“University for school students” project

Vocational training and the encouragement of young talent have always been an important part of Bayer’s corporate philosophy. Since 2005, the company has also been involved in the “University for school students” project, which enables highly gifted young people to begin a university degree course in chemistry while they are still attending high school.

The unique project was set up in 2000 with the aim of allowing high performing school students from grades 11 to 13 – and in exceptional cases younger – to attend lectures at the University of Cologne even before they have sat their school leaving examinations. Since then, numerous other universities throughout Germany have joined the project, the emphasis of which is on mathematics, physics, chemistry and information technology.

With a little bit of organization, the participating school students can easily attend the lectures and seminars. However, the laboratory practicals which are a compulsory part of the chemistry degree course initially posed two problems. For one thing, it is forbidden for people under the age of 18 to carry out experiments in university laboratories, and many of the school students are younger than that. Then there was the question of how to fit in the practicals around their school lessons so that they miss as little as possible. The best time is around the end of each school semester, when things are quieter.

Thanks to Bayer’s commitment, a solution has been found to both problems. Now up to eight of these schoolage students per year can complete their chemistry practical under professional guidance at Bayer’s training center in Leverkusen. In close cooperation with the university, the talented young chemists carry out a demanding program of experiments. First of all, they are given a solid grounding in basic laboratory practice, after which they are introduced to instrumental analysis. By the end of their three week stint, the young scientists know how to handle chemicals and technical equipment safely.

In this way, they gain valuable practical experience to back up the theory they learn at university. The success of this approach can be seen from the fact that these highly motivated school students frequently achieve some of the best results in exams. Reason enough for Bayer to continue its support for this pioneering project for encouraging young talent in the future. All school students interested in chemistry are invited with their parents and teachers to take part in the “University for school students” project.