Einstein Year 2005
International Students' Congress on Science in School
5-9 September 2005

Berlin's Humboldt-Gymnasium organizes the "International Congress on Science in school" for the second time.

Foreign students, who have joined together in small project-teams, are invited to present and discuss the results of their research in the English language. There also are some projects of students from the host-school, Humboldtschule, who present only a part of their activities in the international competition, since the focus of interest should be on the foreign guests.

The participants come from Madrid and Budapest, Copenhagen and Rome, from Warsaw and even Bejing. A total number of 20 teams, consisting of students from different secondary schools, who are accompanied by their teachers, will take part in the competition, which will be the "scientific core" of the congress. The best works of research and the best presentations done by the students from both Spain, Italy, Denmark, Hungary, Slovakia, Kasachstan and China and their German partners from Eisenach and Berlin will be decorated with an award. 30 projects of research, which e.g. deal with using a scanner as a photometer, mapping the air quality with the help of bioindicators, optimal airfoils or the ecological examinations of soil and water in selected regions, have been announced.

The overall program, which was organized by Humboldt-Gymnasium, as well, contains a lot of highlights such as sightseeing tours, visits of companies, scientific facilities and musical theatres, a banquet and lectures of renowned scientists. But last but not least there is some leisure time, too. Unfortunately the programme does not allow the young researchers to spend a lot of time on shopping or going to the disco...

25 teachers of Humboldt-Gymnasium have been busy with the preparation and organization of the congress. They are also taking care of the participants, the technics, documentation, music and catering. The students of the host-school are involved as participants, reporters, critical audience, private hosts, tour guides and interpreters. We are convinced that our students will gain a lot from the common efforts:

  • They get to know the importance of English as an international language of scientists - a "lingua franca scientiarum"
  • They meet committed students from foreign countries, who are as eager to do some scientific research as they are
  • They have the experience of having success with their own first scientific efforts and their first public performances, so that their self-confidence, and courage grows and another initiative for their own research might be triggered. This is an investment in their future - it will support them when they work or go to university
  • The international meeting should also have, if you want to put it that way, a political effect since the congress is not intended to only celebrate specialists, but rather to promote solidarity and the common sense of responsibility of all researchers.

    • In the year 2005 we are lucky that our school is able to make a connection between the great examples of the Humboldt brothers and Albert Einstein's ethos of science.

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