Aktuell

• von Research Academy Ruhr
• 24.06.2026

From 21 June to 4 July 2026, the summer programme Research Explorer Ruhr once again brings international early-career researchers from various disciplines to the Ruhr region. Organised by the UA Ruhr Research Academy, the two-week programme offers prospective and early-stage postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to get to know the research landscape of the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr), as well as the Ruhr region as an attractive place to live and work.

This summer, the UA Ruhr Research Academy welcomes 37 researchers from 18 countries to the Ruhr region. During Research Explorer Ruhr, international early-career researchers work closely for two weeks with host professors and their research groups at TU Dortmund University, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) and the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). This provides an excellent basis for long-term collaborations. In addition, the (prospective) postdocs spend two weeks gaining insights into the German higher education and research system, exploring funding opportunities and career paths. Ideally, the programme leads to a longer research stay at the University Alliance Ruhr, supported by a successful application for external research funding.

“Interest in Research Explorer Ruhr continues to grow – both among international applicants and among professors at UA Ruhr,” says Simon Kresmann, Head of Graduate Center Plus at the University of Duisburg-Essen. “At the University of Duisburg-Essen, more than 20 professors applied to host international researchers through the programme. With nine selected guests, the programme once again offers excellent opportunities this year to initiate new research collaborations and to sustainably advance UA Ruhr’s internationalisation goals in the area of early-career researchers. Research Explorer Ruhr therefore plays an important role in strengthening international research networks and cooperation.”

The Participants in 2026
The 37 researchers are distributed across the three universities of the University Alliance Ruhr. At the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), nine researchers are taking part in the programme as guests.

University of Duisburg-Essen

• Rael Adhiambo; Host: Prof. Dr. Ralf B. Schäfer
• Khanindram Baruah; Host: Prof. Dr. Anzhela Galstyan
• Quang Hieu Duong; Host: Prof. Dr. Shirley Knauer
• Aswetha Iyer; Host: Prof. Dr. Matthias Epple
• Maham Liaqat; Host: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Schlücker
• Xiaoling Ma; Host: Prof. Dr. Manuela Franke
• Silva Muhate; Host: Prof. Dr. Alf Kimms
• Theodore Richardson; Host: Prof. Dr. Rolf Kuiper
• Denis Tushabomwe; Host: Prof. Dr. Miriam Rehm

TU Dortmund University

• Ufuk Altun; Host: Prof. Onur Günlü
• Bhim Kumar; Host: Prof. Moritz Schulze Darup
• Mohammad Al Homsi; Host: Prof. Dr. Daniel Neider
• Filipe Lopes; Host: Prof. Dr. Christoph Käppler
• Natthawin Cho; Host: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Justine Stang-Rabig
• Gregory Ribeiro; Host: Prof. Hannsjörg Freund
• Josivan Leite Alves; Host: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Magdalena Zabek
• Tran Duc Minh Nguyen; Host: Prof. Dr. Sven Mayer
• Raju Dey; Host: Prof. Dr. Markus Pauly
• Daniel Halaban; Host: Peter Moormann
• María Victoria Cano Colazo; Host: Prof. Dr. Mona Motakef
• Krishnapriya Shaju; Host: Prof. Dr. Sigrid Nieberle
• Thiago Andre Rigon; Host: Jun.Prof.Dr.Vahid Farrahi

Ruhr University Bochum

• Andina Alay Lerma; Host: Prof. Dr. Jonathan Bedford
• Mohammad Farhoudi; Host: Prof. Dr. Tarik Taleb
• Qixiu Fu; Host: Prof. Dr. Dirk Scheele
• Shoaib Ahmad Goraya; Host: Prof. Dr. Xenia Kobeleva
• Emmanuel Hanyabui; Host: Prof. Dr. Christopher Kyba
• Denys Kaidalov; Host: Prof. Dr. Nikolaj Plotnikov
• Husniddin Khayrullaev; Host: Prof. Dr. Martin Kronbichler
• Hang Li; Host: Prof. Dr. Joerg Renner
• Gan Lifeng, Yujia Lu; Host: Prof. Dr. Roger A. Sauer
• Macías Ayala Mario Alberto; Host: Prof. Dr. Margit Fauser
• Claudia Marsulli; Host: Prof. Dr. Christoph Sander
• Marco Rienzi; Host: Prof. Dr. Philipp Richter
• Leonardo Silva; Host: Prof. Dr. Marialore Sulpizi
• Anurag Singh; Host: Prof. Dr. Linda Weiss

Further Information 

Find out more about the Research Academy Ruhr and the Research Explorer here:https://www.research-academy-ruhr.de/programm/researchexplorer/