Humboldt research fellowships and awards
Funding for international research collaborations
With its Humboldt research fellowships and awards, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation provides funding for research collaborations between German and international researchers. Fellowship holders and award winners look for project partners and hosts in Germany with whom they can collaborate in places they believe are the most suitable for implementing their projects. FAU welcomes a large number of excellent researchers as a host university every year.
Current award winners and research fellowship holders
Prof. Dr. Darko Zibar
Optical communication, May 2022
Prof. Darko Zibar’s current research focuses on the application of machine learning processes in optical communication. He has now received the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award from the Humboldt Foundation, which is worth 45,000 euros. Zibar plans to use the funding to continue his collaboration at FAU with stays at Prof. Bernhard Schmauss’ Chair of High Frequency Engineering.
Prof. Ali Hussain
Materials science, April 2022
Prof. Dr. Ali Hussain studied physics in Pakistan and completed his doctoral degree in materials science in South Korea. Among others, his research focuses on ceramics, their structures and processes. He is conducting research as a Humboldt scholarship recipient at the Department of Materials Science.
Dr. Ana Clara Sisul
Literature, April 2022
Dr. Ana Clara Sisul from the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina specializes in classical studies. She wrote her doctoral thesis on Virgil’s Aeneid. As a Humboldt scholarship recipient, Dr. Sisul is conducting research at the Institute of Classical Philology (Latin).
Prof. Dr. Nilmini Wickramasinghe
Digital health, health informatics, March 2022
Prof. Dr. Nilmini Wickramasinghe has been conducting research in the field of health informatics for 20 years. Her research focuses on the design, development and utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the healthcare sector, with the aim of ensuring that healthcare is tailored to the needs of patients. She is a guest at the Chair of Information Systems (Services, Processes, and Intelligence).
Prof. Dr. Rui Xiao
Mechanics, March 2022
Prof. Dr. Rui Xiao is conducting research as a Humboldt scholarship holder at the Chair of Applied Mechanics. His research interests lie in the area of soft actuators and electro-active polymer gels, among others.
Dr. Gongping Huang
Electrical engineering, January 2022
Dr. Gongping Huang is conducting research as a Humboldt scholarship holder at the Chair of Multimedia Communications and Signal Processing, where he is working on new design processes for microphone arrays and robust processes for improving speech signals.
Prof. Dr. Zurina Hassan
Neuroscience, October 2021
Prof. Dr. Zurina Hassan’s research focuses on the pharmaceutical use of natural plant-based ingredients in Southeast Asia. In her work, she investigates potential mechanisms in the brain and their medical uses in treating brain conditions. She is a guest at the Chair of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.
Zhu Jieyao
Education, December 2021
As a Humboldt fellowship holder, Zhu Jieyao is researching at the Institute of Educational Science, focusing on Diversity Education and International Education Research from October 2021 until September 2022. With her project ‘More Participation of Children and Young People’, Zhu Jieyao will compare political education in Germany and China, especially its meaning for international understanding in the context of the pandemic.
Dr. Farnaz Ghorbani
Materials science and engineering (biomaterials), August 2021
Dr. Farnaz Ghorbani from Fundan University, China is conducting research as an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellowship holder for postdoctoral researchers at the Chair of Materials Science (Biomaterials).
