Technical Chemistry - Looking Beyond the Test Tube

Have you ever thought about where the packaging of your soap comes from? Or how its contents are produced? Did you know that the big columns you can see on chemical sites from the highway are necessary to produce the fuel you are driving at that moment?

Chemistry is everywhere and it is impossible to imagine our everyday life without it! It's a pity, therefore, that we keep hearing: "Chemistry? That was always my horror subject. Aren't only nerds studying it?"

No! We, two female employees in the Technical Chemistry Laboratory, will prove you wrong. And not only that, we'll also clear up the bad reputation of the chemical industry and show you how important environmental protection and sustainability have become, for example. With some experiments, we would like to introduce you to the future-oriented and incredibly diverse career field of chemical engineering, in which you can really make a difference later on.

We are looking forward to meeting you!

Your specialisation Technical Chemistry in the Faculty of Chemistry 01

You can find more information here!

Programming the adafruit board

We will practise programming the adafruit board. A lamp will be built as an example. The programming will be done with blocks, so that even unskilled people can cope with it. We also want to programme other questions.

This practice day has already been carried out several times, so the team benefits from previous experience. So far, the students have always been very satisfied with the day.

You can find more information here!

Hot colour: enamelling

What do old chamber pots, chemical reactors and modern jewellery design have in common? - A layer of enamel!

Welcome to Girls Day, where technology meets art! Discover the fascinating world of technical enamelling and find out how you can create your own pieces of jewellery. Learn the basic techniques to produce technical surfaces and create artistic designs, and take your self-made piece of jewellery home with you as a lasting souvenir. Experience the spark of creativity and discover your unique way of combining art and technology!

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

You can find more information here!

Think, Design, Create, Explore: Product Design, 3D Printing & Virtual Reality    

Our course focuses on fascinating activities relating to 3D scanning, 3D printing and its design, as well as virtual reality.

Part 1: Simple design and 3D printing

Students are given an overview of the basics of 3D printing. They learn how to create simple 3D models. We use user-friendly software that allows participants to digitise their own creative ideas and prepare them for 3D printing.

There will be a live printing demonstration where students can experience the entire 3D printing process from modelling to physical realisation. This will provide an insight into how 3D printers work and the different steps of the printing process. Each participant has the opportunity to create her own 3D model and then turn it into reality under supervision.

Part 2: 3D scanning

The students have the opportunity to try out different 3D scanners and scan small objects on their own. This allows them to actively experience and understand the process of 3D scanning. After scanning, the aim is to process the captured 3D data. The participants learn how to integrate their scanned models into creative projects and how the objects can be produced using 3D printing.

Part 3: Virtual reality

Students are given an introduction to the fascinating world of virtual reality (VR). We explain how VR glasses work, their applications and how they revolutionise the experience of digital worlds. Participants have the opportunity to design products in the virtual world themselves using VR glasses and experience the product design of tomorrow.

You can find more information here!

From Classroom to Race Track: Formula Student up Close

In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to look behind the scenes of Formula Student - a world-renowned engineering competition series in which university and college teams design, build and compete against each other in racing cars.

Introduction to Formula Student: Find out what is behind this fascinating competition and learn more about the role of engineers.

Design principles: Immerse yourself in the world of race car design. Research aerodynamic concepts, lightweight structures and innovative technologies.

Practical experience and technological insights: Gain insights from Formula Student experts and learn more about the latest technological developments in motorsport.

Test drive simulation: Finally, head to the race car simulation to experience the feeling of driving on the track - virtual, but still exciting!

You can find more information here!

Technology Meets Cosmetics – An Engineer's Perspective

Experience a day full of fun and take part in creative experiments! Together we will explore how something completely new is created from scratch using fascinating components. Be surprised by the exciting possibilities of technology in the world of cosmetics and at the end, take your own creation home with you.

You can find more information here!

Foamy Delights: From Corn to Popcorn

That is process engineering, too! In a workshop where you can carry out your own experiment, you will find out at first hand why engineers deal with foam.

You can find more information here!

Researchers Don't Always Wear White Coats ... The Job of a Social Researcher at a University

On Girls‘Day, we would like to show you what everyday life is like for a social science researcher at a research institute at Hochschule Niederrhein on the Mönchengladbach campus. Our offer is aimed at anyone who would like to know what a researcher or university lecturer does.

