Girls' and Boys' Day 2026: Cliché-free study orientation at the HSWT
On 23 April, HSWT once again took part in the nationwide Girls' and Boys' Day and opened its doors to a total of 53 pupils at the Weihenstephan and Triesdorf campuses.
The event was attended by 40 girls and 13 boys, who were given exciting and practical insights into a wide range of study programmes and careers. The event was opened by Prof Dr Jennifer Gerend, Commissioner for Equal Opportunities for Women in Science and the Arts at the University of Applied Sciences. In her welcoming address, she presented the wide range of degree programmes and placed Girls' and Boys' Day in the wider context of equal opportunities and stereotype-free study and career choices. Funda Nehmeier, Office of the Women's Representative, was responsible for coordinating the day.
Girls' Day between water, sun and food
The project „Water - more than just H₂O! Analyse your own water sample“, which was supervised by Annette Stallauer. Here, schoolgirls had the opportunity to analyse the water samples they had brought along themselves.
Enthusiasm for technology took centre stage in the workshop run by Katja Krauter and Wolfgang Ernst. Under the title „Introduction to photovoltaics and construction of a small solar system (12 V DC)“, the pupils were first given a clear explanation of how solar cells work. A particular highlight was the construction of a small solar system - the moment when a smartphone was charged with self-generated energy for the first time was met with great enthusiasm. Some of the pupils were particularly pleased when they said: „Mrs Krauter, can we please take a few more pictures of your slides? Now we've finally understood what the teacher was trying to explain to us.“
The participants were given a practical insight into the world of Food Technology together with Prof Dr Özlem Özmutlu Karslioglu and Silvia Gansneder from the Weihenstephan Green Office team. They learnt how to process aqua-faba, which is used as an egg substitute, and used it to make mayonnaise and meringue. They were also shown how 3D printing is used to create chocolate objects, how flavour can be influenced by salt, lemon and sugar and how freeze-drying works.
Under the title „Bridges for Sustainability“, the Green Office Triesdorf, supported by HSWT student Amelie Bringemeier, presented a cross-section of Environmental Engineering and Regional Management. The participants used equipment from an experiment kit to measure solar radiation and calculate how long it would take to charge their own mobile phones with a PV module.
Boys' Day in the magic kitchen
The day also offered a special highlight for the boys: in the laboratory for catering technology, also known as the „magic kitchen“, a joint cooking project was carried out with a total of 13 pupils, the aim of which was to prepare a complete meal for around 50 people. In addition to practical cookery skills, the focus was also on important basics such as hygiene regulations and correct cutting techniques. The project was accompanied and supervised by Michael Maier and HSWT student Simon Schmid.
Positive summary
The feedback from the students was consistently positive. They particularly appreciated the practical insights and the open dialogue with staff and students at the University of applied sciences. Many participants reported that they can now imagine study programmes or professions that they had not previously considered.
With Girls' and Boys' Day 2026, the University of Applied Sciences is once again sending out a clear signal in favour of diversity, sustainability and stereotype-free educational and career guidance - and impressively demonstrating how inspiring and effective early, practice-oriented insights can be.
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In her opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Jennifer Gerend, Commissioner for Equal Opportunities for Women in Science and the Arts at the University of Applied Sciences, emphasized how important it is to encourage young people early on to base their decisions on their personal interests and individual strengths—regardless of traditional gender roles. © Beatrix Getze -
In Annette Stallauer's project, the participants used titration to determine the water hardness of their water samples, while ion chromatography provided information about the nitrate content of the water. This made it clear how exciting and relevant scientific analyses can be in everyday life. © Beatrix Getze -
In the workshop by Katja Krauter and her colleague Wolfgang Ernst, the students first received a comprehensible theoretical introduction to the functioning of solar cells. Afterwards, they were able to carry out measurements themselves with multimeters and experience how electricity is generated from sunlight. © Beatrix Getze -
The participants gained a practical insight into the world of food technology together with Prof. Dr. Özlem Özmutlu Karslioglu and Silvia Gansneder from the Green Office Weihenstephan team. © Green Office -
Equipped only with paper, glue and scissors, the girls demonstrated their creativity, engineering thinking and teamwork in the „Bridges for Sustainability“ project when the self-built bridge could even carry a mobile phone. © Beatrix Getze -
With a lot of teamwork, pizza muffins were created as a main course and chocolate ice cream as a dessert in the „magic kitchen“ at Boys' Day. In the end, all participants could be proud of what they had achieved together. © Beatrix Getze
