From July 28th – 30th 2016 the European Student Chapter from the Technical University of Munich (Germany) and Modena University (Italy) met each other for a pioneering weekend in Modena. We received a warm welcome from our Italian friends the evening we arrived in the charming university town. The next day, we met each other at the department of life sciences to for a symposium. Katrin Matheis and Mario Flaig from TU Munich gave us presentations on research results from their theses acquired in the field of flavor chemistry. Extensive discussions after the presentations gave students the possibility to get deeper insight into the molecular sensory science attracting their curiosity. In a short coffee break the students were able to get in touch with each other. Besides our hosts from Italy three girls from the USA, who were sent to Europe as part of the IREU program, attended the meeting and got involved to exchange opportunities of study-related travel options during studies. Virginia Brighenti and Roberta Tardugno gave us presentations on their results of method developments for the analysis of non-psychoactive cannabinoids and investigation of essential oils in Cedrelopsis. We then made a tour through the department where we got to see the laboratories and analytical instruments where we could exchange scientific knowledge in detail. During lunch with delicious typical Mediterranean food students discussed about how studies work at their universities and how global exchange is provided by the ACS.
As a highlight of the meeting we visited the eldest traditional balsamic vinegar manufacture where we could taste different stages of barrel ripened vinegar, one of them with over 100 years of storage. In the evening, we met altogether at Virginia’s house to have a typical Italian dinner with lots of different kinds of foods and sparkling red wine from the area. We discussed a lot about our studies, ACS programs and of course about our cultures.
This event was essential for fostering of communication and relation in the newly growing network of international student chapters of the ACS in Europe. This highlight in our chapter's activities shall encourage students in Munich and Modena to become members of our international student chapters that are interested in global networking, exchange of research and collaboration in social events. Furthermore, plans of future cooperation opportunities between both chapters emerged and were discussed.
We want to say thank you to the American Chemical Society who gave us the opportunity to develop our young European student chapters and initiate further foundations of chapters in European countries!
ACS TU Munich Student Chapter
