In the Final on Wednesday, in which each team presented one more problem, South Korea came out on top and was named “Winner of the Tournament”.

The German team came in fifth place after Belarus and received the silver medal. According to the regulations places four to eight are awarded the silver medal.

On Friday morning the 28 teams and those accompanying them travelled to Stuttgart where they visited the Daimler plant and the Mercedes Museum. On Sunday morning the 300 visitors will then embark on their journey home.

The World Physics Cup will take place in Taiwan next year.

On Thursday evening the winning teams of the Physics World Cup were honoured in Bad Saulgau. The teams coming in first, second and third were all awarded the gold medal. South Korea was named “Winner of the Tournament” having achieved the highest number of points in the Final.

Alan Allinson, President of the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT), and District President Hermann Strampfer presenting the silver medal to  the German captain, Michael Kern from Biberach. According to the regulations teams coming in fourth to eighth receive the silver medal.

The gold medal winners of the Physics World Cup 2012. The teams from left to right are Iran, South Korea and Singapore.

Handing over of the pennant to Taiwan, the next year’s IYPT host.

The teams in first to third places will receive gold medals since according to the rules all the finalists are awarded the gold. During the final round tomorrow the young researchers will be able to demonstrate their skills once more, this time with a project of their choice and not one chosen by the opposing team. The final round determines the “Winner of the Tournament”.

South Korea and Singapore confidently led throughout the preliminary rounds. Germany with 196.9 points came in fifth after Belarus with 197 points. Silver will go to teams coming in at fourth to eighth place, bronze to teams in ninth to fourteenth place.

The medals will be awarded on during the Award Ceremony on Thursday evening. But before taking possession of their medals the participants will go to Friedrichshafen for a Lake Constance Day by invitation of ZF Friedrichshafen, the automotive supplier. On Wednesday afternoon the young scientists have the choice of visiting either the medical technology enterprises Aesculap and Karl Storz in Tuttlingen, the pharmaceutical firm Böhringer Ingelheim in Biberach, Liebherr in Ehingen or Claas in Bad Saulgau. On Friday morning the 28 teams and those accompanying them will go to Stuttgart to visit the Daimler plant as well as the Mercedes Museum. On Sunday morning the 300 guests will then set off for their trip back home.

The German Team:

Michael Kern (Captain), 17 Jahre, Biberach Wieland Gymnasium Biberach Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg( SFZ®), Ulm

Paul Hege, 16 Jahre, Kassel Wilhelmsgymnasium Kassel Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen (SFN Kassel)

Clemens Borys, 19 Jahre, Vellmar Friedrichsgymnasium Kassel Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen (SFN Kassel)

Tobias Schemmelmann, 18 Jahre, Lörrach Hans-Thoma-Gymnasium Lörrach phænovum Schülerforschungszentrum Lörrach-Dreiländereck

Lars Dehlwes, 16 Jahre, Erlangen Ohm-Gymnasium Erlangen, Erlanger Schülerforschungszentrum (ESFZ)

Contact:
Bettina Zeiß
Rombach & Jacobi Kommunikation
E-Mail: zeiss@rombach-jacobi.de
Handy: 0171 9320775

Weitere Informationen:

http://iypt.de

www.facebook.com/iypt2012

www.sfz-bw.de

Korean Team

German Team

About the Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg (SFZ) (Student Research Center, South Württemberg)

The Schülerforschungszenbtrum Südwürttemberg in Bad Saulgau was founded in 1999 after a German team consisting of students from the region of Upper Swabia had won the most important physics competition for students, the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) for the second time. Since then it has been promoting and supporting talented young scientists and by doing so would like to counteract the shortage of technical experts. In the meantime further research centers have been created in Tuttlingen, Ulm and Friedrichshafen/Überlingen.

The SFZ is a forge for young talent, an idea workshop, a research laboratory, a knowledge center, a center for gifted students – and a social meeting place. Several hundred students of different ages and from different areas of Baden-Wuerttemberg come regularly to Bad Saulgau or one of the other locations to do independent research, without restrictive guidelines and without a schedule. What they have to bring along is curiosity, stamina, willingness to work on a team and to take part in competitions. They learn to work independently, to research complex questions together with others without knowing beforehand whether or a solution exists. They also learn how to do research as well as  acquiring techniques and skills they will need later in their studies or professional lives.

