International Masterclass 2026 at TU Dresden: Insight into the world of particle physics

On March 23, 2026, an International Masterclass took place at the Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics. A total of 25 high school students from nine schools across Saxony took the opportunity to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of elementary particles for a day.

This year's event focused on an in-depth examination of the ATLAS detector, which is operated at the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) particle accelerator at the European research center CERN. Researchers from TU Dreden have been involved in this experiment for many years. After introductory presentations by young scientists, high school students worked in small groups using short videos to explore key aspects of the structure and operation of this complex experiment. They were then able to analyze data from the ATLAS experiment themselves and search for traces of Higgs particles, for example. Over the course of the Masterclass, they gained insights into the detection of particles, the evaluation of measurement data and fundamental questions of modern particle physics.

The concluding international video conference was a particular highlight: the Dresden students presented their results and discussed them with other groups of participants from Georgia and Poland. The exchange across national borders impressively conveyed how strongly modern physics is characterized by international cooperation.

The Gesellschaft von Freunden und Förderern der TU Dresden e. V. (GFF) supported the Masterclass with travel grants for young people from Leipzig.

About International Masterclasses: The international program for high school students has existed since 2005 and is an activity of the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG), which aims to bring particle physics to life for young people. The program is co-organized at TU Dresden by Uta Bilow. More than 220 research institutions from 60 countries participate in the program.