Partner Universities

Aalto, Espoo, Finland

Aalto University

Günther H. Filz
Professor of Structures and Architecture
+358 | (0)50 | 35 22 084
guenther.filz@aalto.fi

aalto.fi

Aalto University was established in 2010 as a merger of three major Finnish universities: the Helsinki University of Technology (established 1849), the Helsinki School of Economics (established 1904), and the University of Art and Design Helsinki (established 1871).

The close collaboration between the scientific, business and arts communities is intended to foster multi-disciplinary education and research.

The university is composed of six schools with close to 20,000 students and 4,500 staff members, making it Finland’s second largest university. The main campus of Aalto University is located in Otaniemi, Espoo. Aalto University has contributed substantially to the emergence of Helsinki as a hotbed for startups. Aaltoes, the Aalto Entrepreneurship Society, is Europe’s largest student run entrepreneurship community and organises the Startup Sauna accelerator program for startups, raising more than US$36 million in funding since 2010.

The university is named in honour of Alvar Aalto, a prominent Finnish architect, designer and alumnus of the former Helsinki University of Technology, who was also instrumental in designing a large part of the university’s main campus in Otaniemi.

Chalmers University of Technology is a private university located in Gothenburg, Sweden with 11000 students, 1000 doctoral students and a staff of 2500. Approximately 40 pct. of Sweden’s graduate engineers and architects are educated at Chalmers. The school was founded in 1829 following a donation by William Chalmers.

Chalmers focuses on research and education in technology, natural science, architecture, and maritime areas. It pursues a strong profile in sustainability under the slogan “Chalmers for a sustainable future”. Sustainability permeates the entire field of activities from undergraduate education and doctoral programs, research, innovation and collaboration, to campus development and internal environment.

Chalmers, Göteborg, Sweden

Chalmers University of Technology

Anna Kaczorowska, PhD
Spatial Morphologies Research Group
+46317722420
anna.kaczorowska@chalmers.se

chalmers.se

DTU, Lyngby, Denmark

Technical University of Denmark

Lotte Marianne Bjerregaard Jensen
Assoc. Professor Architectural Engineering
+45 45252525
lbj@byg.dtu.dk

dtu.dk

The Technical University of Denmark is located in the Greater Copenhagen Area and has 6000 researchers and faculty employed and 10.000 students. The Department of Civil Engineering at DTU is ranked amongst the 10 best in the world. Since 2002 the department of Civil Engineering has focused on interdisciplinarity in a new study line where classical civil engineering meets architectural design (DTU Architectural Engineering).

Gdansk University of Technology is the largest technical university in the Pomeranian Region and one of the oldest technical universities in Poland. The first inauguration of the academic year took place on 4th October 1904. The university was established in Gdansk, a city with a historical tradition of over 1000 years and Poland’s largest maritime, cultural and scientific centre.

The university employs over 2600 staff, including nearly 1200 academic teachers (113 titular professors, 165 associate professors and 651 assistant professors). One measure of the university’s achievements in research and development is the yearly contribution of over 2000 publications, of which nearly 300 appear in the world’s most renowned scientific journals on the ISI list and more than 40 are scientific monographs and academic textbooks. The impressive premises of GdańskTech are occupied by 9 faculties, which offer Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral studies conducted in full time and part time systems in many areas of science and technology.

GdańskTech provides its students with vast access to information resources localized in specialist departmental computing laboratories, as well as two open laboratories in the Information Technology Centre. GdańskTech is home to the Information Academic Computer Centre in Gdansk (CI TASK). The university has been awarded the ECTS label – an international certificate of quality of the study programme which confirms that the study programme of all fields of study is aimed at strengthening practical competence of students. Only 28 universities in Europe possess such a certificate.

GdańskTech, Gdańsk, Poland

Gdańsk University of Technology

Justyna Borucka, PhD
Vice-Dean for Development and Internationalization
Faculty of Architecture
justyna.borucka@pg.edu.pl

pg.edu.pl

HCU, Hamburg, Germany

HafenCity University

Annette Boegle
Professor for Design and Analysis of Structures
Annette.boegle@hcu-hamburg.de

hcu-hamburg.de

The HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU) was founded in 2006 by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg as a university with a distinctive profile focusing exclusively on the built environment and metropolitan development.

