At the German Physics Championship (GYPT), held at the Physics Center of the German Physical Society (DPG) in Bad Honnef, the competition follows a format similar to an international scientific conference. The participants—high school students in this case—present their research in English and then face critical questions from competing teams and a distinguished jury. This year was the first time that Benjamin Graf, Elisa Schöps, and Daniil Schulgin participated in the tournament, and they immediately secured a silver medal. Elisa Schöps and Benjamin Graf were among the top twelve in the individual rankings and are now among the participants in a workshop taking place in Ulm at the end of March to determine which students will represent Germany as part of the national team at the 38th International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) in Lund, Sweden, from June 30 to July 5.
"Since 2014, the TAO SFZ has been the only location in Germany to consistently contribute members to the five-person national team," says Zimmermann. He adds, "This year’s silver medal win is another great achievement in fostering young talent in Upper Franconia and through the Student Research Centre Bayreuth. This success is also thanks to the dedication and encouragement of teachers at the students’ schools, as well as the commitment of our mentoring team on the Bayreuth campus: Berin and Tarek Becic, Niklas Brütting, Frederik Gareis, and Sebastian Friedl. Many of them were themselves successful in national and international physics competitions and are now passing on their experience."
The most frequently cited reason for participating in GYPT is the students’ enthusiasm for meeting like-minded young people and spending time together. "Their contagious curiosity and passion provide an excellent foundation for the next generation of researchers, and we must do everything we can to support them," emphasizes Zimmermann.
The final round of this year’s German Physics Championship took place from 7 to 9 March in Bad Honnef. A team from Berlin also received silver, while the gold medal went to Lörrach. The three winning teams have been invited by the German Physical Society (DPG) to an exclusive two-day guided tour of CERN in Geneva—the world’s largest particle accelerator facility. The GYPT’s internationally recognized talent development program is supported by the German Physical Society and financially backed by the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation. Additionally, numerous volunteers, including the 46 jury members in this year’s competition, play a crucial role in making the German Physics Championship possible.