At the SFZ the students’ performance is of the highest level. And yet the Schülerforschungszentrum is not an exclusive institute for the gifted. Although the pupils should be prepared to work hard, be curious and have a good knowledge of mathematics, it is just as important to be willing to work on a team. Social skills are fostered in such an atmosphere. In addition to physics projects, there are also projects in the fields of mathematics, information technology, chemistry, biology, earth sciences and technology. Physics workshops are also offered to primary school students.

Interested and motivated students from the middle and upper divisions of Gymnasiums (college preparatory schools) have the opportunity to increase their knowledge in the sciences or prepare themselves for competitions. Students decide for themselves how often they come to the SFZ because they work not only at the SFZ but also at home and at their schools. The SFZ is supported by the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the city of Bad Saulgau, Sigmaringen County, by foundations, companies and private donors.

www.sfz-bw.de

www.facebook/sfzbw

21.07.2012  The International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT), the so called Physics World Cup, opened in Bad Saulgau on Saturday morning. It is taking place under the auspices of the German Physics Society (DPG), Bad Honnef and is being organized by the Student Research Center South Wuerttemberg (SFZ), Bad Saulgau.

About 500 guests were invited, among them the participants from 28 countries and those accompanying the teams, representatives of companies that support the competition financially as well as with material and staff, and  state and local politicians, school directors and many scientists from cooperating universities.

The tournament, in which teams made up of five members compete against each other in 5 rounds or “physics fights”, will last until July 26. The task: presenting and discussing physics research projects which thestudents have solved. The competition takes place in English but native speakers are not necessarily at an advantage. It is the team that presents a convincing solution to the given problem and is able to defend it rhetorically well in English that gets the points. Knowledge of physics, tactical skill, teamwork and rhetoric are the decisive factors in this complex tournament for students between the ages of 16 and 19.

Many companies are already now lamenting the lack of well-trained young talent. This trend will most likely continue in the coming years due to the demographic changes taking place. This is an important reason why many globally operating companies support this tournament. Emphasizing how important education is especially for a country like Germany, Minister for Education and Research, Annette Schavan said, “Investing in education, science and research is the key to progress and prosperity. Physics plays a central role in this. In order to be successful physics requires cooperation across national borders and subject boundaries. This internationality and the willingness to work together characterize the Physics World Cup in Bad Saulgau. Young people have the opportunity to establish contacts and network among each other and this makes for a very good basis for their future careers in science.”

Also contributing to the ceremonious atmosphere set by the Minister’s speech, were the welcoming speeches of Bad Saulgau’s mayor, Doris Schröter, the head of the local organizing committee, Rudolf Lehn, and the President of the IYPT, Alan Allinson, who also opened the tournament. Physics professor Metin Tolan from the Technical University, Dortmund proved to the audience that physics can also be fun. For years he has been researching the “Physics of James Bond” and, tongue-in-cheek, explores the question of whether the spectacular stunts are possible from a purely scientific point of view.

Germany has been taking part in the tournament, whose venue changes every year, since 1995 and always with representatives from the Student Research Center (SFZ) which was founded in 1999 after the German team had won the gold medal for the third time. Rudolf Lehn, the head of the SFZ  was always there. He says, “The IYPT is an extraordinary competition with extraordinary challenges. I know of no other student competition in science and technology that so comprehensively fosters the subject and communicative skills. The young people active in the IYPT are network savvy, possess argumentative skills and are able to think on their feet. They also excel in giving presentations and can deal with conflict. These young problem solvers from around the world are meeting here at the IYPT to compete against each other in a scientific and friendly atmosphere.”

