enGlobe_connect launched: THI delegation on a cooperation trip to Mexico and Colombia

At the heart of the project are four application-orientated projects in which THI students work together with students from Puebla and Bogotá to develop solutions for real-life tasks - for example for a company in the automotive industry in Puebla and for the Adidas Tech Hub in Bogotá. The topics are in the fields of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and User Experience Design. The project is complemented by scholarships for stays abroad: both for THI students and for participants from Mexico and Colombia who come to the university in Ingolstadt.

To kick off the project, a delegation from THI travelled to Mexico and Colombia. They included Professor Christian Sturm (scientific director), Professor Ingrid Stahl, Professor Ignacio Álvarez, Markus Geisler, Dominik Bayerl and Franziska Prinz. The first stop was the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). There, the group was welcomed by Vice Rector Dr Ygnacio Martínez Laguna. BUAP representatives from teaching, research and administration showed great interest in the cooperation opportunities presented. Potential joint research topics were discussed during laboratory visits.

The following day, the delegation visited a company in the automotive industry in Puebla. The first specific topics for this year's student project, which is being jointly supervised by both universities, were discussed there.

After a day of travelling in Colombia, the delegation visited the Universidad Militar Nueva Granada (UMNG) in Bogotá. There, too, the THI representatives presented their specialisms and research focus areas and were given an insight into the university's laboratories. There were numerous points of contact for future projects, particularly in the Ingeniería Multimedia study course. The research centre Carissma also made new contacts and identified common interests.

In the afternoon, representatives from UMNG visited the Adidas Tech Hub in Bogotá. This location develops digital solutions for the whole of Latin America. Specific tasks for this year's student project were defined in discussions with Professor Ingrid Stahl from THI and Professor Wilson Sarmiento from UMNG.

On the last day, the group travelled to UMNG's satellite campus in Cajicá, a suburb of Bogotá. The extensive campus with its focus on Engineering Sciences laboratories, for example in the field of multimedia design, offered further opportunities for professional exchange. The delegation also had the opportunity to meet the first Colombian students who will be working together with THI students on the Adidas Tech Hub project as part of enGlobe_connect from September 2025.

After an intensive week full of constructive discussions and new ideas, the trip was successfully concluded. The foundation for close, practice-orientated cooperation with the two partner universities has been laid and the enGlobe_connect project can now officially begin.