On April 7, 2025, the official kick-off for the German-Indonesian PhD program “Circular Electronics” took place at the SuperC of RWTH Aachen University. In this program, RWTH institutes are working together with partner universities from Indonesia to develop innovative solutions for the recycling of electronic waste and to promote sustainable circular approaches.

A total of 15 doctoral students are planned for the doctoral program in Aachen. The research projects cover a broad spectrum: from the mechanical pre-treatment of electronic waste to new technologies for plastics recycling and the economic and social aspects of the circular economy.

As part of the kick-off meeting, the first PhD students presented their projects and reported on their experiences at RWTH. It became clear how important close interdisciplinary cooperation and integration into local academic life are.

With the PhD program, we are focusing on long-term cooperation, strengthening scientific exchange between Germany and Indonesia and making an active contribution to a more sustainable future.