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twentyseven evonik employees currently teach at German universities committed to young Talent Engineers and chemists have only heard of the jampacked lecture halls that plague so many business management, law, or German studies students in Germany. But even if they have little trouble finding a laboratory internship or a topic for their final paper, so many realize in hindsight that they did not always have such a great advantage after all—as when they take their first steps in industrial research and find out that not every thing they do in the laboratory can be transferred to the industrial scale. indeed, compared to subjects requiring master’s and doctoral theses, industrial engineering moves within a complex interplay of innovation, profitability, sustainability, administrative regulations, and standards. “Graduates are experts in the subject area of their final paper, but they lack the ability to spot economically attractive processes,“ observed Prof. karlheinz Drauz. Drauz is familiar with both sides: of the 30 years he has worked for evonik, he has spent the last 22 years also teaching industrial chemistry at the University of würzburg, and as an honorary professor for 18 of those years. He is one of 27 evonik employ ees who lecture at German universities in addition to work ing for evonik. Dr. Manfred nagel, who works in evonik’s Process technology & engineering unit, also holds a teaching position. the 44yearold engineer has taught process technology at kit—the karlsruhe institute of technology— for three years, and still remembers his own days as a student: „i didn‘t have a sense of the practical relevance of my major back then either,“ he says. “Students today are unbelievably open to new ideas, flexible and determined, but they have a very fuzzy picture of what an engineer actually does every day.” Bring that picture into sharp focus is what evonik want to do. while Drauz, for example, teaches organic chemistry, he covers not only technical synthesis of active substances, biotechnology and vitamin production, but also chemical substance law, chemical marketing, and disposal. He has also hired business administration professors to give the students some insight into the business tools of an industrial chemist. “it takes money to do this, naturally, and evonik has generously shouldered the costs,” he says. “excursions to various evonik production sites round out the course.“ Process engineering at evonik, the traditional point of entry into the Group for engineers, also emphasizes a practical orientation. together with his colleague Prof. Herbert riemenschneider, nagel holds a series of lectures every year that ends with a daylong excursion for students to evonik‘s site in Hanau. the program includes tours of pilot plants, production plants, project hous es, and virtual chemical plants. Students also have the opportunity to talk to experienced engineers, and finally, discuss career possibilities with company representatives. “that goes down extremely well, because the students want to know what makes a company tick,“ says nagel. “An onsite visit lets them see not only how multifaceted engineering is as a career, but also that, in addition to technical expertise, social skills, and teamwork skills are also important.” Such commitment also conveys trust: over the years, Drauz assisted a great many students who needed advice—on postgraduate studies, study abroad, job applications, stipends, or opportunities for women in the industry. this is timeconsuming, but the dual burden from teaching at the university and working in the com pany was never a problem. “the company supported me in every way,” stresses Drauz. And it got a few things in return for that support. “over the years, you get to know which students are really good,“ says Drauz, who assisted a number of students over several semesters. “And, naturally, these are the ones you recruit for the com pany.” So several outstanding university graduates have found their way from würzburg to the company and made careers there. the subject means a lot to nagel as well. “evonik is one of the top employers for chemical and process engineers,” he explains. “we sustain this reputation by actively cultivating our network and establishing contacts with young talent.” the kit is an ideal institution for this. with some 8,000 employees, it is the largest research institute in Germany, and one of the largest worldwide. „it houses not only excellent researchers but excellent facilities. this is why it attracts so many gifted researchers from inside and outside Germany,“ says nagel. “And like any other company, we are look ing for the best.” Part of networking is making contact with university colleagues, and Drauz has been able to persuade a great many of the appeal of industrial chemistry: “Professors come to hear my lec tures too, because as an industrial chemist, i have the kind of experience they understandably lack. Some of