Polish pupils experiment on themselves

On September 27, 2017, 18 vocational students from the Technikum in Krosno Odrzańskie (Crossen on the Oder) visited the Zittau Campus. This visit took place as part of the “Healthy School and Qualification” project, which is currently being carried out at the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Thanks to the dedicated preparation by Christiane Matthieu (ZWT), the students and their two teachers were able to enjoy a varied and interesting day at the university. After a brief introduction, two groups were formed, which took turns visiting the various laboratories.

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Matthias Herrmann (Study Scout, Faculty M) gave them a brief overview of the study options available at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Afterward, Diplom-Ing. (FH) Ralph Heidrich demonstrated the iCIM FESTO Didactic system. This system enables professional, interdisciplinary CIM training, as it facilitates professional planning and engineering through specialized software. In the Manufacturing Metrology Laboratory led by Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Wolfgang Meinck, the students learned about various measurement methods for mechanical engineering components—from the traditional vernier caliper to the use of a DEA “Global Advantage 7/7/5” 3D coordinate measuring machine —and were even able to try them out for themselves.

At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the students gained insights into the programming of sensor-based robots. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Egmont Schreiter explained how the sensors work and how students in the faculty collaborate on various work and research projects throughout their studies. It was particularly interesting to see how, thanks to appropriate programming and the internet, it is possible to control such a robot using one’s own smartphone. Dipl.-Ing. Sebastian Fleischer introduced the students to the basics of automation technology—how industrial systems are controlled and what is required to do so. Here, too, the use of smartphones and tablet PCs is becoming increasingly common.

To conclude, Henriette Uhlig (Dean of Academic Affairs and International Relations) provided a few general pieces of information about studying at the university for prospective international students and highlighted the various services offered by the university to ensure that every student feels at home and doesn’t get too homesick. Kazimierz Przybysz, a student in the Faculty of Business Administration and Engineering, shared his own experiences with his fellow countrymen, emphasizing in particular that a good command of German is very important, in addition to an interest in the subject matter.