As part of the first Summer University at the University of Paderborn, an event was held on July 1, 26, to give high school students a glimpse into physics studies and research at the university.
Things got off to a lively start right away: a sample lecture from the first semester on the topic of torque created a real college atmosphere in the lecture hall, complete with experiments and the occasional “aha” moment.
From the first semester, the program then moved directly into research. How do physicists work? What does a cleanroom look like? And what kinds of research are being conducted in Paderborn? These and other questions were answered in detail during a lab tour and were further discussed over lunch afterward.
To overcome the inevitable post-lunch slump, the students were then challenged to apply what they’d learned. They were now tasked with applying the knowledge from that morning’s lecture to an authentic problem from a worksheet—which they successfully accomplished through teamwork.
But how do lectures and exercises fit into the overall degree program? What topics are covered? And what might lie ahead after graduation? These and other questions were then addressed and explained, giving all participants a sense of what studying physics entails.
The event ended on a spectacular note: the Event Physics team put on a show for the students that didn’t just feature plasma glowing in a microwave or barrels imploding, but also provided some welcome relief from the heat with a foam explosion.
The Summer University has been organized by the empowerMINT project since 2026 and is structured around the various STEM disciplines. It gives high school students a glimpse into different subjects at the University of Paderborn to help them choose their major.
