At our first “Electrochemistry and Electroplating” Summer School, we offered 15 interested participants from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland the opportunity to get to know the Technical University of Ilmenau and our department through this program in Ilmenau.
After a group barbecue in the evening, the week began with lectures and lab sessions. Here, participants learned the fundamentals of electrochemical surface engineering, energy storage, and energy conversion, and applied this knowledge directly in lab sessions. Theory and practice complemented each other perfectly and were integrated during the final presentation of results at the end of the week.
Our participants took part in an excursion to thyssenkrupp nucera in Arnstadt, which included a factory tour. There, they learned how the practical development of high-temperature electrolysis is being implemented in the state of Thuringia, what role electrochemistry plays in this process, and just how interdisciplinary this applied natural science is.
Our participants also had plenty of opportunities for leisure activities. As part of “Bergfestwoche,” a traditional student event marking the end of the first half of the year, they were able to spend their afternoons and evenings on campus getting to know life in Ilmenau. As a cultural highlight, a guided city tour offered insights into the history of Ilmenau and the surrounding regions of Thuringia, as well as the legacy of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
The Department of Electrochemistry and Electroplating would like to thank all participants, speakers, and volunteers for the successful premiere of our Summer School. We extend our special thanks to the Zentralverband Oberflächentechnik e.V. for its financial support.
