How are modern cars, cell phones and the like developed today? How are the sounds of musical instruments created from simple waves? And what does the future of our digital world look like - especially in terms of energy and climate protection challenges? These and other questions from the world of science will be answered for inquisitive schoolchildren at this year's Children's and Youth University at TU Ilmenau.
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Every year in late fall, the Children's and Youth University of the TU Ilmenau opens its doors to schoolchildren. In exciting lectures, professors from the university introduce them to topics from science, technology and media, presented in an age-appropriate manner. In addition, the children and young people take part in laboratory tours, conduct experiments, get to know numerous student clubs and even visit the student clubs. At lunchtime, the participants go to eat in the refectory like real students.
This November, students in grades 5 to 9 will once again experience a day as students of the TU Ilmenau - and not only on site, but also virtually. The lectures of the Children's and Youth University will be streamed live from the lecture hall to their homes. After prior registration, all interested parties have the opportunity to follow the lectures of the professors in front of their computers. They can ask questions live and interact with the professors.
Solutions for social challenges
Prof. Stephan Husung, Head of the Product and System Development Group at TU Ilmenau, was pleased to open the Children's and Youth University with his lecture on the development of modern products. Using the example of a smartphone, he discussed with the children which steps are necessary until the cell phone is finally ready for sale in the store, and what has to be considered so that, for example, it is produced in a way that conserves resources and is as low in pollutants as possible:
With the development of products, solutions are created for a wide variety of social challenges, for example, how we can get to certain places in an energy-efficient manner or communicate sustainably with other people. In this way, engineers contribute to a better future. Even children have great ideas about how we can make the world a better place. That's why it was particularly exciting for me to discuss with the children during the lecture how we can turn these ideas into concrete products and what needs to be taken into account. In the process, the children also get inspiration for what issues they can discuss in their personal development at school, but also in their private lives.
The children enthusiastically participated in the brainstorming and thanked him with a thunderous applause at the end of the lecture. Earlier, the little researchers had also had the opportunity to visit the media lab at the TU Ilmenau, as 10-year-old Colin from the 5th grade of the Gustav Freytag Gymnasium in Gotha reported:
The lab where you could make the films with the bluescreen and the sound studio I found particularly cool. For example, we were able to record our own sound there.
Teacher Olivia König had come to Ilmenau with her class on the recommendation of a colleague:
Even though it's still a while until they grauate from school we want to open the children's eyes now to the possibilities they have after school and to what they can study in the media, engineering and science fields, for example. Today, they got a great insight into what a university actually is and what studying means.
The Children's and Youth University is organized by a team of students of Applied Media and Communication Science as part of a practical workshop and a media project in cooperation with the TU Ilmenau. Jenny Gramsch supports the student team in the implementation of their project and has accompanied the Children's and Youth University for many years. She not only wants to impart new knowledge to the students, but also support them in the long term in planning their future careers:
For the children, their first visit to a university is an exciting experience and at the same time often their first point of contact with a university. We introduce them to the exciting world of science and research. At the same time, young people like to use our offer to explore the TU Ilmenau on site and to inform themselves about our study programs. The personal contact on site can be decisive in their decision to study.
The program continues this year for children in grades 5 to 6 on November 18 with a lecture by Prof. Peter Scharff on the topic of "Why is the world so colorful?".
Young people and school classes in grades 7 to 9 can still apply to attend two lectures on November 25. First, Prof. Martin Ziegler will ask "Bits, energy and climate protection - What does the future of our (digital) world look like?" He will discuss the challenges posed by the hidden energy consumption of Instagram, TikTok and other digital media and how micro- and nanoelectronics can help. Afterwards, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ralf Sommer and Carsten Gatermann will work with the young people to investigate how simple waves or tuning forks can be used to create the sounds of musical instruments and sounds for games or films.
Info and registration: www.tu-ilmenau.de/veranstaltungen/kinder-und-jugenduni
Contact
Jenny Gramsch
Children's and Youth University