Project Weeks

Participants explore the future of self-regulated learning through human-AI interaction. In this engaging project module, students will collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to design and implement a kognitive activation tool, Active-AI, that supports learners in mastering essential active study skills. Leveraging lightweight interaction-detection technology and adaptive feedback loops, teams will create interactive micro-intervention scenarios where the software recognizes passive usage patterns, evaluates engagement thresholds, and responds with targeted cognitive exercises in real-time. However, this is not simply about developing technology, it’s about understanding how AI-driven assistive interventions can strategically enhance deep processing and knowledge retention aligned with cognitive science best practices. Participants will evaluate how effectively the tool provides personalized, context-sensitive prompts, fostering authentic metacognitive awareness and counteracting cognitive passivity in digital study environments.

Towards the end of the module, students will have gained practical experience developing AI-enhanced educational systems, expanded their skills in agile software engineering, and deepened their understanding of evidence-based, inclusive learning technologies.

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000005607

ECTS: 6 

Period: 2 to 13 November 2026, 11 to 15 January 2027

Designing for Creativity is an intensive, student-centered course, in which participants learn about AI ethics and creativity with AI by designing AI-based environments for others to be creative. Working in interdisciplinary teams, students will co-create with generative AI, apply ethical frameworks, and build (tangible) prototypes. The course culminates in pitching these designs to a "Shark Tank" panel of diverse educational stakeholders. Ultimately, students will acquire the interdisciplinary competencies needed to evaluate, design, and deploy AI responsibly.

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000002091

ECTS: 3

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027

The interdisciplinary project “FEM for FSI with Open Source Software” addresses the challenges of coupled phenomena in nature and engineering and their numerical simulation using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Internationally recognized experts provide insights into the latest innovations in research and high-performance computing, as well as into the implementation of various solution strategies for fluid–structure interaction (FSI) in the open-source software Kratos Multiphysics.

As part of the project work, students immerse themselves in this numerical environment and, working in interdisciplinary teams, tackle various challenges in the field of fluid–structure interaction.

Contact: Dr. Ann-Kathrin Goldbach

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools, especially from the TUM School of Natural Sciences, the TUM School of Life Sciences, and the TUM School of Medicine & Health.

Course no.: 0000002027

ECTS: 3

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027

The adoption and enforcement of European Union (EU) digital regulations – the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the Data Act, among others – have been marred by controversy. The United States (US) has opposed EU technology regulations from the outside, claiming they discriminate against U.S. tech companies to undermine their global competitiveness. From within, various political and economic actors have alleged that EU regulations hinder innovation and even harm consumers. Yet, in its quest to build its digital sovereignty, reduce dependencies and vulnerabilities, and address various harms caused by tech companies, the EU has pressed ahead with new rules, and the Commission has ramped up enforcement, regularly fining tech companies – with political and economic ramifications far beyond the EU. In retaliation, the U.S. government has threatened to impose export controls and tariffs on the EU and other countries that are considering digital regulations to govern U.S. tech companies. In January 2026, it even imposed visa bans on several EU officials involved in enforcing the DMA and DSA.

Understanding how the EU governs digital markets – and how geopolitical considerations prompt and constrain the enforcement of the rules governing these markets – is important for not just for computer scientists and engineers, but also business leaders and policymakers, as well as informed citizen interested in technological innovations for information, computation, and communications infrastructures, privacy and data sharing, cybersecurity and many other aspects of the digital age. Focusing on the DMA, this module provides students with a deep dive into EU Digital Markets regulation and its enforcement. Through innovative teaching formats such as moot courts, e-learning, and generative AI tools, students will learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice, contribute to debates about EU technology governance by assessing the effectiveness and limits of the EU’s digital market regulation, understand how EU enforcement navigates geopolitical turmoil, and assess the EU’s role as a global rule-maker.

Für: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000000932

ECTS: 6

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027

The major challenges facing today’s healthcare system require interdisciplinary collaboration between architecture, medicine, nursing, and other disciplines. The following topics will be covered:

• The History of the Future
• Managing Chaos vs. Paradigm Shifts: Different Perspectives = Different Experiences
• Rethinking Supportive Architecture
• Context-dependent and individual perspectives on sustainability with regard to ecological, social, and economic development.

