complements the Advisory Board with important impulses from the student community.

As an artist, filmmaker and AI researcher, Susanne Steinmaßl explores hybrid narratives and aesthetics between documentary, AI image production and digital physicality. Her work operates at the interface between art and technology. She also creates transmedia works for opera and theatre. In March 2025, she was appointed Professor of ‘Scenography Transmedial’ at the Mozarteum University Salzburg.