Successful Third Winter School
This year's main topic was Software-defined Mobility, attracting participants from Hungary, Italy, and Germany.
The third "UpGrade Mobility" Winter School took place from 25th to 29th of November 2024 and had "Software-defined Mobility" (SDM) as main topic. International doctoral students were invited to Karlsruhe to spend a week talking intensively about this topic with the members of our school. We were honored to welcome doctoral and post-doctoral guests from Hungary, Italy, and Germany.
After the arrival of our international guests on Monday, the main program began on Tuesday, November 26th, with an introduction round and a networking coaching session. Also, our scientific speaker Prof. Eric Sax was present to personally welcome the participants. The afternoon featured the first presentation session of PhD students, a compelling talk by Vitus Lüntzel about the DFG research project CONVIDE, and the first part of a workshop on SDM. In the evening, the participants were invited to a dinner with KIT professors and scientists at the historic Hoepfner Burghof in Karlsruhe.
On Wednesday, we did a Lab tour of KIT research faciltities, visiting the driving simulator at IFAB and the automotive research platforms of FAST at the campus east. In the afternoon, we continued with two presentation sessions and were very pleased to welcome Prof. Abel Chuang (University of California, Merced), who gave an inspiring talk comparing batteries and fuel cells for electric vehicles.
Thursday started with the final presentation session of PhD students, followed by the second part of the SDM workshop. After lunch, an open panel discussion with Prof. Sax on the results of the workshop took place. As outcome, the participants could get a better understanding of SDM from a multi-disciplinary perspective and assess its current status as well as future challenges. The day ended on a festive note with a visit to Karlsruhe’s Christmas market and the prestigious Carl Benz Lecture at KIT.
Finally, we concluded the Winter School on Friday with different cultural and networking activities, mainly a guided tour of Karlsruhe and a common lunch at the Vogelbräu restaurant.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants for their contributions and enthusiasm throughout the week. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the next Winter School in 2025!