This new model is unique and there is no other precedent in Germany. By merging four built environment and planning oriented departments from three Hamburg universities and through systematic growth of the academic areas of engineering, the sciences, the humanities and the social sciences as well as design and planning, the HCU combines all the areas of study needed for the exploration of the planned and built environment. The fusion of the research areas of architecture, civil engineering, urban planning, geomatics, urban design and metropolitan culture aims to overcome the departmental boundaries in order to enable the researchers to exchange openly their methods and approaches. Nowadays, problems of building processes and urban development can only be tackled efficiently, if researchers of different areas work closely together. Consequently, research at the HCU is organised in an interdisciplinary way. The university operates like a large faculty of the planned and built environment with 52 professors and 135 researchers and is characterized by research projects which are conducted at the intersection of several disciplines. The location of the new university in Europe’s largest inner city development project, the HafenCity, is not only a spectacular site. The HafenCity projects also functions as an outdoor laboratory for the research activities of the HCU.

The university has excellent connections to many European universities by involvement in the joint projects, research activities as well as through exchange of students and teaching staff. Within its internationalization strategy in teaching and research the HCU focuses on scientific cooperation and strategic relations with outstanding universities within the Baltic Sea Region. The HCU has a strong orientation on transdisciplinary approaches by educating of transnational and interdisciplinary thinking as well as responsibly acting young professionals in the disciplines of built environment.

The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Schools of Architecture Design and Conservation (KADK) is an organization that consists of three research/educational parts: The School of Architecture, School of Design and the Conservation School. KADK unites three fields of knowledge: academic research, artistic research and professional practice as three different ways to discover, invent and create.

These three fields are closely interlinked in the education, enabling us to develop graduates and knowledge, which match the needs of the profession, while contributing world-class research, ground-breaking artistic design and new experimental understanding. Their knowledge base gives KADK a unique position among educational and research institutions both in Denmark and abroad.

The KADK is well-known internationally for the high quality of our science, art and teaching. The KADK wishes to be internationally recognized as the leading Nordic academy within the fields of architecture, design and conservation. The mission of the KADK is to produce graduates and knowledge to shape our future, society and cultural heritage, springing from a unique match between research, practice and artistic research. This should happen in an international campus environment with workshops, drawing board teaching and project-based education. KADK’s graduates should be characterized by their awareness of how a special Nordic approach to form can be developed and transformed into new contexts. The KADK wants to their graduates to enter the world with analytical, methodical and artistic skills, which empower them to create, transform and preserve the society and culture of tomorrow.

KADK, Copenhagen, Denmark

Royal Danish Academy

Olga Popovic Larsen
Professor PhD, Architectural Engineering research/education leader
olga.larsen@kadk.dk

royaldanishacademy.com

RTU, Riga, Latvia

Riga Technical University

Ugis Bratuskins
Professor, Dean of Faculty of Architecture
Ugis.Bratuskins@rtu.lv

rtu.lv

Riga Technical University (RTU) is a modern internationally recognized university, the only polytechnic university in Latvia and the largest one in the country. It educates and trains almost 15 thousand students.

RTU is focused on becoming a third-generation university that not only provides high quality education but also conducts advanced research and ensures innovation and technology transfer, practically implementing scientific discoveries. In the nine faculties of RTU it is possible to obtain high-quality education not only in engineering but also in social sciences and humanities.

Faculty of Architecture (AF) is the only higher education institution in Latvia where specialists in architecture are trained at all levels of higher education. During the studies, it is possible to acquire additional knowledge in the fields of spatial planning and restoration of cultural monuments, as well as interior and landscape architecture. The Diploma of Architect issued by RTU, which is notified in the European Directive “On the Recognition of Professional Qualifications”, is the recognized educational document in the EU.

Tallinn University of Technology was established in 1918 and is the only university which focuses on engineering and technology in Estonia. As the principle provider of engineering- and technology-related graduates, it enjoys a unique connection with Estonian industry and an extensive network of alumni.

It has a well-established engineering education tradition and has considerable experience, systems and facilities in place to support research cooperation with foreign universities and international student exchanges. There are about 14000 students at the university (among these 30% Masters’ and 6% PhD students). The total number of academic staff is 1147 and 13% of these are professors. The University implements many international projects under different funding programs.

The Faculty of Civil Engineering of TalTech is responsible for the fulfilment of curricula in civil engineering and architecture. It is a leading provider of higher education and research services to the Estonian construction industry not only in terms of full-time graduate courses but also through distance learning, lifelong learning and continuous professional development courses. The Faculty with its Departments have established long-term partnerships with construction and property organizations in Estonia. There is also a wide range of international contacts available for the Faculty. This all ensures that research and education programs maintain close alignment to the current needs of the construction industry, and promotes improvements in industry practice through innovation.

TalTech, Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn University of Technology

Roode Liias
Professor for Facility Management
+373 620 2456
roode.liias@ttu.ee

taltech.ee