About Us
Fatma Kassim Mohamed, Ph. D.
studied Architecture in Tokyo, Japan and is a promoted lecturer at UDSM University of Dar es Salaam since 2015. She is running the Structural and Construction Engineering Department issuing three different Bachelor's programs. She has been part of many programs like the Zero Energy Building Summer School in Montova, Italy or the Green Building Design Training .
"I was born and raised in the Stone Town of Zanzibar. The history of the buildings in the Stone Town have been a
big influence and source of inspiration for my Architecture. Therefore my interest has always been in Architectural
Planning and Design, Architectural Conservation, Construction Materials, and Sustainable Buildings Design."
Mareike Thiedeitz, M.Eng.
studied Civil Engineering at Lübeck University of Applied Science and is now working on her PhD while researching and teaching for Technical University of Munich. She has been part of projects like Easy Building in 2019 in Tanzania and the Solar Decathlon in Germany in 2021/22.
"It is us humans who are responsible for the built environment and thus for the shape of our world. I always was awestruck by engineering constructions such as bridges or delicate housing structures, especially ancient buildings - but at the same time, I am desperately frightened about how much we destroy these days. Now, as civil engineer, I want to contribute to our built environment in the least nature-disruptive way."
Neema Kahabi, M. Sc. Candidate (UCT)
M. Sc. Civil Engineering Maintenance and Management
Miss Neema completed her undergrad at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Currently, she is pursuing her master's degree at the University of Cape Town under the CoMSIRU unit. Her research is on the partial effect of replacing natural aggregates with recycled concrete aggregates on the durability performance of concrete. Being part of this workshop opens up the field of material science in her journey and is thrilled to be collaborating with Sub-Saharan African countries as well as international partners.
"Whenever I am asked about why Civil Engineering? I like to remind people that modernization/Civilization has been made possible for humanity to evolve in because of civil engineering. No other profession is at the forefront as we are. Our biggest concern should be how to do it sustainably."
Leonie von Oepen, M. Sc. Candidate (TUM)
M.Sc. Resource efficient and sustainable Building
After her studies in Environmental Engineering (B.Sc.) at TUM and her Bachelor Thesis "Sustainability assessment of ecological concretes through the design of a comparative life cycle analysis", she was highly interested in topics of sustainable building and especially wants to expand her knowledge in applications and interdisciplinary exchanges. The possibility to be part of a workshop on sustainable construction in the sub-Saharan climate zone is an exciting challenge that she is looking forward to.
"Being part of an industry that is so largely responsible for the future of our existence means a particularly great responsibility for me as a young person. Therefore, I would like to expand my knowledge every day in order to make my contribution to pointing this world in the right direction."
The collaboration between the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (UDSM) and the Technical University Munich, Germany (TUM) started in 2019 within the international project “ISEE Africa: Innovation, Science, Education and Engineering” in Nairobi, Kenya. Since June 2021, Dr. Mohamed and Ms. Thiedeitz are part of the female scientific network “Falconess” (Female Academic Leadership Network for Conscious Engineering and Science towards Sustainable Urbanization) , which is part of the strategy of the German government to internationalize science and research and funded within the framework of “Programme Advocating Women Scientists in STEM“ (PAWS), implemented by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