We present our institute Social.Concepts (SO.CON) and our diverse current research projects. Our academic staff conduct research on topics such as:

• Migration - e.g. what support people need who have had to flee here and now want to work here,
• long-term unemployment - e.g. what support helps long-term unemployed people who are ill to become healthier or
• Urban development - e.g. how cities or regions (can) change.

You will gain insights into everyday life at the institute and university. Together we will plan and carry out our own small research project. In particular, we will discuss how researchers work and how to collect and analyse research data. During the event, you will also have the opportunity to talk to our institute management and academics about research and teaching and ask any questions you may have.

You can find more information here!

Cyber Security

Do you use the Internet every day? Do you experience digitalisation first hand? In everyday life, but also in almost every job and company, everyone needs security when using a wide variety of apps and systems. A strong awareness of the dangers and knowledge in the field of information security are increasingly required in both private and working life. Girls' Day gives you the opportunity to find out more about information security.

Where does cyber security play a role in your everyday life and what should you bear in mind when dealing with your media? Get a first impression with us!

You can find more information here!

OTTO – Bring Your Robot Friend to Life

In this workshop, you will independently build a small robot that you will later bring to life. You will playfully teach your new friend how to walk or perform cool dance moves and learn about block programming in the process.

Are you already good at programming? No problem! Your new friend also understands C++ and can therefore easily cope with text-based programming.

Have we piqued your interest? Then sign up now!

You can find more information here!

Mixed Reality – Create Virtual Worlds Yourself

Get ready for an adventure in the world of "mixed reality" - a fascinating mixture of virtual world and reality where there are no limits to creativity! In our workshop, you will learn what mixed reality actually is and how virtual and augmented reality technologies can be used in the future.

After a bit of theory, it is your turn! In the practical part of our workshop, you will have the chance to create your own virtual 3D artwork using the latest technology. Forget everything you know about traditional painting on canvas, because here you can paint in three dimensions and move through your own artwork! Using mixed reality glasses and intuitive tools, you will learn how to create virtual 3D artworks. Here is an example of what that can look like.

However, that is not all - at the end of the workshop, we will bring your artworks together in a shared virtual world. This will give you an exciting first insight into how to develop mixed reality applications beyond the artworks themselves.

This workshop is perfect for all young artists and technology enthusiasts who want to discover the possibilities of creativity in mixed reality.

You can find more information here!

Professor for a day!

What do we research at the "Niederrhein Institute for Regional and Structural Research"? You may already know the term structure from chemistry or biology or from your German lessons. However, what does structure mean in the context of the economy and regions? Find out and step into the role of a professor!

Discover what a professor's day-to-day work involves - teaching and lecturing? Of course! Research and being curious - of course! But also a lot more. Explore the campus and the canteen with us; interview the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, experience a real lecture and conduct research with us.

Your research topic for the day: The Appeal of Cities.

Immerse yourself in the exciting world of regional and structural research and join us in an interactive workshop to develop ideas on what makes cities attractive from the perspective of young people (e.g. pupils and students). Get to know tools and possibilities for analysing and presenting these questions with the help of surveys, figures and illustrations.

We look forward to getting to know you and discussing your questions about the profession of "professor" with you and arousing your curiosity about the topic of urban and regional development.

You can find more information here!

Measurement technology for everyday life - a day in the hygiene technology laboratory
Are you interested in science? Then our laboratories are the right place for you. With our focus on hygiene and cleaning technology, we offer a unique technical specialisation in Germany. These combined topics from microbiology, chemistry, process engineering, measurement technology and textile technology are designed to find solutions to questions and problems relating to hygiene and cleaning. This includes areas in hospitals, service and manufacturing industry.

We would like to invite you to our laboratories on Girls' Day. We have prepared a few small experiments to give you an insight into our research. We will also be happy to answer any questions you may have about what our team does. We come from different specialisms and are therefore very interdisciplinary.

The experiments are divided into:
1. ultrasound levitation

2. skin type determination

3. determination of the nutritional value of foods

You can find more information here!

A day in the IoT lab: experience smart homes up close

Have you ever wondered how all the technology around us works? Do you know that your smartphone, your power socket and even your fridge can talk to each other? Imagine there's a special place where you can experience the secret world of data up close.

We look forward to welcoming you to our IoT lab on Girls' Day! Here are some of the exciting activities we have prepared for you:

We'll show you how a smart home works, which devices are part of it and how to create small automations. Together we will consider how intelligent technologies can influence our daily lives and contribute to sustainability. And then it gets really exciting: you can assemble sensors yourself and integrate them into our smart home.

We look forward to inspiring you on Girls' Day and getting you excited about the fascinating world of technology!

