The Master’s program “International Graduate Studies in Mechatronics” at the University of Siegen, which is held in English, has produced numerous foreign graduates since its establishment in 2001. This is how Ahmad Kamal Nasir from Pakistan came to the University of Siegen in 2009 to do his Master of Science degree. A scholarship granted by the DAAD gave him the opportunity to earn his doctorate in Mobile Robotics at the Chair of Control Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Hubert Roth. There he wrote his doctoral thesis titled “Cooperative Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Framework”. While working as a research assistant at the faculty, he developed a friendly relationship with his colleagues and improved his German language skills. The collaboration with regard to technical development was intense and characterized by trust. After receiving his doctorate, Nasir earned an Associate Professorship at the Electrical Engineering Department of the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. This position gives him the opportunity to conduct further scientific collaboration with the University of Siegen.
The “Green Drone-Deforestation and Forest Degradation Estimation using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” project was funded by the DAAD, thanks to the help of Prof. Roth, who is both the Managing Director of the University of Siegen’s CICD (Centre for International Capacity Development) and the leader of a variety of other projects funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and the EU. Since 2016 they have together developed a system which uses drones to monitor the extent and health of forests across different regions of Pakistan. In addition to the actual project work, mutual visits will also take place at the both universities, so Prof. Nasir will be able to come to Siegen again this year. As the project will be phased out by the end of 2017, both Professors have already begun work on a new joint project. An application for funding has already been submitted to the DAAD.