The chemistry was right...

...in the university’s well-attended lecture halls on February 26, 2015. The role of chemistry in a wide variety of subject areas was explained to the more than 200 participating students and teachers from all over Eastern Saxony.

The day began with welcoming remarks delivered by the president of the HSZG, Prof. Dr. Albrecht, as well as by Ms. Neubert (Saxon Ministry of Culture) and Dr. Meyer (Saxon State Parliament). The lecture program then began with a journey through art history—covering everything from grains and bad weather to the Beatles—during which Prof. Dr. Roth (Free University of Berlin) examined the toxicity of ergot from a chemical perspective.

After a break and a refreshing meal from the student canteen, participants could choose between presentations on the chemistry of modern dyes—which are ubiquitous, for example, in modern cell phone displays (Prof. Dr. Greif) or the fundamentals and applications of electrochemistry (Prof. Dr. Seibt/Prof. Dr. Weber).

Following a short coffee break and information about the degree programs offered by the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, as well as a raffle for book prizes, the showcase lecture by the Chemistry Department served as the crowning and entertaining finale to a successful day.

The event was jointly organized by the Chemistry Department at HSZG, the Leipzig Teacher Training Center, and the Bautzen Regional Office of the Saxon Education Agency as part of the school partnership that has been in place for 15 years. The organizers would like to thank all the volunteers and sponsors of the day for their support.