them have even included the contents of my lectures in their examinations.” the atmosphere of the university, and contact with young chemists trying to find their way is something he does not want to miss. So even though he will retire as of August 31, he plans to continue teaching for the next few years. “i think it‘s important to know how today‘s young people think, and to interact with them,“ says Drauz, father of two grown sons, who are also students. „And i want to convey the fasci nation that natural sciences hold, even for industrial researchers,“ he adds. “it’s enriching—professionally, but also personally,“ says nagel. l Dr. Wolfgang Nagel teaches process engineering at KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) 24 elements32 evonik science newsletter
University FH Aachen University of Bochum FH Darmstadt tU Darmstadt tU Dortmund tU Dresden University of erlangennuremberg FH Frankfurt University of Hanover University of Hohenheim kit* karlsruhe University of kassel University of Magdeburg University of Munster FH Munster/ Steinfurt University of Siegen University of Stuttgart University of würzburg 1 2 theoretical chemistry 3 technical chemistry/process science 4 industrial property protection for engineers 5 6 7 industrial chemistry 8 9 10 11 12 Material and nanochemistry 13 industrial inorganic chemistry 14 15 Process engineering 16 Process engineering 17 Power engineering 18 19 Macromolecular chemistry 20 Patent information 21 chemical law, reAcH 22 Process technology/industrial crystallization 23 chemical/environmental engineering, plant engineering 24 industrial inorganic chemistry 25 26 * karlsruhe institute of technology Subject or teaching position 27 industrial organic chemistry elements32 evonik science newsletter Applied polymer sciences/ industrial aspects of polymer technology civil engineering/ building services engineering Plastics technology as part of the Master’s program in polymer sciences Plastics processing and special problems in plastics technology Plastics technology/ plastics and the environment Process technology/mechanical and pipeline engineering Process technology/process and plant design institute of Plant Production and Agroecology in the tropics and Subtropics; pesticides Process technology/micro process engineering industrial organic chemistry and industrial biotechnology Process engineering Prof. Karlheinz Drauz retires U n i v e r S i t i e S Prof. karlheinz Drauz, 60, will retire as of August 31, 2010. Drauz has held various positions in evonik‘s chemicals Business Area for the last thirty years, the most recent being vice president of international Scientific relations in the in novation Management chemicals & creavis unit. in this role, he evaluated the international university landscape for topics of interest to evonik, reinforced existing ties to technology centers, research institutes, and universities, and made contact with potential new partners. eastern europe and Asia have been a primary focus. During this time, he built a database that not only maps evonik‘s partnerships but also contains information on attractive potential partners. the database stores more than 5,000 university and company contacts, covering a broad spectrum of topics—from material sciences, through sustainable raw materials, to energy generation and storage. “i saw my task as paving the way for partnerships for the operative divisions,“ says Drauz. “the database, which is accessible to all evonik units, has now proven itself a key tool in the search for partners.“ Drauz also established a scientific advisory board for evonik in china, whose members include three of china’s most renowned scientists: Prof. Pingkai ouyand (president of nanjing University of technology), Prof. charles c. Han (director of the Joint lab of Polymer Science and Materials) and Prof. Sishen Xie (head of the national center for nanosciences and nanotechnology). Drauz, who earned his doctorate in chemistry at the tech nical University of Stuttgart, began his career at evonik in 1980 as laboratory director for r&D in amino acids at Hanauwolfgang. in 1994 he accepted a position as head of global r&D at Fine chemicals, where he was also responsible for active pharmaceutical ingredients and building blocks pro duction at the wolfgang site. He became head of the tech nology and research Management department in Fine chemicals in early 2002 before accepting the position of chief technology officer in the former exclusive Synthesis & catalysts Business Unit end of 2003. His scientific activities focused on the synthesis of amino acids, peptides and biologically active compounds, asymmetrical synthesis, metal catalysis, and biocatalysis, and process development. He has shared in 160 patents and patent applications, and has published articles in 95 scientific publications. Drauz has also been an honorary professor of organic chemistry at the University of würzburg since 1992. 25
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