Germany’s Largest Student Research Seminar at the University of Bayreuth
The University of Bayreuth recently hosted Germany’s largest research seminar for school pupils to date. Through a wide range of courses, participants gained hands-on experience in the natural sciences, with a particular focus on physics.
© W. Zimmermann
A total of 69 pupils from Year 8 and above, coming from all across Germany, took part in the “Practice-Oriented Orpheus Seminar” for student research at the University of Bayreuth over the weekend of 26–29 September. The pupils were able to choose from a variety of courses and experiments of varying levels of difficulty – ranging from programming and data analysis to thermodynamics and fluid dynamics. The seminar aimed to prepare students for research competitions and to foster exchange among like-minded peers. During the courses, participants learned practical skills first-hand to prepare for these competitions. The workshop was supervised by former successful participants in national and international competitions such as the German Young Physicists’ Tournament (GYPT) and Jugend forscht.
In addition to the courses, which allowed participants to deepen their knowledge in areas of particular interest, another highlight was the opportunity to build a pulse laser themselves. Two introductory lectures by physics professors also enriched the programme, covering the topics “The Physics of Sport” and “From Weather to Chaos”. Beyond the workshop topics, pupils also learned how to effectively present their own research findings in talks, and how to critically evaluate the results and presentations of other researchers. These are two key personal development skills that student researchers need alongside core subject knowledge, especially for competitions like GYPT. “We regularly observe developmental leaps in young people during the course of the GYPT competition,” said Professor Walter Zimmermann, Head of the TAO Student Research Centre at the University of Bayreuth. Zimmermann regularly mentors and coaches young talents for national and international physics competitions.
photos: W. Zimmmermann)
The Practice-Oriented Orpheus Seminar was initiated by former student researchers and current university students at Bayreuth for the next generation of student researchers: Tarek Becic and Sebastian Friedl served as the main organisers, supported by Niklas Brütting, Berin Becic and Frederik Gareis, with assistance from Professor Walter Zimmermann. The workshop was jointly organised by the Orpheus Association for European Pupils and Students in Physics (Orpheus e.V.) and the TAO Student Research Centre at the University of Bayreuth. Financial support was provided by the Rainer Markgraf Foundation and the Upper Franconia Foundation.
Contakt
Prof. Dr. Walter Zimmermann
Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Senior Professorship
Theoretical Physics
University of Bayreuth
Department of Physics
phone: +49 (0)921 / 55-3181
e-mail: walter.zimmermann@uni-bayreuth.de
web: https://www.zimmermann.physik.uni-bayreuth.de