Typically, our experts will explore these topics in the morning through lectures and other formats, while the afternoon will consist of group work and field trips to deepen understanding.

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Module no.: ED120182

ECTS: 3

Period: end of January

In this module, students will acquire entrepreneurial and design competencies through experiential and scenario-based learning: Set in a future scenario, students will be confronted with scenes (based on scientific projections) that make clear what circumstances we may live in in the future. The Impulse Symposium ahead of the project week will provide inspiration and insight to stimulate students’ imagination of that future scenario.

During the immersive Project Week, participants will work in small teams to create a real-life practical solution for a larger societal problem they encounter in these scenarios: The first day of the project week creates space to explore what challenges students find relevant, and to explore through design and entrepreneurship research whether these challenges appear to be worth solving. Throughout the week, students will learn and apply creative problem-solving methods, foresight and future building techniques, and entrepreneurial thinking and decision-making to work through that challenge they identified.

Students will be encouraged to leverage Generative AI tools to illustrate the solution scenarios they create. The future scenarios will simultaneously offer a playful and inspiring backdrop, while also illustrating probable constraints and challenges. Students will be guided to apply visualization and prototyping methods as well as reflection techniques that will support them in producing a shareable vision of a livable and lovable future and identify why and how they can contribute to realizing it.

The module is intentionally structured to include an impulse before, as well as iteration and reflection after an immersive project week. In addition, students will receive a reading package. Combining these elements will allow students to start well-prepared, reactive their prior knowledge, inform themselves about relevant methods, and process and appraise new information.

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools 

Module no.: MGT001410

ECTS: 6

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027 

In the spirit of interdisciplinary work, the project makes dance – as a body-based practice as well as a form of art and expression – viisible and tangible. At its core is the participants’ personal development through a broader, more nuanced, and critical understanding of the self and the world (Kokkos, 2017). The central goal of the project week is to stimulate transformative learning and educational processes. After participating in the module, students will be able to

• playfully explore their own abilities through working as dancers in a dance company with high artistic standards, thereby creatively opening up new horizons
• expand their self-awareness, presence, and expressive abilities through embodied learning experiences, in order to consciously experience and reflect on processes of movement and perception
• reflect on potential negative beliefs and barriers to participation within an artistic framework, in order to rediscover and experience themselves beyond limiting expectations of themselves and others
• appreciate the art of dance as a means of individual expression and reflective engagement with personal and social issues
• develop a sense of community, responsibility, and appreciation through collaborative dance work with others

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MHP0001101

ECTS: 2

Period: 11 to 18 January 2027

How can data be made meaningful, engaging, and even beautiful? This course explores creative approaches to data visualization beyond conventional charts and software-based analysis. Participants investigate how different forms of representation—from hand-drawn data logs and analog sketches to digital visualizations (e.g., using Python or R) and simple data physicalizations—influence the interpretation and communication of data. Working with self-collected everyday datasets, students learn fundamental principles of visual encoding, storytelling, and information design through hands-on experimentation and critical reflection. Rather than teaching a specific software package, the course focuses on transferable principles for making sense of data through design. No prior knowledge in statistics, programming, or data visualization is required. The course is open to students from all disciplines who are curious about data, design, and visual communication.

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

ECTS: 3

Period: whole semester

This Project Week explores the campus as a layered environment in which traces of past work, ideas, materials and spatial practices remain visible. Students will investigate how discarded materials from student presentations and underutilized campus spaces can be reactivated through artistic reuse, spatial storytelling and temporary site-specific interventions.

Working in interdisciplinary teams, participants will collect, examine and transform leftover materials such as posters, models, boards, prints, prototypes and other related materials. These materials will serve as the starting point for spatial and performative experiments on campus and will allow students to engage with the concept of spatial palimpsest through hands-on artistic reuse. By identifying the narrative, experiential and social potential of underused spaces, students will develop pop-up site-specific interventions that may take the form of installations, scenographic settings, spatial narratives, performative actions or hybrid formats combining material, body, movement, text, image and audience interaction.

Throughout the process, students will connect creative experimentation with critical reflection, public engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. They will explore how temporary artistic work can reveal hidden spatial qualities, transform overlooked campus areas and open up new ways of experiencing, narrating and sharing the campus.

