The International Particle Physics Masterclasses project has received a poster prize at the renowned International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP2024). The project is coordinated at the Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics at TU Dresden and is one of the lighthouses that shine a light on the quality, breadth and diversity of TU Dresden in internationalization. The poster "International Masterclasses in Particle Physics - expanding geographically and broadening in scope" was presented at the conference in Prague by David Borgelt (University of Münster). A total of 180 posters were in competition and seven poster prizes were awarded.

As part of the International Particle Physics Masterclasses, young people have the opportunity to immerse themselves in current physics research for a day. More than 200 universities and research institutions take part in the program and invite high school students to slip into the role of researchers for a day. Together with scientists, the young people analyze data from large-scale experiments, for example at CERN in Geneva or Fermilab in the USA. The Masterclass gives them an insight into modern physics research, research methods and the everyday life of scientists.

The Masterclasses project was launched in 2005 and has grown continuously since then. It now involves 64 countries worldwide - from Algeria to Zambia. In a Masterclass, high school students can, for example, track down the Higgs particle themselves, measure the properties of neutrinos or investigate the so-called quark-gluon plasma that existed shortly after the Big Bang. In another Masterclass, they can experience how particle beams are used for tumor therapy.

In Germany, high school students can delve deeper into the research topics after taking part in a Masterclass. The Netzwerk Teilchenwelt program is available for this purpose. The project brings together 34 research institutions in Germany and CERN in Geneva. Netzwerk Teilchenwelt is also managed by the Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics at TU Dresden.

Information on the International Masterclasses
Further information on the lighthouses at TU Dresden
Netzwerk Teilchenwelt