The organizers are expecting costs to exceed € 400,000 raised solely through contributions from companies, foundations, local and regional public institutions as well as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The participants of this year’s German team come from three Länder: Clemens Borys, 19, and Paul Hege, 16 from Kassel in Hesse, Lars Dehlwes, 16,from Erlangen in Bavaria, Tobias Schemmelmann, 18, from Lörrach and Captain Michael Kern, 17, from Biberach all in Baden Wuerttemberg.

The team competition was conceived in 1979 at the State University of Moscow which was sole organizer until 1993. A German team participated for the first time in 1995 in Poland and won the first prize. After the German team won the tournament again in 1999 the idea of founding a student research center took shape.

The German Team:

Michael Kern (Captain), 17 Jahre, Biberach Wieland Gymnasium Biberach Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg( SFZ®), Ulm

Paul Hege, 16 Jahre, Kassel Wilhelmsgymnasium Kassel Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen (SFN Kassel)

Clemens Borys, 19 Jahre, Vellmar Friedrichsgymnasium Kassel Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen (SFN Kassel)

Tobias Schemmelmann, 18 Jahre, Lörrach Hans-Thoma-Gymnasium Lörrach phænovum Schülerforschungszentrum Lörrach-Dreiländereck

Lars Dehlwes, 16 Jahre, Erlangen Ohm-Gymnasium Erlangen, Erlanger Schülerforschungszentrum (ESFZ)

Contact:
Bettina Zeiß
Rombach & Jacobi Kommunikation
E-Mail: zeiss@rombach-jacobi.de
Handy: 0171 9320775
Weitere Informationen:
http://iypt.de
www.facebook.com/iypt2012
www.sfz-bw.de

28 nations fight in Bad Saulgau

Minister Schavan visits the opening ceremony

The German Team (f.l.t.r: Captain Michael Kern, Tobias Schemmelmann, Lars Dehlwes, Clemens Borys, Paul Hege)

Yulya Peregud is drawing the fight number for belarus.

Tournament with students from 28 countries begins on July 20

Can you swim in a basin with air bubbles? Where do the light patterns come from that often form on the bottom of a swimming pool? Those who know the answer will not automatically win the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT), the so called Physics World Cup which takes place in the Upper Swabian town of Bad Saulgau from 20-29 July. Only the team that is able to convincingly present the solution in English in front of the international competition as well as an international jury has a chance to win the most prestigious physics competition for students.

This year the Physics World Cup will take place in the Upper Swabian town of Bad Saulgau after well known venues such as Tehran (2011), Vienna (2010), Seoul (2007) or Brisbane (2004). This year’s organizer, the Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg (SFZ) (Student Research Center of South Wuerttemberg) was chosen last year to host the event and has consistently sent the most participants over the years. Germany is the most successful country winning seven gold and eight silver medals in 18 tournaments. The Physics World Cup is under the auspices of the German Physics Society (DPG). Annete Schavan, Federal Ministerhysics of Education and Research, will be among the Speakers.

Everyday questions  -  complex answers

Why is it softer to walk on dry sand than on wet sand? How can a mirage be created in the laboratory? Questions that not even an experienced professor might be able to answer offhand. They are part of the 17 research tasks that are published every autumn and have to be solved by the time the competition takes place in July of the following year. The 16 – 20 year-old students are allowed to use whatever resources they can think of: literature, internet, or experts at universities and industry. During the fights they have to defend their tasks in a rhetorical competition in English against their opponents. This year teams from 28 countries are competing, among them China, Australia, Singapore, Iran, France and Austria.

Numerous companies support the tournament

The organizers are expecting costs to be 400,000 Euros which will be raised solely through contributions from companies and foundations. Many small local companies have agreed to give their support as have global market leaders such as the medical technology firm of Aesculap in Tuttlingen and the construction machine manufacturer Liebherr. Foundations such as the Robert Bosch Foundation or the Dieter Schwarz Foundation in Neckarsulm are also supporting the tournament financially and with specialists from their organizations. They are responsible for financial matters, sponsoring and project controlling as well as arrangements for rooms and catering.

The city of Bad Saulgau is contributing to the event by providing staff and rooms. The opening and closing ceremonies will take place in the Stadtforum, the municipal auditorium.

