On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the first TUMKolleg graduation ceremony under the new secondary school system took place on the top floor of the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology in the building on Marsstraße in Munich. As of September 2017, the previous G8 system whereby high school students were prepared for their final exams in 8 years, was gradually phased out and replaced by the current G9 system, whereby students have 9 years to prepare for their finals. The last exams under the G8 system took place in the spring/summer of 2024, with the first batch of G9 students taking their final exams in the spring/summer of 2026.  

Following a year without high school graduations in Bavaria, and hence without TUMKolleg graduates, the various speakers at this year’s ceremony repeatedly reflected on the successful implementation of the G9 system, and notably the accomplished adaptation of TUMKolleg to the new system. Accompanied by the Fancy Cool Brass Band (Werner Heisenberg Gymnasium) and moderated by Prof. Jenna Koenen (Professorship of Chemistry Education, TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology), the ceremony honored the graduates from both participating high schools: the Otto von Taube Gymnasium in Gauting (OvTG) and the Werner Heisenberg Gymnasium (WHG) in Garching bei München. At the event, Koenen compared the various stages of the TUMKolleg program the graduates went through to the World Cup football currently taking place, resulting in “high school graduates who know what it takes to perform scientific research and to meet new challenges”.  

Prof. Jeanne Rubner, TUM Vice-President Global Communication and Public Engagement continued, stressing TUM’s engagement in supporting young talents and community involvement. She was very pleased to report that 80% of TUMKolleg graduates end up studying MINT subjects.  

Christian Sailer, representing the Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, praised the achievements of the TUMKolleg graduates, highlighting their engagement, competence, and talent, wishing them happiness and success for the future. Finally, both school directors (Armin Eifertinger of WHG and Alexander Schröder of OvTG) followed with their commendations for the students, expressing pride in their achievements. 

Under the title ‘We were in TUMKolleg’, students Alexandros Jusko (WHG) and Johann Probst (OvTG) then gave brief presentations about their research projects at TUM. Niklas Lison (OvTG) followed giving a brief presentation about his internship abroad, an obligatory part of the TUMKolleg program, which he conducted at the ALOMAR Observatory on Andøya island (Norway). 

Before continuing to the awards, Dr. Fabian Stöcker from the Chair of Human Movement Science and TUMKolleg supervisor, received an award for outstanding contributions to TUMKolleg out of the hands of Markus Stöckle (OvTG) for his energy, inspiring approach, and ongoing support. Elias Stadlbauer and Gero Schulze-Zumkleyn, both TUMKolleg alumni concluded the official part by welcoming the 2024-2026 graduates to the TUMKolleg Alumni network. 

The TUMKolleg graduates from both schools, some accompanied by their TUM supervisors, were then individually recognized for their work and received the official TUMKolleg certificates. As recognition for their time and commitment, the TUM supervisors present at the event received a silver TUM honorary pin. Following the ceremony, group pictures were taken, and the graduates, their friends, and families were invited to join for drinks and a buffet in the adjoining room. 

TUMKolleg at TUM School of Natural Sciences 

TUMKolleg 2024-2026 encompassed 19 students in total, four of whom opted to do their research projects at the TUM School of Natural Sciences (NAT). The nature of their experiments made it difficult to advance while coming to NAT only on Wednesdays (standard set-up of TUMKolleg), so much of the research was done during the school holidays. Below is more information about the different projects (student names in alphabetical order). 

Viola Ballmann 

Viola did her research in the group of Prof. Thomas Brück (Synthetic Biotechnology), under the supervision of Dr. Dania Awad. The main aim of her project was to study natural organisms for their ability to generate more sustainable, self-healing cement. Viola studied several bacterial strains as well as coralline red algae for their ability to produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) within a cement structure, thus giving them the ability to fill cracks from within the cement (self-heal) and extend their lifespan. 

Magnus Güldenpfennig 

Magnus did his research in the group of Prof. Stephan Sieber (Bioorganic Chemistry), under the supervision of Dr. Nina Bach. Magnus’s research focused on the synthesis of LPC-233, a new type of antibiotic aimed at inhibiting LpxC, thus blocking outer membrane synthesis of gram-negative bacteria and overcoming current antibiotic resistance. Magnus presented his work at the youth science and technology competition Jugend Forscht, where he received a second prize in Chemistry (region Munich-West). 

Leo Harthun 

Leo did his research in the lab of Prof. Hubert Gasteiger (Technical Electrochemistry) under the supervision of PhD students Michael Geserer, Jonas Dickmanns, and Per Finne. Leo worked on the construction of new batteries based on silicon composite. This material combines the capacity of silicon with the extended lifespan of graphite. Leo tested the suitability of different binders, or glue, to hold together the different components of the electrodes. 

Victoria Kolmsee 

Victoria did her research in the group of Prof. Roland A. Fischer (Organic and Metalorganic Chemistry) under the supervision of Dr. Romy Ettlinger. Victoria worked on the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from contaminated water. To this end, she worked on the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (commonly known as MOFs) and their incorporation into sodium-alginate based composite beads and 3D printed membranes. Though more research is required, her work shows the potential of MOFS as advanced sorbents for PFAS removal. Like Magnus, Victoria presented her research at the youth science and technology competition Jugend Forscht (region Munich West), where she equally received a second prize in Chemistry, as well as a special Award in Environmental Technology. 

Congratulations to all TUMKolleg graduates and many thanks to the supervisors for their time and dedication! 

TUMKolleg 2025-2027 has already started with 2 students performing their research at NAT.  

More information and links 

• TUMKolleg (in German): https://tumkolleg.de/absolventenfeier-des-tumkollegs-2024-2026/
• “TUMKolleg: a unique TUM outreach program” https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/chemistry/article/tumkolleg-a-unique-tum-outreach-program/  

Participating schools 

• Otto-von-Taube Gymnasium Gauting www.ovtg.de
• Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium Garching www.whg-garching.de 

Research groups 

• Prof. Thomas Brück https://www.ch.nat.tum.de/en/wssb/home/
• Prof. Stephan Sieber https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/oc2/home/
• Prof. Hubert Gasteiger https://www.ch.nat.tum.de/tec/home/
• Prof. Roland Fischer https://www.ch.nat.tum.de/amc/home/
• Dr. Romy Ettlinger https://www.ettlab.eu/ 

Press contact 
communications@nat.tum.de
Team website