TUM Ambassadors

TUM Ambassadors honored during the Vivat TUM Concert at the Isarphilharmonie, November 3, 2025, from left to right: TUM Vice President Prof. Juliane Winkelmann, Dr. Suttipong Srigrarom, Prof. Dr. Takao Someya, Prof. Dr. Oren Schuldiner, Prof. Dr. Jenny Reardon, TUM President Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann; Prof. Dr. Jonathan Onyekwelu, Prof. Dr. Shobhana Narasinhan (Image: Astrid Eckert/ TUM).

Many international researchers have contributed their expertise and experience to our university over the past decades. Every year since 2013, a cohort of world-class international researchers are selected and awarded the honorary title of “TUM Ambassador“.

Ambassador Weekend 2025

On the first weekend of Advent, seven top international scientists were guests at the 11th Research Alumni Forum at TUM. On Sunday, they were awarded the honorary title of “TUM Ambassadors” by TUM President Thomas F. Hofmann on the stage of the Isarphilharmonie in front of an audience of almost 2,000 at the Vivat TUM Advent Concert.

Die TUM Ambassadors 2025: (v.l.n.r.:) Prof. Dr. Vivek Buwa (Professor Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India), Dr. Suttiphong "Spot" Srigrarom (Researcher, Mechanical Engineerig at the Temasek Laboratories, National University of Singapore), Prof. Dr. Takao Someya (Professor, Executive Director and Vice President, Electrical Engineering and Informations Systems, The UNiversity of Tokyo), Prof. Dr. Jonathan Onyekwelu (Professor, Forestry & Wood Technology, The Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria), Prof. Dr. Juliane Winkelmann (TUM Senior Vice President for International Alliances and Alumni), Prof. Dr. Jenny Reardon (Professor, Science and Technology Policy, University of California, Santa Cruz), Prof. Dr. Oren Schuldiner (Professor, Molecular Cell Biology & Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot), Prof. Dr. Shobhana Narasimhan (Professor, Theoretical Particle and Nuclear Physics, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India and TUM IAS Anna Boyksen Fellow), Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kramer (TUM Executive Vice President Research and Innovation) Philip Miessner (Director TUM Global & Alumni Office).
Foto: Astrid Eckert/TUM

The TUM Ambassadors 2025: (from left to right:) Prof. Dr. Vivek Buwa, Dr. Suttiphong “Spot” Srigrarom, Prof. Dr. Takao Someya, Prof. Dr. Jonathan Onyekwelu, Prof. Dr. Juliane Winkelmann (TUM Senior Vice President for International Alliances and Alumni), Prof. Dr. Jenny Reardon, Prof. Dr. Oren Schuldiner, Prof. Dr. Shobhana Narasimhan, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kramer (TUM Executive Vice President Research and Innovation) Philip Miessner (Director TUM Global & Alumni Office). Photo: Astrid Eckert/TUM

Prof. Vivek Vitthal Buwa, Indien Institute of Technology Delhi, Indien
Prof. Shobhana Narasimhan, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Indien
Prof. Jonathan Onyekwelu, The Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria
Prof. Jenny Reardon, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA
Prof. Oren Schuldiner, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Prof. Takao Someya, The University of Tokio, Japan
Dr. Sutthiphong “Spot” Srigrarom, National University of Singapore, Japan

Ambassador Gatherings

In Memoriam

Porträtaufnahme von TUM Ambassador J. Tinsley Oden.

TUM Ambassador J. Tinsley Oden (Picture: Astrid Eckert/TUM).

The TUM Family mourns our TUM Ambassador

Professor J. Tinsley Oden

Read the obituary

For TUM Employees

You would like to recommend someone as a TUM Ambassador?

All you need to do is fill in the form and send it to alumniandcareer@tum.de. Perhaps your guests will be awarded next year. More information about the relevant criteria can be found in the document.

Form (PDF, 356 KB)

Ambassador Stories

Internationally leading scientist in the interdisciplinary field of sustainability sciences

TUM Ambassador Noelle Selin

Professor Noelle Selin has established a fundamental understanding of atmospheric chemistry, the transport of toxic substances such as mercury, ozone and particulate matter, and their risks to human health.

Honoring Seven TUM Research Alumni

TUM Ambassadors 2025

On November 30, 2025, TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann presented seven TUM Research Alumni with the TUM Ambassador certificate of honor in front of around 2,000 guests at the annual TUM Advent concert in the Isarphilharmonie in Munich.

TUM Ambassador Shobhana Narasimhan

„We share the common language of science”

TUM Ambassador Shobhana Narasimhan has dedicated her life to science and equality in science. She is passionate about researching materials on the nanometer scale and is committed to equality between genders, nationalities, religions and castes.

TUM Ambassador Jonathan C. Onyekwelu

„TUM is my second home”

Dr. Jonathan C. Onyekwelu has been researching sustainable forest management for more than three decades. The tropical tree species, Gmelina arborea, has been a particular focus of his career – from the laboratories in Weihenstephan to reforestation projects in Nigeria. In 2025, Jonathan Onyekwelu will be honored as a TUM Ambassador.

The Women at the Helm of EPFL

"Science is Highly International"

Studies in Barcelona, a doctorate from the École Polytechnique near Paris, postdoc at CalTech and Habilitation at the TUM Walter Schottky Institute: Anna Fontcuberta i Morral has seen the world in the course of her career. The physicist has been president of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) since January 2025.

Thought leader in the field of automation options in the construction industry

TUM Ambassador Iris Tommelein

“I enjoyed seeing TUM’s automation and robotics applications for manufacturing, logistics, and construction in action."

Expert in policy-making in the field of climate change, hazardous substances and sustainable development

TUM Ambassador Henrik Selin

His current main research project is on the theory and practice of effectiveness evaluations of multilateral environmental agreements.