At IU International University of Applied Sciences, research is more than an academic pursuit - it's a driving force behind innovation, industry collaboration, and real-world impact. As a German state-accredited institution and leader in vocational education, we are committed to lifelong, application-oriented research that responds to the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Our academic community brings together experts in IT, engineering, business, human resources, logistics, and hospitality. Working hand in hand with government bodies, industry partners, and global organisations. Together, we explore solutions, drive progress, and create knowledge that matters.
Research at IU doesn't happen in isolation, it fuels our teaching, enriches our programmes, and empowers our students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

## Most recent studies

### Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

How important is diversity and inclusion for tomorrow's skilled workers at their future employers? And what does this mean for companies?

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### Democracy and democary education in Germany

Who is responsible for political education in Germany? The answer to this question and many facts about democracy can be found in this IU study.

Read the article

### IU Publications

### Explore what’s next in learning

Curious about the future of education? Our IU Trend Studies, self-published publications of IU, dive into how digitalisation, student perspectives, and real-world changes are shaping the way we learn. Insights that come straight from our students, professors, and partners.

- STEM Education: What Young Women Think About It

- Digital Education in Germany

Plus, our IU Discussion Papers give faculty a platform to share fresh research and bold ideas across disciplines—keeping you at the forefront of what’s next.

## Subject areas

Our academic teams explore a wide range of topics - from artificial intelligence and sustainability to education, business, and health. What unites all our work is a shared mission: to generate knowledge that addresses real-world challenges across society and industry.
Explore investigations in our key research areas and see how we’re helping shape a more innovative, sustainable, and connected future.

#### Business & Management

#### Human Resources

#### Tourisim & Hospitality

#### Transportation & Logistics

#### IT & Engineering

#### Marketing & Communications

#### Social Sciences

## Young Talents @ IU

At IU, we’re proud to recognise students who go above and beyond in their academic journey. Each year, we honour exceptional work with awards like the Best Thesis Award and the Diversity Award, which celebrates theses that explore and champion the topic of diversity.

And for those who publish their Bachelor's or Master's thesis in academic or professional journals, we offer a €500 publication grant - a recognition of both impact and excellence.

### Diversity Award

At IU, we’re proud to recognise students who go above and beyond in their academic journey. Twice a year, we award the IU Diversity Award to outstanding Bachelor’s, Master’s, and MBA theses that explore and champion the topic of diversity across all study formats, including dual studies and distance learning.

The award aims to increase public awareness of diversity research and its societal relevance. Topics may include Gender & Queer Studies, Inclusion, Ethnicity, Racism, and related fields.

The Autumn 2025 IU Diversity Award was awarded to Jenny Elisa Pabst for her Master’s thesis in Pedagogy, Educational Counselling and Management (M.A.). Her research advocates for equitable inclusion in Hamburg daycare centres and highlights the importance of diversity-sensitive leadership in inclusive personnel development.

Learn more about our Diversity Award winner!

### Best Thesis Award

At IU, we believe exceptional work deserves to be celebrated. Each year, we present the Best Thesis Award to students whose Bachelor’s or Master’s theses stand out for their academic excellence, originality, and practical relevance.
This award highlights the dedication and impact of our students’ research and encourages future graduates to push boundaries, explore bold ideas, and contribute meaningful knowledge to their field.

Read more about our latest winners below!

OUR LATEST WINNERS

## Best Thesis Award

February 2026

Manali Arora – M.Sc. Data Science

Developing a Framework for Drug Repurposing Using Knowledge Graphs and Large Language Models

This thesis addresses a highly relevant and innovative topic in drug discovery and biomedical research. By integrating knowledge graphs and large language models, it applies advanced AI-driven methods to analyze structure–activity relationships between drugs, genes, and diseases, identifying over 5,000 clinically relevant candidates for alternative therapeutic uses. A key contribution of the study lies in the integration of graph-based embeddings with large language model–driven reasoning, combining structured biomedical databases with unstructured scientific literature within a unified analytical framework. This hybrid AI approach enables a scalable and systematic exploration of complex biological relationships across therapeutic domains. In addition to its methodological rigor, the study is characterized by a carefully documented and transparent research design, the responsible and purposeful use of AI technologies, and a critical, self-reflective examination of the results and their broader implications. The thesis demonstrates a novel and effective strategy for rapidly uncovering new therapeutic possibilities and offers a highly relevant, cost-efficient alternative to the traditional development of new drugs.

"My thesis deepened my understanding of how advanced AI can responsibly accelerate drug discovery. Working at the intersection of knowledge graphs and language models shaped my commitment to advancing data-driven biomedical innovation. I am sincerely grateful to Prof. Dr. Markus Hemmer for his expert guidance and to my family for their unwavering support."

September 2025

Aditi Jahagirdar - M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence

Assessment of Using Synthetic Data in Brain Tumor

Segmentation

This thesis extended beyond the academic setting, resulting in a co-authored scientific publication, which can be found here
. The research investigates synthetic data generation to support brain tumor diagnosis, a topic of significant academic and societal importance. The work has attracted interest from major medical technology leaders, including Siemens, where it has been recognized as a promising approach.

"My thesis advances medical imaging techniques and contributes to critical patient care. I sincerely thank my supervisor, Prof. Dr. phil. Sameer Joshi, for his invaluable guidance throughout the process, which ultimately led to the publication of our work. I am also grateful to my family for their constant support while I balanced this research alongside full-time professional responsibilities. A special mention to my baby girl, whom I was expecting during this time. This journey reflects my resilience and persistence in achieving long-term goals."

February 2025

Samira Yerima Bako – Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Financing Decision of Healthcare Firms – An Empirical Study of BRICS Countries

Samira’s thesis addresses a highly relevant and widely debated topic in corporate finance. Applying advanced econometric techniques with full reproducibility and transparency, the research earned recognition at the highest academic level. In addition to its methodological rigor, the study provides valuable policy insights using World Bank financial system indicators. The thesis has been developed into a publishable research paper and is currently under review at Financial Innovation, a Top A-ranked journal in finance.

"I learned how to look at healthcare from a different angle. I plan to use this knowledge in the future, whether in research, consultancy or when working in healthcare administration. This would not have been possible without the help of my supervisor Prof. Kunal Saigal who was very supportive and gave me strict and direct guidelines and was there for me when I needed him. I would also like to thank my husband for pushing me to do this MBA."

## Research projects

IU is actively engaged in innovative research through third-party funding, cooperative projects, internal start-up grants, and incubator initiatives. These efforts reflect our commitment to practical, impact-driven research.

Our projects are supported by leading institutions, including:

- The European Union

- The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

- The European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA – ESTEC)

- Stifterverband – Innovation in Higher Education Teaching

To support research at every stage, IU has built a three-pillar structure:

- IU Research Incubator – early-stage support

- IU Research Centre – cross-disciplinary collaboration

- IU Research Institute – long-term academic research

Together, they create a vibrant environment where ideas grow and innovation thrives.

TAPAS - Tailored Automated Pain Assessment Systems

How can personalised AI-based models improve automated pain assessment by adapting to individual physiological responses with minimal data?

Read more here

## Award-winning education at IU

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