A packed auditorium and lots of curious students: the first MINT Science Slam at RWTH Aachen University was a resounding success. Over 30 schools from the region brought their upper school classes to the MINT Science Slam to gain an entertaining insight into the diversity of MINT degree programmes.
Daphne Heil und Melih Dal
The concept behind Science Slam is simple and effective: young scientists present their research topics in a clear, creative and enthusiastic manner in a maximum of ten minutes. The school pupils then evaluate the presentations themselves. This provides a lively insight into the diversity of STEM subjects, from mechanical engineering and biotechnology to medicine and electrical engineering.
Felix Walger was also there. In his slam, ‘Tailor-made medicine (technology) for everyone’, he impressively demonstrated how engineering research enables concrete social and medical applications. His presentation highlighted the central role that electrical engineering plays in the development of modern, personalised medical technology, a topic that met with great interest among the school pupils.
Alongside Walger, other young researchers took to the stage, including Rosario Othen, who won the slam with his presentation on coffee, paper and science, as well as contributions on topics such as cancer research, biotechnology, mathematics and sustainable energy. Knowledge transfer met entertainment.
The MINT Science Slam was first held as a joint project between the RWTH Knowledge Hub and the Central Student Advisory Service at RWTH Aachen University. In his welcoming speech, Professor Joost-Pieter Katoen, Vice-Rector for Teaching at RWTH, emphasised the importance of STEM subjects as key technologies for understanding our world. The slam was entertainingly moderated by Elena and Martin Lichtenthaler, supported by the Campus Dance Crew, who added to the excitement.
The STEM Science Slam impressively demonstrated how important low-threshold, inspiring formats are for study orientation and how diverse, relevant and exciting STEM research at RWTH is. For the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Felix Walger’s participation was a successful example of how research, teaching and the promotion of young talent can be effectively combined.
Leave a Reply