The Project Week combines short theoretical and methodological inputs, exploratory campus walks, material exploration, creative group work on spatial storytelling, hands-on prototyping, artistic experimentation, performative exercises, feedback sessions, public activation and collective reflection. The week will conclude with a final public performance in the form of a scenographic walk-through, during which the interventions will be presented, activated and discussed with an audience.

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: CVL0001070

ECTS: 2

Dates: Kick off on 19 October 2026; Project Week from 11 to 15 January 2027; final presentations on 5 February 2027

Humankind is currently living through times of polycrisis (e.g., geopolitical, ecological, economic etc.). Beyond trying to mitigate the worst, as much as possible, it is imperative that we start building not only consciousness but actionable steps and skills to build resilience in ourselves, our respective communities and beyond – to not only ensure the thriving of our species, but all life on Earth.

This project seeks to cut through the sensationalist noise, with a clear level-headed mission: In the future, things will be rough, so we have to focus on surviving as a meaningful skill to acquire, valorise and make visible. Here, we wish to employ the power of games: Games and playful engagements are spaces of make-belief that allow people to go beyond their common, default approaches. By enacting as spaces that are safe and bounded, they allow us to explore new ideas, potential futures and practices through. Employed within a “serious” context, they can motivate people to learn, change their attitudes, and deepen their skills. Similarly, they also can provide an affective environment to be pro-social in: to feel deeply, to emphasize, to engage with compassion.

These affordances provide fertile ground for a critical engagement with a pluralistic set perspectives, spaces and notions that allow us to go beyond ourselves: Games can approximate to perspectives from non-human actors or to make sense of place, space and time in ways that are not possible in everyday life. Games can influence how their players make sense of the wider world, other people and even themselves. Through games, we can explore visions and ideas of what futures we wish to live in, and how we may respond and cope with disasters to come. From an individual learning about how to prepare enough foods and water to survive through a blackout, to a neighborhood building infrastructure to look after one another during the next pandemic in a playful way. This project seeks to engage students with designing games for what feels like the end times; to thrive in complicated, strenuous contexts through building individual and collective resilience, mitigation and adaption.

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000005626

ECTS: 6

Period: 1 to 14 December 2026

Working in interdisciplinary teams, students will design and develop a STEAM-based art project that explores and communicates a contemporary STEM issue (e.g., human data labor in AI, the environmental footprint of AI). Projects may take the form of visual artifacts, installations, or other creative formats. Through this creative inquiry, students will use artistic approaches to investigate and communicate perspectives on the societal dimensions of STEM.

STEAM Studio will introduce students to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) approaches for exploring the social, emotional, and civic dimensions of STEM. The course will combine short theoretical inputs with interactive workshops, collaborative activities, and reflective discussions. Over the project week, students will progress from examining the societal and ethical contexts of STEM work to applying artistic and interdisciplinary methods to investigate current STEM challenges.

STEAM Studio will conclude with a public exhibition and presentation session in which teams share their projects and reflect on the learning processes involved, connecting creative methods and theoretical perspectives to their own fields of study and future professional practice.

Grounded in experiential and inquiry-based learning, the course will emphasize hands-on experimentation, creative practice, and collaborative problem-solving to help students approach scientific and technological issues from multiple perspectives. The course aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among TUM students and to encourage reflection on the socio-cultural impacts of innovation in their respective fields.

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000005632

ECTS: 3

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027

In this Project Week, participants use research-grade physiological sensors and state-of-the-art AI models to measure how products, spaces and services actually affect the people who use them, and turn those findings into engineering and design recommendations. Working in situ rather than in a lab, teams act as research consultants, investigating how designed artefacts shape human emotion, attention and behaviour. They will combine traditional research methods with physiological sensors (e.g., skin-conductance and eye-tracking glasses) alongside AI models (Computer Vision and Vision Language models).

The course is aimed at Master's students from any discipline who has an interest in how people interact with products, services and spaces. It will be particularly relevant for engineering, architecture, computer science, robotics and related fields, or for looking to develop competencies in sensor-based validation, multimodal user studies, human–machine interaction, product development and evidence-based design. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams, combining expertise from the technical and social sciences.

