Virtual Taster Sessions: experience plastics and elastomer technology up close

A taste of university life before making a final decision about the next steps after finishing school – this has been possible since Monday at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (FHWS). From May 17 to 28, students can also attend events on the "Plastics and Elastomer Technology" degree program in the virtual FHWS Taster Sessions.

In this K–MAG interview, Prof. Leiber talks about the special offer of the FHWS for prospective students and the job profile of a plastics engineer.

Prof. Leiber, what can students look forward to in the virtual trial study? What does the "Plastics and Elastomer Technology" program have in store for them?

Prof. Jörn Leiber: The virtual trial study offers a realistic and undisguised insight into the current events of various semesters. Students can participate directly in lectures and seminars here, so they experience how classes are held in real life. These are not special "advertising events" for prospective students, but the live everyday life at our university. In addition, there are several information events in live chat with lecturers and students, where people can find out about details and experiences in their studies. Since all courses are currently held digitally, students can participate particularly easily – just like students – from home without having to travel at all.

To what extent does it help students decide on a course of study?

Leiber: There are many information events about our degree program. But it's something special to experience first-hand how the teaching "feels". So anyone who not only wants to formally understand the structure of the degree program, but would also like to have a gut feeling about how lectures feel in practice, can experience that here. Of course, it is not important to fully understand the content.

How exactly do you want to make the course "palatable" to young people?

Leiber: We don't want to make the course of study artificially "palatable" to anyone, because a course of study and the subsequent profession should, above all, suit personal interests and inclinations so that the students (and also us...) enjoy it for many semesters and it is successful. Therefore, we do not want to obscure the sounding out of these own interests by beautiful words or images. We are rather concerned with these points: On the one hand, we would like to make the "Plastics and Elastomer Technology" degree program better known and provide information about it, because the contents and career prospects are much less well known than classic degree programs such as mechanical or electrical engineering. On the other hand, we live in a time when plastics have an increasingly negative image in society. The reason for this lies in the one-sided public discussion about "plastics", which completely ignores the many applications in which plastics are indispensable for a sustainable future or even make this possible in the first place: Weight reduction in transport, renewable technologies, medical technology, and many more. We need to provide detailed information on these issues so that the current mood-mongering does not lead to a shortage of university entrants today or plastics engineers in the future who can shape this future intelligently and responsibly.

What sets the FHWS course apart from similar courses in the plastics sector?

Leiber: Our degree program has several special features: For one thing, it is a pure plastics engineering degree program, unlike many other offerings, which are usually just a specialization in an otherwise typical mechanical engineering degree program. This gives us the opportunity to take a much deeper and more professional look at the nature and processing of plastics. Furthermore, we have a clear teaching and research focus in the field of elastomers which is unique in Germany in this depth. In addition, the course contains particularly comprehensive practical components, so that all theoretical knowledge can be "grasped" directly on machines and in laboratories. And last but not least, the option of choosing a "study program with in-depth practical experience" is becoming increasingly popular among companies and students alike, in which students are always active in the partner company, get to know the practical side of things even better, and can finance their studies.

What careers can graduates of the program pursue?

Leiber: The career profile of a plastics engineer is extraordinarily versatile: On the one hand, this applies to the available industries, which range from focal points such as automotive engineering, aerospace technology, and sports as well as medical and environmental technology to every conceivable field. On the other hand, the activities are just as varied and range from research and development to design and production to purchasing, marketing or quality assurance. Because of this versatility, both the career and salary prospects for our graduates are consistently good.

Have you been able to gain experience with such offers in the past? What was the feedback like?

Leiber: In the past, the trial study was conducted in presence, which means that students were able to participate in the events in the lecture halls. Other offerings included workshops in laboratories or special lectures. The feedback was consistently positive, but the challenge is basically to make it known in advance that these offers exist and that it is very important for the career choice to gain such insights. Since similar events have been held online because of Corona (perhaps also supported by online activities such as the homepage or Instagram), the popularity has increased significantly. In my opinion, this is due to the much less complicated access compared to in-person participation.

What other advice would you give to students who are generally interested in training in the plastics sector?

Leiber: In general, I would like to recommend that before making a decision, you take a differentiated look at the many possibilities in the field of plastics and not just follow the one-sided public discussion about the environment. And specifically for our course of study: anyone who is interested in technical topics, wants to help shape a sustainable future, is looking for a practical course of study with manageable student numbers, in which you have very personal contact with each other and with the lecturers, and who is also looking for varied and good career prospects, should definitely take a look at plastics and elastomer technology.