48th Power Plant Technology Colloquium

On October 18 and 19, 2016 , the 48th Power Plant Technology Colloquium took place in Dresden. At this annual conference, representatives from the fields of science, politics, and business gather to exchange experiences, present new research findings, and promote their companies and services. The organizer, TU Dresden, also invited 22 students from all over Germany to attend the events and make initial contacts for their future careers. Among them were two students majoring in heating and power plant engineering from the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.

A workshop was held with the students as early as October 17, during which career orientation was discussed. Various speakers were present who talked about their career paths. In addition to careers in large and medium-sized companies, academic and political careers were also discussed. The presentation that was likely of greatest interest to the students was that of Dr.-Ing. Martin Pohl, who started his own business as a founder of a startup. All speakers spoke in a relaxed atmosphere about entering the workforce, the pros and cons of their respective career paths, and the qualities students should possess for their future careers. A common theme across all presentations was the importance of networking. Each speaker emphasized to the students the role that personal contacts could play in their professional lives.

The presentations were followed by a group activity in which the students were asked to review and present the material. Afterward, and following a tour of the Center for Energy Technology at TU Dresden, everyone went for dinner together. Not only were the day’s speakers present, but other fair attendees also joined in. This allowed all students to begin building their own small networks.

The next morning, the main event began with opening remarks by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Beckmann from TU Dresden. During the presentations, the students were able to gain an initial impression of the topics that would be covered. One focus was the energy transition and how conventional energy technology contributes to it and can continue to do so. Then the corporate fair opened, which our students took as an opportunity to actively gather information about their future. Questions were asked such as: “What is the process for joining your company?” or “What qualifications should I have?”, and the exhibitors were on hand to answer them. As it turned out, some of the booths were staffed by former HSZG students. This provided yet another boost of motivation for their studies. In addition to the career fair, researchers also presented their projects. Among others, the IPM and the Department of Technical Thermodynamics promoted the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the Zittau Research Region. After the presentations ended, the participants gathered for the evening event and more interesting discussions.

On Wednesday, the students used their time to listen to numerous presentations. The topics were diverse, ranging from the flexibilization of power plants, to thermal storage and process automation, to the reduction of mercury emissions in power plants. Unfortunately, due to the overlapping schedules, it was not possible to hear everything.

In the end, it was an interesting and, so far, unique experience for all participating students, not just those from HSZG. With their horizons broadened, the students set off on their journey home.