From 8–12 September 2025, Hochschule Bremen hosted the fourth and final work meeting of the international project I-PaCE (Internationalising Practice in Civil Engineering). The Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering welcomed numerous guests from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB, Portugal) and the Cracow University of Technology (CUT, Poland).
The central aim of the meeting was the finalization of the planned Double Degree Master’s program in Civil Engineering. Together, participants engaged in intensive discussions on aligning curricular structures, designing the Master’s thesis framework, and developing strategies for student recruitment. Another focus was on how international and hybrid teaching formats can be sustainably integrated into the academic curriculum.
A particular highlight was the “AI in Teaching” workshop, led by Mitko Petrov from the Center for Teaching and Learning. The workshop focused on the practical use of AI-based tools – from developing teaching materials to innovative assessment formats and feedback processes. For the participating universities, this provided an important impetus to advance the internationalization of teaching and learning in a future-oriented way.
The agenda also included an excursion to Bremerhaven. A visit to the Klimahaus and other locations provided valuable links to the topics of sustainability and climate change, which will play a central role in the planned Double Degree.
A special highlight was the farewell dinner at the historic Bremer Ratskeller, where, in addition to the international guests, practice partners and other colleagues who have supported the project over the years were invited. In this festive atmosphere, it became clear how much all participants had benefited from the collaboration – both academically and personally. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: all participants expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes achieved and the networks established.
The I-PaCE project will be finalized by the end of December 2025. With the progress now achieved, the partner universities have created a solid foundation to successfully implement the Double Degree Master’s program and to sustainably strengthen the internationalization of civil engineering education.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Rauscher
Engineering mathematics and construction informatics
+49 421 5905 2315
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Gonca Efe-Şahantürk
Dipl.-Soziol.
+49 421 5905 2055
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Group photo with workshop participants (Top row, from left to right): Mitko Petrov, Prof. Jorge Vaz, Prof. Heiko Spekker, Prof. Paulo Piloto, Iris Klein, Dr. Dorota Kropiowska, Prof. João Roque, Paweł Boroń , Prof. Thomas Rauscher, Dr. Katarzyna Nowak, Gonca Efe-Sahantürk, Prof. António Paula. Photo: @HSB - Bettina Schürkamp