Huge turnout for the Boys' and Girls' Day

27 April 2026

Photo: UHH/CUI

Among other things, the boys got a tour of the laser laboratory at the Center for Optical Quantum Physics.

During the nationwide Boys' and Girls' Day in April, numerous students from Hamburg and the surrounding area visited the Science City Campus Bahrenfeld to learn exciting things about science. Through experiments and presentations, they were able to gain their first experiences as scientists.

 In the cluster’s “Light & Schools” physics lab, the 15 girls met doctoral student Jette Heyer and were able to ask questions about current research topics and personal career paths. Afterward, they dove deep into the world of programming. Using minicomputers, they developed their own small projects and learned the basics of programming in a playful way. Interactive formats like a science escape game made current research tangible and sparked enthusiasm. At the same time, Boys’ Day was held under the motto “Art Helps.” The 8 participants from grades 6 through 10 gained exciting insights, thanks to the cluster’s public outreach, into how complex scientific content can be conveyed in an understandable way through visual and artistic approaches. Also participating for the first time was a very interested student from the Hirtenweg Inclusion School in Hamburg. “’City of Light’ or ‘Light Traffic Jam’ could be the title of our picture’,” said one of the students, who, along with his group, interpreted one of the images from the cluster’s “Arts & Science” exhibition. The students received the scientific explanation from the physics student who accompanied the group, providing insights from a scientific perspective. After a campus tour of the Petra III synchrotron X-ray source and a visit to the laser laboratory, they had the opportunity to get hands-on and experiment with photography and optics in the school lab.

A Wide Range of Activities

The cluster’s “Molecules & Schools” chemistry lab was also in high demand: Here, the 6 participants independently conducted experiments in the field of nanoscience, while the 7 boys explored biochemistry and food chemistry at the same time. More than 390 female students signed up for the parallel hands-on activity “Physics and Chemistry of Cooking” led by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Parak’s research group in the Nanosciences—supported by the Clusters of Excellence CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter and Quantum Universe—and explored scientific principles through everyday cooking processes. Events like Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day are far more than just one-off activities. They open up new perspectives for young people, break down barriers, and foster talent regardless of traditional gender roles. For the University they are a valuable opportunity to spark an interest in science at an early age.

More information about the Girls‘ und Boys‘ Day at Universität Hamburg.