Research Strategy
TU Dortmund University understands sustainability as an integrative concept that ensures the long-term viability of the global ecological, economic and social system and contributes to this by advancing scientific knowledge and transferring knowledge to society, business and politics: Research results from TU Dortmund University provide impetus for technological and social innovations. In this way, the university makes an important contribution to addressing and overcoming major social challenges and issues.
TU Dortmund University's Research Strategy, which was established in a participatory process involving all TU members, forms the basis for securing and further strengthening excellent research and thus also the basis for TU Dortmund University to continue to fully meet its social responsibility.
The strategy provides six substantive and three structural goals with accompanying measures and indicators. Some of the goals contribute to a very fundamental understanding of sustainability in the sense that TU Dortmund University is a driving force and driver of innovation with its research results and thus ultimately makes a contribution to addressing and overcoming major social challenges from the spectrum of sustainability.
More specifically, the research strategy formulates goals and measures that can be assigned to the spectrum of social sustainability, such as the promotion of internationalization and diversity, the ability of students to classify scientific findings on the basis of the current state of research, the promotion of lifelong learning and the further development of science communication. The expansion of research structures and the expansion of quality management formulated in the strategy also strengthen structural and social sustainability at TU Dortmund University, e.g., the permanent position concept, the founding of the Female Faculty Club for networking female professors, the adoption of a guideline for protection against discrimination and sexualized violence with the establishment of an advice and complaints office as well as the expansion and differentiation of qualification and advisory services. Currently, the research strategy does not refer to TU Dortmund University's sustainability strategy, which was adopted in 2021.