With the support of the International Office, a dkmi research group led by Professors Jan Barkmann, Katrin Döveling, Margot Mieskes, Kawa Nazemi and Alexander Unger has
successfully obtained funding from the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts for research
cooperation with the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. The topic of the joint research in the thematic field of "Digitalisation and Society" is the "Smart Cities" approach.

Three professors from the University of Wisconsin visited Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences in early September 2022:

- Theresa Castor, Professor of Communication: discourse analysis, language and social
interaction, dialogue research, organisational decision-making, crisis and risk communication.

- Peggy James, Professor of Politics, Centre for Research in Innovation and Smart Cities: smart cities research, strategic decision-making in companies

- Melissa Gregg, Professor of Neuroscience: Neuroscience, Human-Machine Interaction

The US researchers participated in a workshop organised by the dkmi at the h_da from 07.09. - 09.09.2022. The workshop focused on a social and media science perspective on research on "smart" cities, including the potential of artificial intelligence. In addition, the partners
intensively exchanged ideas on how to facilitate student exchanges in addition to research
cooperation.

The event was opened by the university president, Prof. Arnd Steinmetz. Mr. Holger Klötzner, Head of Department, represented the city of Darmstadt. Both Darmstadt and the cities of Racine and Kenosha, in whose catchment area UW Parkside is located, are pioneers in
digitalisation and smart cities.

Immediately after the visit of the US professors, Prof. Barkmann flew to Wisconsin together with a staff member of the h_da's International Office. In addition to refreshing existing contacts with several other universities in Wisconsin, Barkmann continued research talks at the Parkside location. Among others, he met the mayor of Racine and a senior city official responsible for
urban planning in Kenosha. "The colleagues at UW-Parkside have a similar approach to ours at the h_da: research not just for the sake of research, but with a firm focus on actual problem solving. I am very confident about joint smart city research," Barkmann summarises his
impressions.