Social Engagement

What are gummy bears made of? How can waste be removed from bodies of water and metal be recovered from old computers? Every year, school students take on these and many other questions during the German “Jugend forscht” competition. In Münster, within the framework of the national competition for young researchers, we have supported the regional competition as a main sponsor since 2002 and create a win-win situation. Young talents from the areas of science, technology, information and mathematics have the opportunity to realize their ideas and we also have the opportunity to establish contact with the bright minds of tomorrow, who come up with creative solutions with their curiosity for science and thirst for knowledge.

Attending university often means having to live on a tight budget. In addition to financial support for outstanding students, the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship that we support offers much more. It allows future graduates to establish initial contact to potential employers during their studies. This professional network can greatly facilitate their career start after they graduate.

What will I do after I finish school? Every year, a number of school students ask themselves this question. With our event "Schule – und dann?" we support young people in their search for the right educational path. At the event, which we hold once a year, young people from the region can explore our site in Münster and become acquainted with the training opportunities at our company.

Women become nurses and men become car mechanics. These are stereotypes that Girls' Day and Boys’ Day aim to break. Girls can learn about different vocations such as paint lab technician, skilled chemical worker, industrial mechanic, process mechanic, specialist for warehouse logistics and fire fighter. Boys only are invited to visit the area of sports and workplace health promotion of Work Life Management. The day thus serves as an important component of job orientation while simultaneously generating interest in our training occupations.

For some young people, making the transition from school to working life isn't all that easy. Our program "Brücke zum Beruf" aims to support secondary school graduates who are still deciding on their career paths. In the context of the project, we offer young people who haven't found an apprenticeship a one-year paying internship at our site in Münster. 

The Q.UNI Camp sponsored by the University of Münster features a garden of smells, a hands-on construction site and mirror worlds to encourage children and adolescents to experience and discover scientific phenomena in a fun way. The summer camp offers them hands-on experiments to pique their interest in the natural sciences. We think it's a great idea. That's why we support the Q.UNI Camp financially as well as with our own projects that our trainees present at the camp. 

Everything is chemistry, whether it's the air surrounding us or the thoughts that cross our minds. To make school students excited about the diverse range and exciting aspects of natural sciences, we offer in-service courses for chemistry teachers in Münster. In the courses, we support them in developing concepts for innovative and varied chemistry lessons with interactive experiments.

Mathematics, information science, natural sciences and technology, known in Germany as "MINT" for short, and in English-speaking countries as "STEM" (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are at the foundation of our technological development. As a partner of the initiative "Zukunft durch Innovation. NRW" (zdi, "Future through innovation North Rhine-Westphalia"), we promote young people in North Rhine-Westphalia in these subjects in the program "m3 – MINT│Münster│Münsterland". In partnership with the University of Münster, the Münster University of Applied Sciences and other partners from associations, companies and public institutions, we want to promote interest in the STEM professions and topics in the region.

We also sponsor the “Little Scientists’ House” program in Münster. The program is conducted throughout Germany and offers professional development workshops for teachers and other educators. The goal is to use simple and illustrative experiments to make children enthusiastic about the natural sciences.

At our Museum of Lacquer Art, everything is devoted to the origins and the wide-ranging applications of lacquer. BASF's cultural institution in Münster is home to a globally unique collection from East Asia, Europe and the Islamic world with over 2,000 objects from two millennia. In its varied special exhibits, the museum highlights historic and contemporary aspects of lacquer art. The museum also regularly hosts jazz and classical concerts and an educational program.

Every two years, Münster's volunteer center sponsors the "ZeitStifteTag" ("Day for donating time") in which the trainees spend a day volunteering for a good cause. For instance, our trainees actively supported the Münsterland nature conservation association with rakes and shovels and visited the zoo with the residents of the mission sisters' senior center. They also supported the Studiowelle Hiltrup hospital radio station. In cooperation with the St. Clemens senior day center in Münster-Hiltrup, our trainees used their artistic skills to build and decorate birdhouses and outfit them with cute signs.

Together we're stronger. That's why we joined the “Industriegemeinschaft Münster” association. Coordinated by the North Westphalian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), companies from various industrial sectors located in Münster work together in the region.

Example from 2015

For example, together with 24 other companies and private individuals, we donated 60 linden trees to repair the damage along the Münster "Promenade" caused by storms in 2014.

We offer regular events and public activities to provide the general public with insights into our company, our employees and our products. To this end, in summer of 2015, the industry association in Münster invited the public to its "In|du|strie-Tag" day under the motto "industry made on your front doorstep". The highlight of the information day was the first industry dragon boat cup, with participation by 33 teams from different companies, including our "Coatings Dragon" team.

Even the youngest children know how to swipe, which is why more and more young children are playing with tablets and smartphones. But too often, that means that they don't get enough exercise. The BASF school triathlon that takes place every year in Münster aims to help children and young adults enjoy exercise. The sponsors and promoters of the sporting event are the elementary and secondary schools in Münster, the "Wasser + Freizeit" swimming club, the City of Münster, BASF and the TuS Hiltrup athletic club.

For many of our employees and their families, along with children and young adults from the neighborhood, the TuS Hiltrup athletic club is their "athletic home". Children and young adults in particular experience the joy of participating in sports there. For this reason, we have supported Münster's largest athletic club since 1981 as a partner and sponsor.