Experiencing technology – With SynTrac, students experience research in the SE²A Research Club
As part of the research club of the SE²A – Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation Cluster of Excellence at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Juliette Thoma and Mingli Zhu – both researchers at SynTrac – hosted an exciting event specifically for students interested in technology, titled „The world of Acoustics“. In the familiar setting of the research club, which takes place regularly every two weeks on an afternoon, they offered an inspiring mix of theory and practice.
The research club offers school students the opportunity to gain regular insights into the world of technology and science. Events take place at the research airport, the DLR_School_Lab, and various institutes at the Technical University of Braunschweig, among other locations. The club is recognized as an extracurricular activity and can also be used for research projects, for example, with individual supervision.
The participants, all students from Braunschweig and the surrounding region, learn in a fixed group together with engineering students who act as mentors. In this special session, Juliette and Mingli not only provided a technical introduction, but also offered exciting insights into their professional practice at SynTrac.
In the theoretical part of the event, the participants were introduced to acoustics. Basic concepts of sound propagation and perception were explained in an understandable way and the questions were answered.
To make the impressions of the day last, the participants had the opportunity to try things out for themselves: Juliette and Mingli had brought along illustrative examples, and the participants had the opportunity to carry out small experiments, e.g., Chladni sound figures could be made visible on a plate dusted with sand. The focus was not only on imparting knowledge, but also on the fun of discovering things together.
The event demonstrated how promoting young talent in STEM fields can be done in a practical and accessible way—and how important female role models are in technical professions.
Photos: SE2A Forschungsclub