Importantly, no prior experience with physiological measurement or coding is required. The analysis pipelines run without code for those who are new to the topic, and stay fully customisable for those who want to go further.

The output of the course is a conference-style poster session and technical report.

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000004369

ECTS: 6

Dates: preparatory workshops on 16 November, 30 November and 14 December; Project Week from 11 to 15 January 2027; final presentations on 25 January 2027

The course is designed to engage selected master’s students with an entrepreneurial mindset and equip them with foundational knowledge about biomedical innovation, translational entrepreneurship, and venture development in the healthcare sector. Over five intensive days, participants will explore the biomedical innovation landscape through hands-on venture building and interactive sessions featuring industry experts, biomedical researchers, and experienced mentors from the TUM Venture Labs ecosystem.

Master’s students work in interdisciplinary teams spanning the TUM School of Management, TUM School of Medicine and Health, and TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, integrating scientific, clinical, technological, and business perspectives. Real-world innovation challenges are provided by industry partners and the TUM Venture Labs, ensuring practical relevance and market applicability. The curriculum explicitly highlights the translational gap in biomedical innovation ranging from molecular medicine breakthroughs to AI-enabled diagnostics and demonstrates how entrepreneurial competencies bridge the gap between scientific discovery and clinical implementation.

The program follows the Double Diamond Framework, guiding students through four interconnected phases: Discover the unmet clinical needs and biomedical market dynamics, including regulatory complexities and stakeholder landscapes; Define solution concepts through customer discovery and assumption validation; Develop prototypes and structured business models; and Deliver solution concepts.

By the end of the Project Week, each team will deliver a final pitch presenting their solution concept. This foundational program prepares participants for deeper engagement with TUM's biomedical entrepreneurship ecosystem and positions them for venture development opportunities within the broader innovation community.

For: Master’s students at the TUM School of Management, the TUM School of Medicine and Health, and the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology

ECTS: 3

Period: 11 to 15 Januar 2027

“Theory to Factory – Project-Based Problem Solving in Production” is an interdisciplinary course that combines production management methods with real-world industrial challenges. Master’s students from various disciplines work in diverse teams to address specific challenges posed by industry partners and develop robust solution concepts under real-world constraints. Theoretical input is provided through structured self-learning modules, supplemented by methodological coaching, structured interim feedback, and a final presentation to industry partners and examiners. The course focuses on problem-solving skills, project management, interdisciplinary collaboration, and communication tailored to the audience.

For: Master’S students in the fields of mechanical engineering, production and manufacturing engineering, and industrial engineering

Course no.: 0000004868

ECTS: 4

Period: whole semester

This Project Week gives students the opportunity to collaborate with Local Contexts, under the leadership of experienced researchers, to address urgent challenges in the governance, sharing, and ethics linked to Indigenous data. Local Contexts (localcontext.org) is an Indigenous-led not for profit organization that works internationally to support Indigenous data sovereignty through an innovative system of data labelling. As an organization that delivers practical tools to support Indigenous aspirations for data governance, Local Contexts is seeking advice in developing a unique Local Contexts Dashboard to make more visible the vital connections and relationships between the varied users of the Local Contexts tools. These users include Indigenous communities, museums, libraries, archives and biodiversity data repositories and researchers.

This project offers a rare chance for students and partners to engage in a shared space of theoretical and practical technical problem-solving with the goal of contributing to advancement in data ethics and Indigenous data sovereignty. The project week creates an opportunity for both students and partners to enter a space of co-learning and problem-solving, and for students to make a real impact on embedding ethical principles around Indigenous data into database systems, guided by the Data Ethics team at the Chair of Philosophy and History of Science and Technology. The project also builds on the ground-breaking work done by the Ethical Data Initiative hosted at the TUM Think Tank. The Project Week will incorporate activities such as mini-lectures, expert talks, a data graphics workshop, and several Q&A sessions with a representative of the partner organisation.

In sum:

• Work with a leading Indigenous data sovereignty partners on real-world problems.
• Develop your talent as a next-generation researcher or practitioner with experience in data ethics.
• Work intensively in a small group on problems with public interest stakes.

