Out of school - into the lab!

The DLR_School_Lab at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is taking shape and is making an important contribution to securing the future workforce as part of the "ZUKLOS: Upper Lusatia Learning Center of the Future" project. As an extracurricular learning center, the student lab will not only offer exciting experiments that spark enthusiasm for STEM subjects but also create excellent opportunities to introduce students to the diverse range of degree programmes at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG). This places Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences among the ranks of prominent science hubs that use the DLR_School_Lab to help children and young people experience scientific phenomena and technical innovations through exciting experiments.

A significant milestone was already reached in May: the signing of a cooperation agreement with the DLR. This partnership paves the way for close collaboration and enables the continuous development of the DLR_School_Lab at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.

On June 15, 2023, an initial meeting was also held with the Saxon Real Estate and Construction Management Agency (SIB) to discuss the necessary steps for setting up the lab.

On June 29, 2023, various representatives from the DLR and the HSZG met at the Mandauhöfe in Zittau to strengthen future collaboration and advance the content of the DLR_School_Lab. The meeting was attended by the university leadership, represented by the Rector, Professor Alexander Kratszch, and the Vice President for Education and International Affairs, Professor Sophia Keil, as well as Dr. Christoph Pawek, DLR Executive Board Representative for the Promotion of Young Researchers, Dr. Christoph Pawek, DLR’s Executive Board Representative for the Promotion of Young Talent,

During the meeting, there was also an opportunity for a tour of the future premises of the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, during which a productive exchange took place regarding the content and didactic formats of the experiments. Professor Jens Weber provided the participants with valuable insights into one of the university’s research fields during a visit to the LaNDER³ facilities. Particularly in the area of developing new experiments for students, research topics at HSZG—such as the forward-looking research conducted by the Lausitz Natural Fiber Composites Partnership, Decentralized Energy, Raw Materials, Resources, Recycling (LaNDER³), provide excellent starting points that should be brought to life for young people.

Progress on setting up the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is extremely promising, and HSZG is grateful for the collaboration with the DLR and the valuable support provided by the DLR_School_Lab Berlin as a mentor. To further this exchange of experiences, the Vice President, together with the ZUKLOS team, will visit the DLR_School_Lab Berlin in September 2023. This on-site exchange will help identify synergies and joint projects—such as collaboration on experiments, workshops, or events—thereby contributing to the further development of the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The next milestones in the project include, among other things, the procurement of the experiments and their testing in collaboration with pilot schools. The acquisition of the experiments will make it possible to offer a wide range of exciting and educational activities that spark students’ interest in STEM topics and foster their curiosity. Testing the experiments with pilot schools will also yield valuable insights that will help continuously improve the experiments and the educational concept of the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.