On April 3, 2025, 27 female and 11 male students took the opportunity to get to know OTH Regensburg as part of Girls' Day and Boys' Day - and discover completely new professional worlds in the process. Every year, the two days of action offer young people the opportunity to look beyond traditional role models: Girls are inspired to take up technical and scientific subjects, while boys learn about social and health-related professions. The aim is to arouse interest, break down inhibitions - and open up perspectives that might otherwise have remained undiscovered.
Experience technology - Girls' Day at OTH Regensburg
A varied program in two groups awaited the schoolgirls. They were welcomed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Scheuerer, Women's Representative at OTH Regensburg, and Andrea Stelzl, Head of the Student Lifecycle Center and the Young University. Medical technology student Melanie Gresser also gave personal insights into her studies.
The participants were able to get directly involved in exciting workshops: In the “Micro:Bit Coding Quest” led by Prof. Dr. Johannes Schildgen, they programmed digital applications in a playful way, while in the chemistry lab they made their own cosmetic products under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Corinna Kaulen.
After the lunch break, one group of the girls learned about mechanical engineering research at OTH Regensburg - from activated carbons for reducing nitrogen emissions to materials for hydrogen storage. The other group worked with clay in the GeoLab and were given an insight into clay construction and geotechnics by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Neidhart and doctoral student Katharina Pfahler. The tour concluded with a tour of the campus with students from technical degree programs.
Discovering social professions - Boys' Day at the Faculty of Social and Health Sciences
The eleven boys also went through a practical program, spread over two locations. At the Seybothstraße campus, the focus was on social work. After an exchange with students and attending a lecture on psychological principles, the participants were given a lively impression of the Music and Movement-oriented Social Work course, which is unique in Germany - including a tour of the band and specialist rooms.
At the Prüfeningerstraße location, the focus was on health sciences. In the skills labs, the boys were able to draw blood from a simulation mannequin, test an old-age suit and explore the human body on the anatomy display. In a lecture on midwifery and a simulated pregnancy examination - carried out by the only male student on the course at the moment - it became clear how diverse and accessible even supposedly “female-dominated” professions can be. The day ended with a resuscitation in the VR lab, which was experienced realistically and playfully at the same time - “a cool feeling”, according to one participant's feedback.
Thinking new ways
Both events offered the young people practical, vivid and encouraging insights into rather atypical professional fields. They show that Career guidance works best when it is conveyed without clichés, true to life and with enthusiasm - as was the case on this day at OTH Regensburg.
