Dr. Li is an engineering scientist specializing in energy systems, hydrogen technologies, and energy storage. His research focuses on sustainable solutions in the energy sector. He brings valuable expertise to teaching on green energy infrastructure and storage technologies. At TU Darmstadt he supports teaching and research in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. The topic of his course is ´Elements of Hydrogen Systems and Storage`.

I see important advantages because Europe offers a uniquely collaborative academic environment with strong traditions of interdisciplinary research and open knowledge exchange. For my field, multi-energy systems with hydrogen integration, Europe provides advanced infrastructures such as smart grids, hydrogen value chains, AI methods, and large-scale renewable projects that allow for impactful research.

Furthermore, the cultural diversity and close geographical ties of European universities facilitate more opportunities for joint supervision of students, EU-wide funding applications, and cross-border pilot projects. For me, being part of Unite! means not only teaching and mentoring students in Finland and Germany, but also co-developing curricula and research that support Europe’s green transition and carbon neutrality targets.

I would like to spend a day in the Research Field Energy and Environment (E+E), specifically within the Integrated Energy Systems profile topic at TU Darmstadt. This area focuses on linking electricity, heat, and mobility to ensure a sustainable and climate-neutral energy supply, even under volatile demand conditions. It is almost the same as my research on the optimal planning and operation of multi-energy systems with hydrogen integration, AI-driven optimisation, and resilience enhancement.

By joining activities in this faculty, I would be able to interact with experts who are developing intelligent energy system concepts, cross-sectoral coordination strategies, and policy frameworks. This exposure would allow me to align my AI and optimisation methodologies with TU Darmstadt’s interdisciplinary strengths in energy system integration and to explore opportunities for joint research on topics such as sector coupling, energy storage, and resilient operation of hydrogen-based systems.

My research naturally interfaces with many faculties beyond electrical engineering. For example:

• Mechanical Engineering: optimisation of hydrogen production, fuel cells, and energy storage components.
• Computer Science: development of AI, machine learning, and digital twin models for energy systems.
• Civil & Environmental Engineering: integration of energy systems in smart cities, seaports, and airports with sustainability considerations.
• Economics & Social Sciences: energy market design, policy studies, and behavioural aspects of energy transition.

Besides, I see strong opportunities for joint work across these interfaces, for example, combining physics-informed AI from computer science with energy modelling in engineering, and then analysing economic viability and policy impacts with social sciences. This kind of interdisciplinarity is essential to obtain solutions that are technically sound, economically feasible, and societally accepted.