You can find more information here!

WING Racer: Discover your potential as an engineer and racing driver

Would you like to take a look behind the scenes of exciting technical projects and get creative yourself? Then we have just the thing for you!

You will have the chance to take part in our first semester project "WING Racer". You will not only bring a remote-controlled vehicle to life, but also actively help to design it. You will learn how to construct components and see how your ideas become reality when we print them out together in the 3D printer. Of course, there will also be plenty of fun: you will have the opportunity to test the vehicles yourself.

Are you ready to discover the world of industrial engineering and perhaps take the first step towards your future?

Then don't hesitate and join us!

We look forward to an exciting morning with you!

You can find more information here!

Create Your Own Sustainably Sourced Smart LED Mobile Phone Chain

Sustainability is one of the most important goals of the United Nations and, as education through sustainable development, reaches the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences as well as students. The aim of this workshop is to teach and practise sustainability. Used textiles and batteries from vapes are  processed with high-tech materials to create a smart mobile phone chain/mobile phone holder. There is a wide range of work to be carried out, including soldering, a little programming and the students' own textiles are processed into composite materials using an iron and thermoplastic materials.

Each LED mobile phone chain is unique. Various individually programmable LED effects round off the programme.

You can find more information here!

CGI - 3D Visualization and Animation

In this crash course, we practise the principles of three-dimensional, computer-aided visualisation and animation in the Keyshot program.

Course participants will have various virtual objects and products at their disposal, which we will stage to create photorealistic images and animations with different materials, cameras, light sources and environments.

You can find more information here!

You are what you eat. Is that really true?

How much muscle and how much fat do you have in your body?

Which is actually healthier: Italian salad or a curry?

How does it feel to suddenly be 40 years older?

Find out with us: Boys‘Day at the Department of Food and Nutrition Science.

You can find more information here!

Behind the Scenes ... Insights into Researching Social Phenomena at a Research Institute at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences

On Boys' Day, we would like to show you what the everyday life of a social science researcher at a research institute of the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences at the Mönchengladbach campus looks like. Our offer is aimed at anyone who is interested in investigating social or societal phenomena, e.g. who votes for the AfD and why, what does health actually mean or how many young people feel lonely?

We will introduce our institute Social.Concepts (SO.CON) and our diverse current research projects.

You will gain insights into everyday life at the institute and university. Together we will plan and carry out our own small research project. In particular, we will discuss how to assess the credibility and reliability of research results. During the event, you will also have the opportunity to talk to our institute management and researchers about research and ask any questions you may have.

You can find more information here!

FUNCTION, SUSTAINABILITY, FASHION - What a Sportswear Designer Needs to be Capable of

We start the day with an introduction to fashion, streetwear and sportswear. What is good design and is fashion good sportswear? What makes sportswear so interesting and why are companies focussing on research into sustainable fashion?

We introduce the Department of Textile and Clothing Technology at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and show that fashion requires a high level of technology and engineering knowledge.

In practical exercises, you will analyse your favourite clothing and sports equipment. What are the differences? What do you particularly like about them? Where is there potential for improvement?

You will then gain an insight into the diverse tasks of a designer and the importance of sustainable design to minimise the environmental impact of clothing.

And we do not neglect comfort: We will look at how 3D printing is used in sports and the benefits 3D printed elements bring to sportswear and equipment.

Finally, we would like to encourage you to develop your own ideas for improving sports textiles. We will look at and discuss your ideas together, as each idea could be the first step towards innovation in fashion, sustainability and sport.

You can find more information here!

From Athletes to the Elderly: Measuring Physical Performance over the Course of a Lifetime

Whether young or old, sufficient exercise is the key to a healthy life.

In our programme, we would like to show you how important exercise is for a healthy life and how to measure muscle strength and endurance capacity.

After a short theoretical introduction, we will carry out various measurements of strength and endurance.

Please bring indoor sports equipment so that you can try out as many measurements as possible yourself.

You can find more information here!

University library up close: rally through the library

As part of the nationwide Boys'Day, The Hochschule Niederrhein's university library is offering a taster day for two students in 8th grade and above.

Traditionally, there are still more women than men employed in libraries. We would like to change that! We would like to give you an insight into the activities of a specialist for media and information services (FaMI for short) as well as the varied everyday life in the library. You will learn how we procure books and other media and what has to happen to them until they are on the shelves for our readers.

Experience the library up close and discover our rooms and offers in a rally!

You can find more information here!