On Tuesday, 12 May 2026, the Collaborative Research Centre TRR 358, the Institute of Mathematics and the Institute for Photonic Quantum Systems at Paderborn University invited interested schoolgirls to the new PhoQS Lab. The event was aimed at schoolgirls in grades 9 to 12 who wanted to find out more about Mathematics, Physics and their application in current research. A total of 12 schoolgirls from a large catchment area took part - from Paderborn to Erwitte and Bad Arolsen. The afternoon centred around interactive hands-on stations where the participants could try out and discover Mathematics and physics topics for themselves.
At the Mathematics station, the students were able to play a parquetry game with the aperiodic Einstein tiles, perform mathematical magic tricks with the 27 playing cards and try a different kind of origami. It became clear how creative mathematical thinking can be and how much Mathematics there is in seemingly playful tasks. Another station was organised by PhoQS. It dealt with the question of how other sciences use Mathematics, for example in the analysis of squeezed light or in the optimisation of optical chips.
The programme was complemented by contributions from two female scientists from Paderborn University. Junior Professor Dr Janina Letz and Professor Dr Sina Ober-Blöbaum gave insights into their research and talked about what excites them personally about Mathematics and how their scientific careers have progressed. This not only gave the participants an impression of current mathematical issues, but also of possible study and career paths in the field of mathematics and science.
There was also plenty of opportunity for dialogue: over coffee, tea and cake, the students were able to talk to the scientists and other researchers, ask questions and find out more about everyday study and research life. The open atmosphere provided space for personal impressions, discussions about career prospects and encouragement to pursue their own interests in the STEM field. At the end, all participants received a certificate in recognition of their participation in Paderborn Maths Explorer Day 2026.
The date of the event was deliberately chosen: 12 May was the birthday of Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to be awarded the Fields Medal, the highest award in Mathematics, comparable to a Nobel Prize. Maths Discoverers' Day thus also set an example for the visibility of women in Mathematics and made it clear how diverse, creative and forward-looking this subject is. The first edition was very well received and we hope that many curious schoolgirls will also take part in the second edition on 12 May 2027. Further information can be found on the website: https://go.uni-paderborn.de/padmeet.
