|
40 Years of Polymer Engineering and Sience |
|
The University of Leoben celebrated “40 years of Polymer Engineering and Science” with a diverse and well-attended event programme on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. Since its start in the winter semester of 1969/70, 640 students have graduated in this field. For the future, Leoben pursues the ambitious goal of developing the Polymer Engineering programme into a “European Centre of Excellence”
Numerous representatives from politics, economy and science congratulated the Polymer Sciene and Engineering section of the University of Leoben on the anniversary. Delivered by Ministerialrätin Dr. Evelyn Nowotny, Federal Minister Dr. Beatrix Karl emphasized the support of the ministry for the development plans in her greeting message.
“This 'school of innovation', as the University of Leoben could be called, has always been – besides teaching and research - a sensorium for the phenomena and requirements of the modern world.”
As further guest speakers, Rector Wolfgang Wegscheider welcomed Deputy Provincial Governor, Siegfried Schrittwieser, and Heinz Gach, member of the Styrian government, as well as the Councillor of Finance of the City of Leoben, Harald Tischhardt. Senator Ernst Pöckensteiner as well as the former rectors, Günter B. Fettweis and Albert F. Oberhofer, gave insights into the beginnings of the study programme Polymer Engineering. This was followed by an outlook on the future developments by today’s university professors Clemens Holzer and Wolfgang Kern. The lecturers by renowned experts in the afternoon and the gala dinner in the Congress Leoben rounded off the programme of the day. The festivities are followed by the “10th Austrian Polymer Meeting and 2nd Joint Austrian-Slovenian Polymer Meeting 2010”, which is taking place in Leoben until September 10th.
Visionary decision for a new training programme
In the second half of the 20th century, plastics gained an important position in the world of materials, and today many experts even refer to them as “the materials of the 21st century“. At the beginning of this development, the first plastics manufacturers and professionals were solely "autodidacts", as neither schools nor the possibility of an apprenticeship existed.
After an extensive market analysis and consultation by high-ranking experts more than four decades ago, the University of Leoben early recognised the potential of these then still very young materials. Eventually, the holistic and academic study of Polymer Engineering and Science was created in 1969/70 in Leoben. Following the internationally recognised "four-column concept", the training ranges from the chemistry of polymeric materials to materials physics, the testing and creating of polymeric materials on to the processing and the practical application of polymeric components as well as their economic and eco-friendly recycling, and thus integrates most significant disciplines along the entire value-added chain.
Over the past few years, a major aim of the University of Leoben has been to develop the field of polymer science according to the international standards, and to create a modern infrastructure as a base for future developments. This vision has so far been implemented by the creation of two new chairs – „Injection Moulding of Plastics“ (Univ. Prof. Dr. Walter Friesenbichler since July 1st, 2010) and „Processing of Composite Materials“ (Univ. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ralf Schledjewski starting October 1st, 2010) – in addition to substantial investments in machines and devices as well as the opening of the new „Centre of Polymer Engineering Leoben”. Since April 2010, all institutes in the field of polymeric engineering have been moved to the new centre and brought together in a single building of 6,600 m². For organisational reasons, these institutes will later be reorganised into a single department.
Contact:
Polymer Engineering and Science, University of Leoben
Otto Glöckel-Straße 2, A-8700 Leoben
Tel: +43 3842 402-3501
http://www.kunststofftechnik.at
• Chair of Injection Moulding of Plastics: Univ.Prof. Dr. Walter Friesenbichler
• Institute for Plastics Processing: Univ.Prof. Dr. Clemens Holzer
• Institute for Chemistry of Polymeric Materials: Univ.Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kern
• Institute for Materials Science and Testing of Plastics: Ao.Univ.Prof. Dr. Gerald Pinter
• Chair of Processing of Composite Materials: Univ.Prof. Dr. Ralf Schledjewski (from October 2010)
• Institut for Designing Plastics and Composite Materials: O.Univ.Prof. Dr. Rudolf Wörndle
Weitere Informationen:
Further Information.
Erhard Skupa
Tel.: +43 3842 402 7220
Mobile: +43 660 14 323 14
(from left to right) Honorary senator Dr. Ernst Pöcksteiner, Univ.Prof. Günter B. Fettweis, DI Heinz Gach, member of the Styrian parliament,Ministerialrätin Evelyn Nowotny, Univ.Prof. Clemens Holzer, Rector Wolfhard Wegscheider, Univ.Prof. Wolfgang Kern, Univ.Prof. Albert F. Oberhofer and Harald Tischhardt, Councillor of Finance of the City of Leoben.
|
News