For: advanced Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000001510

ECTS: 6

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027

In this interdisciplinary module, participants develop ideas for digital products that take social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and inclusion into account. They learn to apply conscious design methods and work in teams to develop their own practice-oriented concepts. Whether their interests lie in technology, design, or society – all perspectives are important. In the process, students build skills that are in demand in the professional world: creative problem-solving, digital design, responsible thinking, and teamwork.

Registration via PROMPT

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools; basic knowledge of and an interest in sustainability, social responsibility, inclusion, and digital product development are helpful

Course no.: 0000003059

ECTS: 6

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027; project submission until 31 January 2027

The project presents current challenges in medical technology within a real-world clinical setting and teaches students the skills needed to independently solve complex technical problems. Through observations in the operating room, students gain familiarity with surgical procedures based on actual operations. In workshops, they are introduced to the principles of the human-centered design process in an interdisciplinary environment. Subsequently, working in small groups, students independently develop and evaluate technical solutions, while receiving coaching on development strategies from an interdisciplinary team of experts. During the development phase, they have access to comprehensive resources and a practical environment at TUM Medical Center. Finally, students present the solutions they have developed, critically assess them, and reflect on the development process.

For: Students at the TUM School of Enineering and Design, the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, and the TUM School of Medicine & Health from the fourth Bachelor’s semester onward

Course no.: 0000005005

ECTS: 4

Period: 25 November to 7 December 2026

Prevention, from risk reduction to rehabilitation, is a field that benefits from the contributions of a wide range of disciplines; physicians, sport and health scientists, same as engineers, economists, informatics, data scientists, and sociologists. Especially the area of assessment in neurology offers a multidisciplinary interface. In the framework of an intensive project week, students learn the basics of neurology as well as clinical and instrumented assessment. In small, heterogeneous groups, students will develop their own instrumented assessments and will validate them with a sample of persons with neurological impairments. The project will comprise of lectures, practical sessions, teambuilding exercises, intensive groupwork, and an excursion to a neurological clinic. 

For: For: Bachelor’s students from the fourth semester onward and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MHP0100101

ECTS: 3

Period: 5 to 9 October 2026

“Communicating Curiosity – A Science Outreach Pop-Up Exhibition” is a Project Week aimed at fostering scientific curiosity within the community. This time, the project will focus on the topic of “trust in science”. Students will collaborate to design, plan and execute an engaging pop-up exhibition, while exploring the developmental roots of epistemic trust and examining the critical role science communication plays in fostering public confidence in research. The exhibition will feature interactive displays, hands-on activities, and informative presentations.

As part of the course, students will

1. decide on the contents of the exhibition and the formats for presenting them in an accessible and engaging way,
2. actually implement the components of the exhibit,
3. plan the event logistics,
4. present the exhibition in public spaces in Munich and present to and interact with visitors, and
5. reflect their role in the project as well as potential future projects. 

Registration: by e-mail to laura.schlingloff-nemeczspam prevention@tum.de; please briefly describe your background and your interest in the course

Für: Bachelor’s and Master’s students and doctoral candidates from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000001240

ECTS: 5

Period: March 2027

The goal of Public Engagement is to communicate science to the public through dialogue. In this project, students work in teams to develop a communication concept that is implemented as a prototype during the Project Week. The focus is on creative forms of communication such as games, theater, or dance. The students are supported in this process by creative experts. The prototypes are then tested in a realistic setting with an audience, systematically reflected upon and evaluated, and may be implemented as a real-world format by the TUM Corporate Communication Center. In the process, students learn the methods of format development and acquire skills such as interdisciplinary collaboration, self-reflection, creativity, target audience orientation, and the practical implementation of an idea.

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000000948

ECTS: 6

Period: whole semester

Critical Making is a method that combines critical thinking with making (or rapid prototyping), allowing for people from different disciplines to collaborate. It can be used in any educational or real-world setting. Developed in 2009 by Prof. Ratto, it has been used at renowned universities such as Berkeley, Stanford, New York University, University of Toronto or Emily Carr. Since 2018, this course has also been taught the Technical University of Berlin by the lecturers of this seminar. It combines learning about the theoretical foundations of critical making with the practical application of the method in a project students work on. Often, products that are supposedly aimed at women are designed based on stereotypes, such as “shrink it or pink it”, implying that smaller or pinker products would be more desirable for women.

