There were several reasons why he chose Bayreuth. “The chair is an excellent fit for my research approach,” says Roskosch. He believes that the field’s development to date and the work carried out over the past decades provide an excellent foundation for future projects. He particularly values the close collaboration between materials science and engineering that is practised at the University of Bayreuth. Roskosch studied and completed his PhD at the University of Duisburg, before working at RWTH Aachen University and then at ETH Zurich.
He subsequently moved into the private sector to join Carrier Innovation Technologies in Lucerne. The combination of fundamental research and practical application also won him over. “At the end of the day, we are engineers. The transfer into practice is very important to me,” he emphasises. He notes that, particularly in Bavaria and especially in Bayreuth, this exchange works very well.
As well as the academic environment, he is also impressed by the atmosphere on campus. He describes the university as young and dynamic. The student body plays a major part in this. “The students have a significant influence on the university. I like that,” says Roskosch.
He will be taking on a key course as early as his first semester: the introductory thermodynamics lecture in the third semester. For him, this lecture is far more than just a compulsory module. “It’s the department’s first point of contact with the student body. You want to inspire them,” he explains. His aim is to get students interested in the topics within his field of expertise at an early stage and to help them understand the relevance of thermodynamics to current societal challenges.
He has clear goals for the coming years. In the field of research, he aims to establish Bayreuth as an internationally recognised centre for sustainable heating and cooling. “This is a pressing issue for our society. We want to stand for this and we want to raise our profile in this area,” he says. He also has high standards when it comes to teaching: the University of Bayreuth should become renowned for its excellent teaching of thermodynamics. If Prof. Dr Roskosch has his way, students will in future not only master the fundamentals of the subject, but also develop a long-term enthusiasm for its diverse applications.
