From young researcher to process engineer – Youth Researches visits Magdeburg
From September 10 to 12, 2025, 30 young researchers were guests in Magdeburg at the invitation of the federal initiative “Jugend forscht” (Youth Researches). All of them had demonstrated their skills once (or even several times) in regional, state, and national competitions in exciting projects under the watchful eyes of scientific juries. Here at OVGU, they were able to gain insights into laboratories and lecture halls, with the FVST making a special contribution. Prof. Sundmacher's exciting evening lecture showed how curiosity and interest in STEM subjects can lead to a career as a process engineer. Prof. Sundmacher was himself a successful prize winner in the 1984 national competition and recounted his career path to becoming director of the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg with many exciting anecdotes. The next day, 12 participants learned a lot in the “Hydrogen Laboratory” workshop on systems engineering and were then able to get involved in converting the mechanical energy they had generated themselves into hydrogen (and oxygen) via electrolysis and then back into electrical power to drive a vehicle using a fuel cell. The mini race was all about speed and endurance, and the vehicles were able to cover almost twice the length of the hallway before the hydrogen tank ran out. There was a great deal of interest in the related topics of energy transition, circular economy, recycling, and sustainability, and studying at our FVST is almost a natural choice. We are sure to see some of these young researchers again – studying process engineering is definitely worthwhile!
Image 1 (Andreas Voigt): Prof. Sundmacher, winner of the 1984 national competition, giving an evening lecture to brand-new participants in the “Jugend forscht” science competition.
Image 2 (Andreas Voigt): Crossing fingers for the mini race of hydrogen-powered cars in the hallway of the Systems Engineering department.