In this course, we explore how such biases, often invisible, are built into innovations and products during the research and development (R&D) process. We uncover far-reaching consequences in mechanical engineering, medicine, urban design and public transport planning, etc. The course has two main components:

Theoretical foundations

First, we will create a shared understanding about critical thinking in R&D processes with an overview of the critical theory of technology (STS, HCI), various academic approaches such as Critical Technical Practice, Critical Engineering, speculative design, and an introduction to the method of critical making. Case studies and examples illustrate this content. We will also raise awareness of gender bias in R&D processes: students are introduced to basic terms, receive an overview of case studies of gender bias in technologies; are informed about the political relevance of the topic, and thus understand the roots of such biases, including the representation of women in R&D. This is done through case studies and exercises.

Practical application

Students will be supported to develop the skills for the practical implementation of critical R&D processes in teams: this includes simple coding skills on how to use an Arduino (support by experts and peer support), designing and making a critical artifact in the Makerspace (hands-on prototyping), basic design skills to make decisions about form, materiality and perception, the creation of a zine (science communication) and writing a final report (scientific skills). To do this, students will work in small groups on a problem they are invested in. Course readings and references will include the works of: Phil Agre, Julian Oliver, Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, Matt Ratto and Garnet Hertz.

The seminar takes place in hybrid form in cooperation between the Fraunhofer Institut, Berlin University Alliance and the Chair of Design and Transdisciplinarity of the TUM.

The seminar language is English and work is to be completed in English.

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000004188

ECTS: 4

Dates: introductory event on 14 September 2026; online lectures on 28 and 29 September 2026; on-site lectures from 30 September to 2 October 2026; hackathon on 7 October 2026; final presentations on 16 October 2026

This Project Week addresses water as a planetary challenge that exceeds the boundaries of any single discipline. Drawing on assessments of global water insecurity and emerging technological interventions, from atmospheric water harvesting to lunar ice extraction, it situates water as an object of future-making that is simultaneously scientific, political, and cultural.

The course introduces Speculative Fabulation (SF), a creative-analytical framework developed by feminist Science and Technology Studies scholar Donna Haraway, as a method for interdisciplinary inquiry. Students from STEMM and design are invited to treat it as a practice that critically engages with scientific and societal approaches to water futures.

Through theoretical input, artistic workshops, and project-based work, students reflect on their disciplinary assumptions, collaborate across fields, and produce speculative interventions that bring scientific expertise into dialogue with storytelling. The course cultivates competencies beyond technical knowledge, including critical thinking, tolerance for ambiguity, and communication across disciplines.

By the end of the Project Week, students will have contributed a digital artifact to a shared archive demonstrating how scientific knowledge can be combined with speculative storytelling to reimagine water futures.

For: advanced Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000003902

ECTS: 6

Period: whole semester

“Chinese style Modernization” (中国式现代化) is arguably the dominant theme of public debates in present day China. And China brims with self confidence: it envisions a “new form of human civilization” (人类文明新形态), one that is seen as superior to the Western capitalist model. Rightly so?

During the Project Week, we will delve into the current Chinese discourse on modern civilization. For the challenges of our time identified therein, we will compare solution strategies – and discuss them directly with stakeholders and practitioners who shape modernities on both sides. Is there a superior modern civilization?

Registration at the Munich School of Philosophy (“Gäste ohne Passwort”)

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

ECTS: 5

Period: 18 to 22. January 2027

This Project Week Applied creates a common platform for interdisciplinary learning among students in order to delve deeper into the topic of citizen participation. During the week, intensive methodological knowledge is acquired for citizen participation in urban and mobility development. However, the skills learned in the field of citizen engagement can also be transferred to other applications. The block course enables practice-oriented and interactive learning in which students develop a joint participation strategy for a real-life mobility challenge in the Munich metropolitan region. The challenges are given by the Munich Cluster for the Future of Mobility in Metropolitan Regions (MCube). The question: “What transformative process design do participation processes need in order to make the mobility transition culturally sustainable?” accompanies the entire course. 

