Magdalena Kroll experiences a day as Vice-Dean for Studies and Teaching

The ChemCologne industry initiative's ‘My Position is Great’ (my position is excellent) competition took place for the eleventh time this year and offers young people aged 16 and over a unique opportunity to gain exciting insights into management positions in the chemical industry and science. Magdalena was one of 44 young people who were given the chance to ‘step into’ a management role for a day as part of the competition.

At the introductory meeting in Cologne, she was given an initial overview of the tasks ahead – and her expectations were high: ‘I am particularly looking forward to attending the lecture in English and learning more about the international study programmes on offer,’ she said before her day at the university. ‘It's exciting to see the difference between being here at the university and other educational institutions.’

The day began with a master's lecture in English, where Magdalena was able to experience the high standards of the programme: ‘The explanation was very good, the people were nice, and I learned a lot.’ She also gained insights into practical work: in the laboratory, she was allowed to watch a bachelor's student conducting an experiment. ‘It was very interesting and challenging, but also really cool to be actively involved,’ she said, summarising her impressions.

In addition to the technical content, Magdalena particularly appreciated the opportunity to meet the staff: "I really enjoyed talking to such a diverse group of colleagues. I think it's important for young people to get a realistic impression of the different types of higher education institutions, because at school you tend to hear more about universities.‘ Overall, she rated her day very positively: ’The lecture was exciting, the lab was great, the food was delicious – and I learned a lot about working on campus. It would have been nice to gain an even deeper insight into the role of the vice-dean, but I already took away a lot."

Prof. Dr. Dirk Burdinski was also enthusiastic: ‘Magdalena took on the challenge with great enthusiasm. Her ability to establish contact with staff, professors and students in an uncomplicated manner was particularly pleasing. She is an outstanding communicator.’ He was also struck by the many in-depth questions Magdalena asked about internal processes. ‘This not only showed how intensively she had engaged with the tasks of faculty management, but also highlighted areas where we could communicate processes more clearly or improve them.’

For the Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences at the Leverkusen campus, the ‘My Position is Great’ competition is an important opportunity: "It allows us to highlight the diverse career prospects in the natural sciences – especially in applied and pharmaceutical chemistry. Magdalena was also able to discover many cross-disciplinary connections to other subjects and development opportunities. I would be delighted if these insights encouraged young people to pursue a career in chemistry," says Prof. Dr. Dirk Burdinski.

Magdalena also draws a positive conclusion: ‘I would definitely recommend this day – especially to anyone interested in chemistry or higher education. The campus is great, and so are the people here. I can now well imagine studying at TH Köln, even though I would still like to get to know other universities.’

With “My position is excellent”, ChemCologne not only gives young talents exciting insights, but also motivates them to pursue a professional future in the strong and diverse chemical region of the Rhineland.