Successful premiere of BUT Junior II. High school students discovered the world of materials

The first year of the BUT Junior II educational academy has successfully come to an end. The learning series entitled “Mission: Materials” was designed for high school students interested in modern technologies and offered them a unique opportunity to get a glimpse of the environment of Brno University of Technology. The new programme also followed the tradition of popularisation activities of Brno University of Technology aimed at fostering the interest of the younger generation in science, research and technical education.

BUT Junior II has completed its first run. | Author: Jakub Rozboud

BUT Junior II took place during the autumn semester and offered participants a diverse set of lessons focused on materials research and practical skills. Over the course of five Saturday sessions, high school students visited the Faculty of Chemistry, the Faculty of Civil Engineering, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Business and Management, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication.

The program included visits to five faculties of BUT. | Author: Václav Koníček

Young enthusiasts delved deeper into the world of science, gained new knowledge and, under the guidance of experienced experts, tried working in laboratories and workshops. Thanks to the diverse program, they discovered the properties and composition of various materials, while gaining practical experience working in materials research laboratories. They uncovered the possibilities for using materials in manufacturing and business, tried working with CNC machines, 3D printing and laser technologies, and became familiar with the topic of material sustainability and recycling. At each faculty they explored materials from a different perspective, which showed them that scientific work offers limitless possibilities.

Students gained practical experience working in materials engineering laboratories. | Author: Václav Koníček

The high school students especially appreciated the approach of the lecturers and the amount of hands-on activities they could try themselves. “I enjoyed the experiments at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the foundry workshop at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering the most,” said one of the participants. In addition to the interesting programme, they often praised the friendly atmosphere and the opportunity to make new contacts. “I met some great people there,” added one of the students.

Participants delved into the world of materials engineering. | Author: Václav Koníček

The BUT Junior programme, which offers students a unique opportunity to get a taste of the university environment and deepen their technical, scientific and artistic knowledge, has a long tradition at the university. Until last year, however, it focused only on pupils of primary schools and lower grades of multi-year grammar schools. “We wanted to expand the extracurricular academy also to older students, as many of them had already completed the BUT Junior I programme and wished to continue. The feedback has been great – the vast majority of participants would like to join the programme again and some of them would even like to meet more often. For high school students it is also a great opportunity to try technology in practice and perhaps make a more informed decision about the path they want to take after graduation,” commented Lenka Svobodová, coordinator of both educational programmes.