Twenty students from grades 11 to 13 from various nationwide MINT-EC schools with a scientific profile and a particular interest in science were released from school lessons for this purpose and thus had the opportunity to gain an insight into the goals and methods of modern plant breeding and sustainable agriculture. MINT-EC schools throughout Germany are certified for embedding the promotion of scientific excellence in their school profile.
As a research-intensive company, KWS supports the XLAB's approach of imparting knowledge to young people in a lively way during school excursions and MINT-EC student camps and introducing them to the natural sciences. Since an on-site tour of the Einbeck site was not possible this fiscal year due to the pandemic situation, KWS supplemented the perspective of university research and the history and future of plant breeding in the form of online presentations. In addition, training and career opportunities at the company and insights into current and practical applications of the methods learnt at the camp and their use in commercial research and development were presented. "The presentation made me realise how closely science and agriculture need to work together," concluded one student.
Prof. Dr Thomas Waitz, Scientific Director of the XLAB:
"We want to give young people a perspective on how they can use their knowledge and act locally to jointly master global challenges such as food security. Science and business must work closely together, otherwise we are not convincing. The cooperation between KWS and the XLAB at the Science Camps is an excellent example of this: the participating pupils in their career and study search phase are very attentive and grateful for the insight into the basics that we give them and the applied research in the company."
About the XLAB
The XLAB - Göttingen Experimental Laboratory for Young People - is a central facility of the University of Göttingen and one of the largest school laboratories in Germany. Under the motto "School meets research", it builds a bridge between school and university in four departments and with experiments on over 100 topics.
About MINT-EC
MINT-EC is the national excellence network of schools with upper secondary level and an outstanding maths, science and technology school profile. The aim of the network is to support the lighthouse schools in their development into STEM talent factories with high-calibre programmes for pupils, teachers and school administrators.