Lennart’s Gift – An Inspiration for the Future

Over the course of three autumn days, natural science students from ▶ Katedralskolan in Lund followed in the footsteps of civil engineer Lennart Persson. He himself attended the school in the 1960s - and a high school visit to ASEA became a turning point in his career choice. Before his passing in 2022, Lennart donated a generous gift to ensure that today's students would have the same chance to be inspired.

Technology, teamwork - and the big questions of tomorrow

The journey began in Lund and continued up Sweden's west coast, with stops at Uddared wind farm, Preem's refinery in Gothenburg - and Chalmers University of Technology. Their first day on campus kicked off with a visit to the ▶ Power Central, where researchers and industry partners collaborate on technologies for carbon capture and biomass conversion.

A close-up look at nanotechnology

Students also met with researchers, learned more about renewable energy, the energy systems of the future - and even got an introduction to bees, yeast strains and sustainability. Chalmers student ambassadors were on hand to guide the visitors and share their own stories about student life and what led them to pursue engineering. A particular highlight was the visit to ▶ Myfab, the cleanroom lab where advanced research in micro- and nanotechnology takes place.

"Welcoming high school students into the cleanroom is always special. Many of them have never even heard of micro- or nanotechnology before visiting," says Peter Modh, Director of Myfab at Chalmers.

"I personally decided to become an engineer during a high school visit to Chalmers - so I know what kind of impact a visit like this can have."

From solar car to formula racing

Students also got to meet ▶ Chalmers Solar Team, fresh off their return from the global competition in Australia, where their custom-built solar-powered car raced across the outback.
They visited ▶ FUSE, a student-run makerspace where creative ideas are transformed into real-world prototypes through hands-on tech, teamwork and innovation.
The studnets asked questions about everything from what really goes on in a cleanroom, to the kind of equipment Chalmers students use at FUSE - and even about yeast strains, food waste and how to make our future more sustainable.
One student even wonders if the experts behind the Chalmers research they have learned about through the media could become their future teachers.
The visit also included ▶ Chalmers Formula Student - an ambitious master's programme where students design, build and race a formula-style car from the drawing board to the track, all within one year.

"The future starts in the classroom - but it can truly take off when students get to meet the real world," says Martin Gustavsson, rektor at Katedralskolan.

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