This month, 22 young people started their Voluntary Scientific Year at the university. The volunteers are deployed on both campuses of the university as well as in the university clinics. A wide range of activities awaits them.

They are between 17 and 26 years old, hungry for science and want to get involved: 22 people started their Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) at the University of Oldenburg this month. They come from the region, other Federal States and the world: from Aurich via Ehrenkirchen im Breisgau, Wuppertal and Aachen to Portland (USA) and Kolkata (India).

Marina Bartels from Division 3: Student and Academic Affairs is the contact person for the volunteers. She coordinates the programme and advises the volunteers: "It's completely normal to be a little nervous at the beginning. Always remain curious and open - you don't have to understand everything at the beginning, but you can always ask questions." Be courageous, look left and right, talk to other volunteers and, of course, the people at the university: Those who take these tips to heart will take a lot from their FWJ at the university for their future academic appointments and life.

"I want to gain insights into scientific work and find out whether I might want to work at a university or a research centre later on," says Enno Gronewold, who is completing his FWJ at the Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics. Katrin Nagel, who works in the Ultrafast Nano-Optics working group at the Institute of Physics, also sees the voluntary service as an important part of her career orientation: "I didn't want to go straight to university after school, but wanted to do something different first. I also hope that the FWJ will give me clarity about what I want to study."

The FWJ is a federal voluntary service programme. The participants work full-time in the various working groups and support the respective academic work there. They also reflect on their experiences of the FWJ in accompanying seminars, which last a total of 25 days. The seminar topics include "Communication & Presentation", "Time and Self-Management" and "Intercultural Training", as well as days on study and career orientation. The volunteers also complete language courses and take part in a multi-day seminar on political education in Ritterhude and, for the first time, a three-day seminar on topics such as group dynamics and teamwork at the Lidice Haus in Bremen. Another special feature is the half-time seminar organised jointly with the GIZ - Start-up and Information Centre, in which they reflect on their experiences so far in the FWJ with the help of "LEGO Serious Play" - a moderated creative method in which LEGO bricks are used. "It is important to us that the volunteers take as much as possible from their FWJ for their future academic appointments and life," says Bartels. "That's why we do a lot to ensure that they feel valued by us and experience a varied and instructive time."