Prof. Dr. Mike Friedrichsen
Mike Friedrichsen is a pioneer in the age of digitalization and already founded companies with a focus on Internet and e-commerce in the early nineties. Prof. Dr. Mike Friedrichsen has been a full professor at various state universities for over 25 years. He is currently Professor of Business Informatics and Digital Media (focus on Digital Economy and Innovation) at the HdM Stuttgart and Founder and Founding President of the German University of Digital Science. In addition to his academic activities, he has always been active as an entrepreneur, including founding various startup companies. Likewise, he is active in the non-profit sector and volunteering. He also founded the German Digital Science Foundation, which aims to specifically support innovative digital education projects. In addition, he regularly holds various guest lectureships and teaching positions at international universities worldwide. Prof. Dr. Friedrichsen is the author of numerous books and professional articles (national and international) and gives keynotes and lectures at all relevant congresses and conferences as well as at corporate events.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel
Christoph Meinel (Univ.-Prof., Dr.rer.nat., Dr.sc.nat., 1954) is the founding president of the German University of Digital Science, the first European digital university, and its learning platform German-UDS.academy.
Until March 2023 he was for almost 20 years the managing and scientific director of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH. There he developed and established the first European MOOC platform openHPI.de as a full professor (C4) for Informatics at the university of Potsdam with his chair for “Internet Technology and Systems” at the HPI. From 2017 to 2021 he was the founding dean of the Digital Engineering Faculty of the University of Potsdam.
His research interests are broadly diversified in the area of innovative Internet applications and systems, especially in digital education and e-learning, artificial intelligence and deep learning, and Internet and information security. He is also active in the field of innovation research and investigates the Stanford innovation method design thinking. In his former research work he was active in telemedicine, as well as in complexity theory and efficient OBDD-based algorithms and data structures.
Christoph Meinel is a member of acatech, the national German Academy of Science and Engineering and has publish more than 800 peer reviewed scientific papers.
Prof. Dr. Raúl Rojas
Raúl Rojas is an Emeritus Professor of AI at Freie Universität Berlin. He is a two-time World Robotics Champion (2004 in Italy and 2005 in Japan) and his autonomous vehicles have been driven by computers on the streets of Berlin since 2007.
Dr. Rojas has led other high-tech projects: a) Reading devices for the blind, i.e. a video camera mounted on glasses that automatically reads text; b) Micro-robots the size of insects that imitate the dance of bees; c) Autonomous wheelchairs that move people around homes following verbal commands or controlled by brain waves; d) Humanoid robots for different activities; e) The classroom of the future, which Dr. Rojas developed to improve the teaching of mathematics.
In March 2015, Dr. Rojas received the “Professor of the Year” award, which is presented by the German Professors’ Association (35,000 members). In addition to this recognition, Dr. Rojas has received awards for his academic career in several countries: three other awards in Germany, one in the United Kingdom, one in Austria, one in Sweden, two in the United States, one in Spain, and three in Mexico.
Dr. Thomas Staubitz
Since January 2024, Thomas is a Senior Researcher at the German University of Digital Science. Before that, he was a Senior Lecturer at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, where he was responsible for the openHPI MOOC platform and several of its partner platforms, such as OpenWHO, the AI-Campus, the eGov-Campus and several more. Thomas designed, produced, and conducted several courses on object-oriented programming, Linux, remote teamwork and others on the openHPI MOOC platform. He also was involved in several of the Python courses that have been offered there. He started his career in computer science around 2000 with a Multimedia Producer Diploma at SAE Berlin followed by a Bachelor’s and Master’s in International Computer Science and Media at the HTW Berlin and a Doctorate in Computer Science at the Hasso Plattner Institute. Since then he’s been working in several software development and teaching roles and positions at public and private universities, such as HTW Berlin, SAE Berlin, BHT Berlin, and SMEs, such as TimeKontor AG / SERIOUS GAMES or Awalkoutside. Thomas is a Senior IEEE Member and has published lots of research on various aspects of open online learning.
Prof. Dr. Sonja Meyer
Sonja Meyer is a professor for Algorithmic Foundations of Digital Business Processes. Since 2018, she has taught foundational courses in algorithms, data structures, and theoretical computer science, along with advanced courses in software engineering for IoT and digitalization. Her research centers on modeling and automating sustainable, IoT-based business processes and developing sustainable IoT software solutions.
Prior to her academic role, Sonja Meyer served as Research Manager for IoT projects at Bosch Software Innovations, where she led international projects in areas such as connected buildings and smart office solutions. She also worked as a Scientist at EMPA, conducting postdoctoral research on IoT and sustainability and leading projects to develop energy-efficient software applications. Sonja Meyer holds a PhD in Software Engineering from Université de Fribourg, Switzerland.
Dr. Hanadi Traifeh
Hanadi is a senior advisor in Design Thinking & Innovation education at the German University of Digital Science and a senior researcher at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany. She also serves as an advisor and consultant for various companies and organizations across the Middle East, Europe, and Canada. Over the past two decades, she has led and contributed to the design, implementation, and delivery of numerous online and offline educational and capacity-building programs. Her work primarily focuses on learner-centric education design and the theory and implementation of Design Thinking.
Hanadi holds a PhD in Design Thinking from HPI at the University of Potsdam (Germany), a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Wales (UK), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Instructional Design from George Brown College (Canada). Her research has been published in several academic outlets, and she is a frequent guest speaker at academic and professional conferences globally.
