On Friday, March 27, 2026, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Garching opened its doors for this year’s Open Campus Day to present its wide range of study programs to interested high school students. Numerous visitors (especially prospective students and their parents) took the opportunity to learn in detail about degree programs, research, and career paths. The TUM School of Natural Sciences also presented a diverse and exciting program. 

At the center were the information booths for the degree programs in physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, food chemistry, biochemistry, as well as teacher education. Here, visitors could obtain first-hand information about content, requirements, and career prospects. Particularly encouraging: the booths were consistently very well attended, leading to many engaging conversations with potential future students.

A special highlight was the interactive booth on concrete and CO₂, hosted by Emeritus of Excellence Prof. Johann Plank and doctoral student Hicran Güngör. They vividly demonstrated how modern construction materials research can contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions. This was complemented by a booth from the Munich Quantum Valley, where Outreach Manager Maria Poxleitner provided fascinating insights into the world of quantum research.

The lecture program also attracted great interest:
Prof. Roland Fischer spoke about metal-organic frameworks and ultraporous materials in the context of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In the talk “Physics from Quantum to Cosmos,” Dr. Philipp Höffer von Loewenfeld and Dr. Johannes Wiedersich presented the physics program at TUM as well as the wide range of career opportunities in this field to a packed audience. Prof. Thomas Schlichthärle impressively illustrated how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing drug development—from protein folding to the design of new active compounds with a lecture and a laboratory tour with insights into the future of drug development.

There were numerous lab tours, offering exclusive insights into current research. Visitors were able to explore, among others, the physical chemistry labs of Prof. Marc-Georg Willinger, the analytical water chemistry labs of Prof. Martin Elsner, as well as the quantum computing labs of Dr. Klaus Liegener. Tours of central research facilities were also offered, including the Central Institute for Catalysis Research with Dr. Wilhelm Klein, the Bavarian NMR Center with Dr. Gerd Gemmecker, and the Center for Protein Assemblies under the direction of Dr. Eva Huber. The team of the TUM School of Natural Sciences looks back on an extremely successful day with many interested visitors at the booths and valuable conversations.

Special thanks go to the organization of the day by the ExploreTUM team, as well as to all contributors who helped make the event a success through tours, lectures, and their dedication. We would also like to expressly thank the MPIC student council, which actively supported the answering of the many questions from students at our information booths.

Would you also like to study at the TUM School of Natural Sciences? Contact us via the study counseling service at the TUM School of Natural Sciences.

Further information and links

• TUM Open Campus Day 2026
• Bachelor’s programs at the TUM School of Natural Sciences
• Information before starting your studies
• MPIC student council
• Munich Quantum Valley
• Bavarian NMR Center
• Catalysis Research Center
• Center for Protein Assemblies

Press contact 
communications@nat.tum.de 
Team website