Communitas Prize for Heidi Bögershausen and Herbert Faul
Honouring outstanding commitment to apprenticeship at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials
On February 27, 2025, Professor Patrick Cramer, President of the Max Planck Society (MPG), awarded the Communitas Prize to Heidi Bögershausen and Herbert Faul for their long-standing commitment to STEM education. Both lead the apprenticeship program for materials testing at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Düsseldorf. They share the award with Jan Weichelt, who is HR development officer and responsible for the apprenticeship at the MPG. The award ceremony took place during the MPG Scientific Council meeting in Berlin.
Bögershausen and Faul have mentored a total of 60 apprentices and more than 200 interns in the field of materials testing. Their trainees have consistently excelled - ten have been recognized as top performers by the Düsseldorf Chamber of Industry and Commerce, five have achieved state-level distinctions, and in 2024, Jana Kuschke was named the top apprentice in Germany in her professional field. Many have also received the Max Planck Apprenticeship Award.
"We believe it’s crucial for our apprentices to engage directly with the institute’s scientists, giving them firsthand insights into research. As a result, many have pursued university degrees in materials science or engineering after completing their training," explains Bögershausen. Faul adds, "Thanks to our strong industry connections, we’ve helped many transition directly into companies after their training or continue working with us as technicians being responsible for our labs and microscopy facilities."
Receiving the Communitas Prize is both an honour and a motivation, says Bögershausen: "It encourages us to keep passing on our knowledge and fostering enthusiasm for a profession that we still love after all these years." Faul agrees, adding, "Beyond that, working with young people is simply a joy."
Their dedication goes far beyond standard training responsibilities. In 2021, their apprentices won first place in the Innovation Semester of the Wissensregion Düsseldorf, collaborating with university students to develop a toolkit that tests material properties using simple household items. Additionally, both Bögershausen and Faul serve on the examination boards of the Ruhr Chamber of Industry and Commerce and were awarded the Golden Honorary Pin in 2023 for over 20 years of service as examiners.
The Communitas Prize and training at MPI-SusMat
Since 2014, the President of the Max Planck Society has awarded the Communitas Prize to honour exceptional contributions to the MPG community, recognizing both scientific and non-scientific staff.
In addition to its materials testing apprenticeship program, MPI-SusMat offers training in office management, chemical laboratory work, IT systems integration, industrial mechanics, and mathematical-technical software development. The institute also provides a dual study program in business administration and economics in cooperation with IU University.
