On Girls' Day at the HSZG, schoolgirls in grades 5 to 9 were given an insight into various STEM degree courses.
It glitters and sparkles! Amelie proudly holds up her new bookmark. The sixth-grader made a very special piece of metal from a lightweight alloy in the Materials Engineering and Materials Testing laboratory of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on Girls' Day on April 28, 2022 at the HSZG. She and her school friends Wilma and Matilda had signed up for the "Women's power in mechanical engineering!" program.
Matthias Herrmann conducted exciting experiments with the schoolgirls at various material specification stations, which amazed the young researchers. "We want to give an insight into the wide range of possibilities in the field of energy and environmental technology and in mechanical engineering," explains the HSZG employee. Above all, the experiments should be fun for the schoolgirls and encourage their interest in researching alternative raw materials and processes.
Professor Sophia Keil can only agree with this. The Vice-Rector for Education and International Affairs welcomed the young female researchers to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and talked about her own personal experiences as a pupil, student and scientist. "What I particularly like about this format is that you can feel the enthusiasm and curiosity of the young participants as they complete the stations on offer. We don't just impart knowledge about our degree programs, but wow effects. And these stay in the girls' minds for a long time."
There were also wow-effects in the SCO-TTi laboratory of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Industrial Engineering. Here, Daniel Fiß and Christian Vogel from the Institute of Process Engineering, Process Automation and Metrology (IPM) demonstrated to a group of seventh and ninth graders from Richard-von-Schlieben-Oberschule Zittau and Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Löbau how to get a robot to work together with a human.
The students also got to know Anastasia. The electrical engineering and computer science student from Greece is currently doing her Master's degree and reported on her studies in Zittau as a foreign student. Fatima and Sevval listened with great interest to her account. 14-year-old Fatima comes from Turkey and is interested in the field of computer science, especially everything to do with programming. "I want to start by working on a PC, but I can imagine working with robots later on," she says.
Ninth grader Sevval from Lebanon already has very concrete plans. "I want to study aerospace engineering." Could working with cobots, as presented by the IPM employees, also be important in this field? "Definitely," says the 16-year-old.
During her visit to the SCO-TTi laboratory, Vice-Rector Sophia Keil explained the wide range of opportunities offered by a degree course with a technical focus at the HSZG. Factors such as sustainability, competitiveness and profitability were explained in more detail and by the end, the young participants even knew what amortization of an investment actually means.
The motto of the Girls' Day was: "Whether typical male or female professions - it's what you want that counts." But what specific advice does our Vice Principal give the schoolgirls? What was her motto? "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. (Note from Norman Vincent Peale). So reach for the moon! Nothing is impossible! And despite all the challenges, always keep an eye out for possible solutions."
Afterwards, the interested schoolgirls were given a demonstration at the LaNDER³ natural fiber center on how to live and produce with what nature provides in the future and how to protect our environment in the process. Helene and Arna, both in Year 7 from Löbau, found it particularly exciting to see how plants can be used to produce biodegradable disposable tableware or components for trains. Finally, all participants looked back on an exciting day over lunch in the canteen with the Vice Principal and student advisor Lukasz Witków.
At the annual nationwide Girls' Day , schoolgirls can get a taste of STEM professions that are atypical for girls. The aim is to put an end to role stereotypes for "non-gender-specific" professions.
