Professor Michael Backes Is the New „TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professor“

Since November 6, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has another dignitary in the field of informatics and engineering: TUM President Professor Thomas F. Hofmann awarded Professor Michael Backes the honorary title of “TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professor” during a ceremony at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology (CIT). Since 2007, TUM has been honoring internationally outstanding scientists who have made significant contributions to a field of research and who cooperate with their colleagues at TUM on a long-term basis with this title. The honorary title is awarded by the president upon decision of the Extended University Executive Board and the Senate. The “TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professors” are members of the faculty of the school that nominated them.

The ceremony began with a welcome by Professor Hans-Joachim Bungartz, Dean of the TUM School of CIT. In his speech, he emphasized the win-win situation for both sides: the honoree receives recognition for his or her extraordinary achievements through the award and becomes a member for the TUM family. In return, he or she enriches the academic profile of CIT and TUM.

Innovative Methods, Internationally Renowned

Professor Michael Backes is the founding director and CEO of the Helmholtz Center for Information Security (CISPA), the 18th Helmholtz Center in the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. Backes' research focuses on novel methods for protecting personal data, trustworthy methods for machine learning, and universal solutions for software and system security. His research findings have shaped these scientific fields both nationally and internationally, as impressively demonstrated by more than 350 peer-reviewed and widely cited publications in renowned international journals and conference proceedings.

A Shared Ethos Promotes Innovation

The laudatory speech in honor of Michael Backes was given by Professor Pramod Bhatotia, Chair of Distributed Systems and Operating Systems at the TUM School of CIT. In his address, he emphasized the shared ethos of TUM and the new honoree in the field of deep tech transfers: transferring research results from the laboratory to the market is in line with TUM's innovation agenda. TUM's expertise is strengthened by Michael Backes' achievements in the field of system security.

After a brief welcome, President Hofmann presented the certificate and officially appointed Michael Backes as TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professor. Hofmann emphasized the need to build synergies and ecosystems in order to remain competitive globally, pointing to ongoing efforts in Munich and the goal of expanding partnerships with large companies.

Cybersecurity Challenges

The highlight of the ceremony was an exciting, easy-to-understand presentation by the new honoree. Michael Backes shed light on the major challenges of cybersecurity and its social impact. The following get-together with invited guests provided time for stimulating conversations and intensive professional exchange.