Excellence in Schools

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

Before its first trip to India in autumn 2023, the new Container Lab of the UWA Cluster of Excellence was on the road in Hamburg. At Gymnasium Süderelbe, it was at the centre of an interactive programme introducing senior school students to manuscript research.

‘Excellence in Schools’ is a hands-on programme for upper-grade students that provides insights into the interdisciplinary diversity of methods and approaches in the study of written artefacts. By means of concrete research questions, it shows how different disciplines can work together and benefit from each other.

The programme takes place in small groups, each led by CSMC researchers. It includes theoretical input as well as practical experiments in the Cluster’s new Container Lab, which, equipped with high-resolution devices, can be used to research written artefacts all over the world. On site in Hamburg, the Container Lab is available to future scientists for a look into research. The lab thus not only serves current researchers but is also there to arouse the curiosity of the next generation. 

The first edition of ‘Excellence in Schools’ took place in June 2022 at Gymnasium Süderelbe. In the future, the two-day programme will also be offered to other schools in Hamburg and beyond. The programme is part of CSMC’s school programme ensemble ‘Federkiel und Röntgenstrahl’.

The project is funded by the DFG as part of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’ at Universität Hamburg.