To build the methodological skills of the participants, each seminar day is accompanied by a participation expert. They share their expertise with the students through workshops, case study presentations and gamification sessions. Throughout the week, the students work on a participation strategy to overcome their real-life challenge. The expert sessions, active mentoring (from the Chair of Urban Structure and Transport Planning) and peer learning are key elements of this process. On the last day of the block seminar, the student groups present their solutions in front of an expert audience (scientists, participation experts, challenge providers). At the end of the block seminar, there will be a discussion round in which the insights gained will be explored.

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000001089

ECTS: 3

Period: 1 to 5 March 2027

Forest fires are integral to Europe’s forest ecosystems, but climate and land use change have led to record-breaking fire seasons. Large-scale forest fires are particularly important in the context of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), which describes the spatial intersection between wildland vegetation and the built environment. In Europe, the WUI covers roughly 15% of total land area and increasing forest fires in the WUI leads to rising social, economic, and infrastructure-related losses. Managing Europe’s WUI into a fire-safe future requires detailed understanding of fire fuel load, landscape connectivity, infrastructure, and weather conditions. However, current management tools rely on coarse datasets that simplify assumptions. This 5 ECTS interdisciplinary course aims to develop insights into fire management in the WUI using geospatial intelligence. The course integrates remote sensing, AI-based modeling, and decision-support frameworks, allowing students to better understand how geospatial data can be used to inform decision-makers, politicians, and the broader public.

For: Master’s students at ther TUM School of Life Sciences and the TUM School of Engineering and Design

Course no.: 0000005617

ECTS: 5

Period: whole semester

As part of this project-based course, students take a hands-on approach to addressing the current challenges of reusing and repurposing wooden components from demolished buildings. The goal is to develop independent solutions to various problems and to further tap into the previously untapped potential of reclaimed wood. The topics are deliberately addressed outside the lecture hall to foster a deep understanding of material properties and process steps through hands-on experience. To this end, students have access to actual reclaimed wood, which they examine as case studies. In the laboratory of the Materials Testing Office for Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (MPA BAU), students can and are expected to independently examine, process, and experimentally test the material in order to draw conclusions regarding possible future applications.

More information: www.cee.ed.tum.de/hbb/lehre/projektwochen/ (German)

For: Master’s students of Architecture, Civil Engineering, Information Technologies for the Built Environment, Mechanical Engineerin, Resource Efficient and Sustainable Buildings, Vocational Education, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and Forest and Wood Science

Course no.: 0000001187

ECTS: 3

Period: 11 to 15 January 2027

The project aims to develop solutions to a major societal challenge: sustainable winter travel in light of climate change and the increasingly unreliable snow conditions in Bavaria. The goal of the project is to enable students to design group travel experiences, taking into account multi-stakeholder processes and interdisciplinary scientific insights in ways that (i) contribute to sustainable development and (ii) foster sustainability awareness. The focus will be on group travel for children and adolescents (e.g. in the context of school winter sports weeks, holiday camps, training camps, or programs run by sports clubs or church organizations). 

Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MHP0000801

ECTS: 4

Period: whole semester

This project-based course provides both fundamental and advanced knowledge of particle-based numerical methods, which play a key role in simulating extreme loading scenarios involving granular or fluid materials. Typical application areas include the modeling of natural hazards such as rockfalls, avalanches, debris flows, or tsunamis, as well as their impact on civil engineering structures (e.g., protective barriers, bridges, etc.).

The course introduces various particle-based approaches, including the Discrete Element Method (DEM), Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), and the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM). The methodological focus is on the Material Point Method (MPM), whose concepts are explored in depth and implemented using the provided educational software. Theoretical understanding is reinforced through hands-on projects, where students apply the learned methods to complex engineering problems. The module is complemented by guest lectures from international experts, offering insights into current research and application areas.

Contact: Dr. Ann-Kathrin Goldbach, Dr. Veronika Singer

For: Master’s student of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)

Course no.: 0000005372

ECTS: 3

Period: whole semester

Mobility is a fundamental right, yet existing transportation systems often disadvantage marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, older adults, or those with low incomes. The seminar “Planning for Mobility Justice” aims to specifically address mobility (in)equities while integrating social aspects into technically oriented education. The course raises awareness of inequalities, promotes interdisciplinary exchange, and provides practical solutions. Using a three-phase model (Awareness, Assessment, addressing) students will engage with affected individuals and experts, examine real-world mobility challenges, and develop social interventions to address them.