Prof. Dr. Dirk Draheim
Since October 2024, Dirk serves as senior researcher at the German University of Digital Science in Potsdam, Germany. Dirk is full professor of information systems and head of the Information System Group at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. Dirk holds a Diploma in computer science from Technische Universität Berlin, a PhD from Freie Universität Berlin, and a habilitation from the University of Mannheim. From 2006-2008, he was area manager for database systems at the Software Competence Center Hagenberg, Austria. From 2008-2016 he was head of the data center of the University of Innsbruck and, in parallel, Adjunct Reader at the Faculty of Information Systems of the University of Mannheim. Dirk is co-author of the Springer book “Form-Oriented Analysis” and author of the Springer books “Business Process Technology”, “Semantics of the Probabilistic Typed Lambda Calculus” and “Generalized Jeffrey Conditionalization”. His research interest is the design and implementation of large-scale information systems.
Dr. Fabrizio Palmas
Fabrizio is a leading expert in the fields of eXtended Reality (XR) corporate training and immersive experiences. With a strong background in Business Administration and Computer Science, he leads an interdisciplinary team at straightlabs in developing innovative training formats from concept to implementation. As a trailblazer in the world of XR corporate training, Fabrizio leverages his extensive experience and expertise to create groundbreaking projects in areas such as professional development, immersive arts, and gaming. Notably, he has also contributed to the development of the immersive media designer apprenticeship in Germany as one of the selected experts from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). In academia, Fabrizio held a professorship at the University of Applied Management and serves as a guest professor at prestigious institutions like the Technical University of Munich, Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education, Munich University of Applied Sciences, and Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. Fabrizio Palmas enhances the TUM Center for Educational Technologies as a member of their Advisory Board, bringing his knowledge to the forefront of educational technology advancement. His research interests span a wide range of topics, including extended reality, innovative corporate training and lifelong learning, gamification, and artificial intelligence. As a committed member of the Open Gamification Code of Ethics (ID: 00117), he is dedicated to promoting ethical practices in the application of gamification strategies.
Dr. Georg Loscher
Dr. Georg Loscher is a Senior Researcher at the German University of Digital Science, specializing in the digital transformation of management. He previously held a senior research position at the Universität der Bundeswehr München, where he completed his PhD and habilitation. Dr. Loscher has also conducted academic visits at the University of Oxford and Trinity College Dublin, focusing on how digital technologies reshape management and work.
Dr. Marco Bade
Dr. Marco Bade is an economist serving as Senior Researcher at German University of Digital Science. Previously, he held positions as Associate Professor at ICN Business School, Faculty Member of the CEREFIGE research laboratory at Université de Lorraine, Postdoctoral Researcher at Technische Universität Berlin, Interim Professor and Chair of Finance and Banking at Universität Potsdam, and Research Associate at Berlin School of Economics. His research focuses on the economics of business venturing, particularly entrepreneurial finance.
Dr. Felix Weitkämper
Felix has completed his undergraduate education in Mathematics with Philosophy at the LMU in Munich. Afterwards, he completed a doctorate in Mathematics with the Logic Group at the University of Oxford.
After graduating from Oxford, he spent a year teaching 15-19 year olds at a technical college in the North of England as part of the Researchers in Schools initiative, which brought postgraduates from selective universities into schools in disadvantaged parts of England.
In 2020, Felix moved into computer science and joined the programming languages and AI group at the LMU in Munich as a postdoctoral researcher. His research focus lies on interpretable, human-centered AI, and in particular on the combination of statistical learning and modelling with sophisticated logical reasoning. Within this field, his work spans from mathematical foundations to systems and applications in the life sciences.
He will be part of the German UDS family from October 2024 as a full-time senior researcher, doing his part for the new generation of AI specialists and deciders to be grounded in the whole breadth of AI research and technique.
Dr. Steven Ney
Steven completed his doctorate in the policy sciences at the Department of Comparative Politics in the University of Bergen. Trained as a policy analyst at the University of London, Steven Ney has worked on a wide range of policy issues in a number of research institutes including the LOS Center in Bergen, ICCR in Vienna and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg. After spending four years from 2005 as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Singapore Management University, Steven Ney took up the Chair of Social Entrepreneurship at Jacobs University, Bremen in August 2009. From 2014-2018, Steven Ney designed, led and implemented continuing education formats at the HPI Academy and the HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam. In November 2018, Steven joined T-Systems International, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. Working with both internal and external T-Systems customers, Steven designed and delivered co-creation processes to help develop innovative digital products, organizational strategies, and new business models. Most recently, Steven was involved in designing and delivering the X-Creation format in which he supports diverse teams from cross-industry eco-systems in tackling pressing common challenges.
Dr. Maurice Steinhoff
Maurice is Head of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management.
Utilizing his background in Information Systems and Management, he served in various roles such as Consultant, Research Associate before co-founding HHL DIGITAL SPACE.
He is also a frequent Visiting Professor at various European universities on topics comprising Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Organizations, and Problem Solving & Communication.
Dr. Pejman Najafi
Pejman is a postdoc at Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI). He holds an M.Sc. in Information Security from University College London, UK, and a Ph.D. in Cybersecurity from the University of Potsdam, Germany. With a strong academic background and extensive industry experience, including security consulting roles for companies such as Shell, SAP, and Deutsche Telekom, Pejman has established himself as an expert in cybersecurity. His research and work focus on enhancing Security Operations (SOCs) through the use of Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.