The future begins in the classroom

How is Artificial Intelligence changing the world of work? How can we achieve sustainable mobility? And what skills does a society in transition need? On the second day of the workshop organised by Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) at the Pfaffenhofen Vocational School, pupils discussed the big questions of our time with researchers.

Bringing science into the classroom: Dr Anna-Lisa Klages, Theresia von Schkopp, Dr Gerhard Schönhofer, Robert Dannhäuser and Thomas Dorsch led the THI's second workshop day at Pfaffenhofen Vocational School (Photo: THI).

How can we get young people excited about issues for the future? Answers to this question were provided during the second day of the joint workshop organised by THI and Pfaffenhofen Vocational School. Through presentations and interactive workshops, researchers from THI presented current research in a practical way and invited the pupils to contribute their ideas, join in the discussion and try things out for themselves.

The topics ranged from sustainability and climate protection, through mobility and road safety, to Artificial Intelligence and futurology. Dr Stefan Schweiger explained why sustainable change often takes longer than expected. Dr Anna-Lisa Klages highlighted the interplay between social justice and ecological transformation. Theresia von Schkopp demonstrated how Artificial Intelligence is changing the world of work; Thomas Dorsch addressed current issues relating to mobility and road safety. Dr Gerhard Schönhofer used specific future scenarios to illustrate how visions of the future emerge – and why they can be actively shaped.

In addition, Schönhofer offered a workshop on ‘futures literacy ’ for trainee teachers. Participants learnt about methods for teaching future-oriented skills in a practical way in the classroom.

The programme was aimed at trainees from various disciplines, including aircraft electronics technicians, electronics technicians specialising in equipment and systems, and those specialising in energy and building services engineering, as well as childcare and agriculture classes.

The workshop day forms part of the THI’s project ‘Mensch in Bewegung’ (MiB). The aim is to introduce scientific findings into schools at an early stage, to explain processes of social transformation in an accessible way, and to inspire young people to take an interest in science, research and the challenges of tomorrow. Following the success of the second edition, THI and Pfaffenhofen Vocational School intend to further strengthen their collaboration.

Back