Wolfgang Hatz, Chairman of Research and Development at Porsche didn’t need a lot of convincing and sees a great benefit to his company. “German industrial companies only have a chance in tough global competition if they produce high quality, innovative cutting-edge-technology and fascinating products. In order to reach these challenging goals we need young people who are curious, enjoy questions posed by technology,and are prepared to work persistently on finding solutions. That is why it is very important to us to support the hosting of the International Physics Tournament 2012, ” says Hatz.

German participants come from Bavaria, Hesse and Baden- Wuerttemberg

Starting for Germany are Clemens Borys, 19, and Paul Hege, 16, both from Kassel, Lars Dehlwes, 17, from Erlangen, Tobias Schemmelmann, 18, from Lörrach, and captain of the team Michael Kern, 17, from Biberach. “Naturally it would be great to stand on the podium in your own country, but we would mainly like to be good hosts, because most of the participants have never been in Germany,” says Rudolf Lehn, Head of the Organizing Committee and Head of the SFZ.

The team competition was conceived by the State University of Moscow in 1979. Until 1993 Moscow University was also the sole organizer. In 1994 the IYPT took place in a western country for the first time – in the Netherlands. A German team participated for the first time in 1995 in Poland and won first place. After the German team won again in 1999 the idea to found a student research center began to take shape.

The German Team

Michael Kern (Captain), 17, Biberach
Wieland Gymnasium Biberach, Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg (SFZ), Ulm

Paul Hege, 16, Kassel
Wilhelmsgymnasium Kassel, Schülerforschumgszentrum Nordhessen (SFN Kassel)

Clemens Borys, 19, Vellmar
Friedrichsgymnasium Kassel, Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen (SFN Kassel)

Tobias Schemmelmann, 18, Lörrach
Hans-Thoma-Gymnasium Lörrach, phaenovum Schülerforschungszentrum Lörrach-Dreiländereck

Lars Dehlwes, 16, Erlangen
Ohm-Gymnasium Erlangen, Erlanger Schülerforschungszentrum (ESFZ)

from left to right: Michael Kern, Tobias Schemmelmann, Clemens Borys, Paul Hege, Lars Dehlwes.
Quelle: Aesculap AG

About the Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg (SFZ) (Student Research Center, South Württemberg)

The Schülerforschungszenbtrum Südwürttemberg in Bad Saulgau was founded in 1999 after a German team consisting of students from the region of Upper Swabia had won the most important physics competition for students, the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) for the second time. Since then it has been promoting and supporting talented young scientists and by doing so would like to counteract the shortage of technical experts. In the meantime further research centers have been created in Tuttlingen, Ulm and Friedrichshafen/Überlingen.

The SFZ is a forge for young talent, an idea workshop, a research laboratory, a knowledge center, a center for gifted students – and a social meeting place. Several hundred students of different ages and from different areas of Baden-Wuerttemberg come regularly to Bad Saulgau or one of the other locations to do independent research, without restrictive guidelines and without a schedule. What they have to bring along is curiosity, stamina, willingness to work on a team and to take part in competitions. They learn to work independently, to research complex questions together with others without knowing beforehand whether or a solution exists. They also learn how to do research as well as  acquiring techniques and skills they will need later in their studies or professional lives.

At the SFZ the students’ performance is of the highest level. And yet the Schülerforschungszentrum is not an exclusive institute for the gifted. Although the pupils should be prepared to work hard, be curious and have a good knowledge of mathematics, it is just as important to be willing to work on a team. Social skills are fostered in such an atmosphere. In addition to physics projects, there are also projects in the fields of mathematics, information technology, chemistry, biology, earth sciences and technology. Physics workshops are also offered to primary school students.

Interested and motivated students from the middle and upper divisions of Gymnasiums (college preparatory schools) have the opportunity to increase their knowledge in the sciences or prepare themselves for competitions. Students decide for themselves how often they come to the SFZ because they work not only at the SFZ but also at home and at their schools. The SFZ is supported by the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the city of Bad Saulgau, Sigmaringen County, by foundations, companies and private donors.

www.sfz-bw.de
www.facebook/sfzbw