Science Day: 17 Goals for the Future

Family Day

Date: May 31, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM - 01:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Speaker: Prof. Katharina Landfester / HSD Hochschule Düsseldorf
Location: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Room: Hermann Staudinger Lecture Hall and Polymer Path
Host: MPI-P / AK Landfester
Topic: Open day

We cordially invite you, your family and your friends to experience this year's Science Day theme, “17 Goals for the Future”, through a variety of activities. At the Children’s University, Prof. Katharina Landfester will present an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to ensure that future generations can enjoy peace, prosperity and a healthy environment. The rest of the program provides additional insights into the meaning of the SDGs.

This year, Family Day will host an awards ceremony: Design students have participated in a competition on the topic of bioplastics and will showcase their work in augmented reality. Using a smartphone, these projects can be experienced virtually in a real environment. It's interactive and immersive. Come and be surprised!

The Plastics Education Trail is open as usual: It demonstrates what polymers and plastics are, where they are found and how we should handle 'plastic' in the future. Discover just how vast the world of polymers is through the exhibits.

Guided tours offer even deeper insights, and during speed dating sessions, you can ask researchers about their work at the institute. There are also two hands-on activities inviting you to learn more about microplastics and waste sorting.

PROGRAM:
10.30-11.00
Children's University: "17 Goals for the Future" with Prof. Dr. Katharina Landfester
Staudinger Lecture Hall

11.00-11.45
Award Ceremony: Presentation by students from Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences
Staudinger Lecture Hall

Starting at 11.45
AR projects to try out yourself: Bioplastics and insights into research at the MPI-P in augmented reality
Foyer Staudinger Lecture Hall / courtyard

Guided tours
12.00-12.30
"It's important to be flexible in sports!"
Meeting point: "Rope Arch" station
13.00-13.30
"What ideas do researchers have for the future?"
Meeting point: "Bees" station

Speed Dating
12.00-13.00
1) "How can a car run on hydrogen?" with Dr. Johannes Hunger
"Research" station
2) "Why does sunscreen protect my skin?" with Dr. Uladzimir Barayeu
"Alternative Materials"

Hands-on activities
10.30-13.30
1) "What goes in each bin?"
"Waste sorter" station
2) "How long does plastic last in the ocean?"
"Microplastics" station

Free admission