TUM wins three new Partners of Excellence

Campus news

8/24/2018

The TUM University Foundation has acquired three new donators: The DAX companies Infineon Technologies and Volkswagen and the Bavarian economic association vbw – Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e.V. These three have made considerable financial contributions to the Foundation and now bear the honorary title "TUM Partner of Excellence". The community service University Foundation promotes outstanding talented young individuals in research and university studies. Since its founding a few years ago the Foundation's basic endowment has grown to approximately 50 million Euros.

TUM President Prof. Wolfgang A. Herrmann with Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn (VW), Dr. Sandra Bogdanovic (TUM Fundraising), Alfred Gaffal (vbw), Ralf Memmel (Infineon) and Prof. Arnulf Melzer (TUM Fundraising) (from left) (Picture: Benz / TUM)

As a long-term partner the TUM University Foundation uses the revenue generated by its basic endowment to provide non-bureaucratic support to the top-performing young individuals that an excellent university needs to maintain a leading position in international competition. For example the Foundation funds scholarships for post-doctoral academics, helping TUM recruit numerous scientists from the best universities in the world. It also supports the domestic scholarship Deutschlandstipendium for outstanding students. All recipients work on global topics of the future.

To date approximately 130 private and institutional donors have joined the University Foundation. Now Infineon, vbw and Volkswagen also belong to the exclusive circles of the TUM Partners of Excellence, with the Bavarian economic association vbw – Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e.V. engaged specifically on behalf of the Deutschlandstipendium program.

The comments of the new Partners of Excellence::

"TU Munich is an internationally renowned talent source," says CEO Infineon Dr. Reinhard Ploss. "TUM has for many years been an important partner in application-oriented research and development at the high-tech location Munich. TUM is a magnet for top-performing staff and is distinguished by innovative concepts in research and teaching. The crucial questions of our time call for young, creative minds. And these minds should receive support at an early stage."

vbw President Alfred Gaffal observes: "The Bavarian economy needs excellently trained university graduates and outstanding research results. Knowledge is our most important 'raw material' in Bavaria and in Germany. It is the basis for innovation and thus for success and the competitive strength of Bavarian companies. This is why we're glad to work on behalf of talented young individuals."

Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, head of Corporate Research and Development at Volkswagen AG, emphasizes: "The Volkswagen Group considers it a societal obligation to support university curricula and research, ultimately also to drive important future-oriented topics. Thus it all the more gratifying for the Volkswagen Group and its brands to support one of Germany's most renowned Technical Universities through the Foundation. As a Partner of Excellence we are glad to offer students and post-doctoral candidates the opportunity to increase their knowledge and in doing so to contribute to promoting their careers."