Chemist as a dream job!
At the nationwide Girls' and Boys' Day, pupils in years 5 to 9 not only gained interesting insights into the HSZG, but also career prospects.
During the nationwide Girls’ Day on April 25, students in grades 5 through 9 spent the morning getting a taste of careers that are typically associated with the opposite gender. The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences participated with a wide range of offerings and was very pleased to welcome students for the first time as part of the Boys’ Day .
Jonas and Béla, for example, set out together to “track down medicinal plants.” From anise to devil’s claw to cinnamon: the HSZG’s Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Lab offered the fifth-graders an exciting glimpse into the vast world of natural remedies under the expert guidance of Prof. Fester and Jennifer Dutschke. Using pipettes was especially good for the students.
As was the activity “Nature Shows the Way” right in the lab next door. Laboratory engineer Lydia Laarz demonstrated to the students, using vivid experiments she conducted herself, how many technical inventions are based on natural mechanisms that shape our environment. This fascinating field of bionics —the intersection of biology and technology—sparked great interest among the students. And there was plenty of fun with hands-on projects, too.
"I signed up to find out how you can be inspired by nature and then transfer the findings to technology."
”Whether different plant forms or the locomotor system of animals, humans have taken the animal and plant world as a model in many respects. "As a horse lover, I find it really exciting how science can learn from nature," says Magdalena, who is in Year 8 at the Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium in Löbau.
Diagonally opposite the materials technology laboratory, university employee Corinna Herrmann invited schoolgirls to immerse themselves in the exciting world of organic chemistry. The aim was to make a fragrant hand cream together! First of all, a lot of laboratory work was required. In many individual steps, the students were shown what it takes to ultimately create a great product. "So this is what it could be like in a cosmetics production laboratory," some of the students must have thought and made their dream job as a chemist a reality.
"My favorite part was when we had to melt the granules," reports Lieselotte enthusiastically. Mixed with various other ingredients and cooled down to a certain temperature, a unique hand cream was created for the body care-conscious girls. The product was rounded off with a very personal touch in the form of a scented oil. "The schoolgirls could choose between Lemon, lavender and rosemary. The offer was very well received," reports Corinna Herrmann. Together with the many other colleagues, the HSZG laboratory employee took extra time for Girls' and Boys' Day to give the young scientists an exciting day.
University staff member Jan Fallgatter was one such example. In the CAD lab, he showed the students how to use modern technology to create a digital building model on a computer. The students easily and practically designed and created their very own dream homes.
Meanwhile, things were steamy, explosive, and smelly in Maria Riemer’s chemistry lab for inorganic chemistry. Here, the students got to know the field of chemistry in a somewhat different way: they made “magic ink” invisible and then visible again, dissolved objects in liquids, flambéed paper bills, and brewed a magical “beer.” They prepared the demonstration experiments themselves and carried them out under expert guidance. Afterward, the students all agreed that chemistry is anything but boring.
“Research is fun!” The students were able to see this for themselves that morning. During the lunch that followed in the student canteen, fifth-grader Maja was still raving with enthusiasm about how each participant received two small jars of hand cream with personalized labels, while others confirmed that they definitely want to participate again next year.
Over cauliflower cutlets, pasta, and chocolate pudding, the participants had another chance to chat with one another and even strike up a conversation with the Vice President for Education and International Affairs, Prof. Sophia Keil. As with previous Girls’ Days, it was once again a great pleasure and a personal priority for her this year to engage directly with the students—not only to gather their open and honest feedback on the university’s program but also to learn about their hopes and goals in their (school) lives. “The students’ feedback is particularly important to us, especially with regard to the development of the Upper Lusatia Future Learning Center (ZukLOS). Together with our partners, we want to develop innovative learning opportunities in STEM for students at extracurricular learning venues to foster enthusiasm for these exciting topics and ensure a new generation of scientists and skilled workers for the future.”
At the next Girls’ and Boys’ Day on April 3, 2025, students will once again have the opportunity to try their hand at various activities at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
Text: Cornelia Rothe
1st floor