More information: www.mos.ed.tum.de/en/sv/forschung-und-beratung/forschungs-und-arbeitsgruppen/research-group-mobility-justice/moju-seminar/

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000000455

ECTS: 6

Period: whole semester

The ecological and climate crisis that we are facing today demands that we think and work differently and, in particular, that we teach and learn differently. We cannot solve these issues alone and have to learn not only the pro-cesses but also the language by which to communicate with other disciplines. To value our resources and to value the greater ecology of our cities, we have to work in interdisciplinary collaborations that see the aesthetic question as deeply tied to the technical and the ecological. Being resource-conscious, for example, demands that we con-sider the role of structures (Tragwerk) not only as a means for a building to stand but also as the expressive identity of it. It also demands that we think about the lifespan of a building and the separation of the different systems that would allow us to more responsibly care for a building over the years. Moreover, it requires that we rethink the question of building technologies and how we achieve comfort in buildings through natural or passive means. These are all concepts that require a close relationship between engineer and architect.

This Projekt Week will focus on the complex relationship of structures, climate and space as primary driving forces behind the conception of a sustainable building.

The “Constructing Logics: Towards an Integrated Architectural Design” Project Week will allow students to have a focused and in-depth investigation into the integration of structural engineering and climate-responsive design. Taking their semester project as a reference, students will design and build a large-scale physical model during the week that will explore the following:

1. The role of structural engineering in shaping the experience and atmosphere of the space through exposed structures.
2. The integration of daylight into the space by natural means.
3. The integration of natural ventilation and passive heating/cooling measures together with the structural design.
4. The relationship of these technical measures as architectural opportunities in designing the space, the façade, and the functional relationships in a building.

The one-week intensive investigation will be an extension of integrated design, allowing students more time and resources to focus on the integration of the three disciplines architecture, structural design and climate engineering that the speed of the semester does not allow. The course will be an intense workshop course.

For: Bachelor’s students at  the TUM School of Engineering and Design

Course no.: 0000002791

ECTS: 3

Period: December 2026

ject week focuses on transformation pathways for large-scale infrastructure, using the Donnersberger Bridge in Munich as a case study.

Students will engage in:

• a multi-dimensional urban analysis, including stakeholder constellations and conflicting interests as well as current and future urban development challenges Sustainability in the context of Urban Design and Development
• discussion of possible context-sensitive and sustainable urban transformation strategies
• detailed scenario development and graphical representation
• presentation and discussion with relevant stakeholders

The teaching will comprise a mix of different formats and evolve in a step-by-step process along four phases:

1. Introductory session

• introduction lecture
• short inputs by invited experts about the topic and methods
• discussion and development of specific questions for the site visit
• self-studies

1. Introductory Phase

    Introductory lecture
    Short presentations by invited experts on topics and methods
    Discussion and development of specific research questions for the site visit
    Self-study

2. Site Visit

• Visit to the study area
• Collection of materials, data, and information on site

3. Collaborative workshop on urban strategy

• Development of transformation strategies, urban planning concepts, and recommendations for action in interdisciplinary groups
• Supervision by additional faculty members and experts

4. Preparation, presentation, and discussion

• Independent completion of presentations by the groups
• Public presentation of the developed transformation strategies, urban design concepts, and recommendations
• Discussion of the work with experts from academia and the planning profession

Phases 3 and 4 consist of a three-day workshop, along with accompanying self-study and the final presentation.

The course centers on an exploratory design sprint in which students generate a broad range of scenarios for reimagining a real-world urban transformation case study. Grounded in analytical and theoretical frameworks and attentive to competing stakeholder interests, they develop multiple design variants and transformation strategies through design-based methods.

During the Project Week, participants examine complex stakeholder dynamics and work in interdisciplinary groups, drawing on their individual expertise and negotiating across different perspectives to produce cohesive, context-sensitive proposals. The project ends with a presentation to representatives from academia and urban governance, who engage directly with each group in critical discussion, reflecting on the real-world feasibility of the proposals.

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools; only students in certain degree programs may participate in the preparatory seminar

ECTS: 3 (+3 for participation in the preparatory seminar)

Period: whole semester; workshop week from 22 to 28 February 2027