Education through materials science

In this contribution education is defined as the ability to live in the world with a balanced optimum of intellectual, emotional and sensual interaction. It is argued that education does not merely mean training or the process of being trained. Some historical comments concerning the development of materials science are made in order to demonstrate that the pace of development of mankind is closely connected with the progress in the ability to master the potential buried in natural materials and the art of producing artificial materials. The interdisciplinary character of materials science is used as a guideline to show the central role as well as the universal character of materials science in todayʹs world. Finally, three theses are derived claiming that knowledge in materials issues is a fundamental prerequisite to a constructive contribution to the solution of the long term problems of our present age.