Our students at the XXXIV Physics Olympics

SELECTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS OLYMPICS

The University of Valencia gave last Tuesday 7th March the awards of the local phase of the XXXIV Physics Olympics, an international competition in which students from many countries participate and which is organised by the Real Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF) in its national phase. The University of Valencia – through the Faculty of Physics and the Delegation for Incorporation in the University –as well as the Polytechnic University of Valencia are in charge of the local phase of the competition, which took place last Thursday, February 23 and consists of in a written test of Physics problems and exercises.

Our student Juan Moya Rico from Year 13 is one of the four selected students. In addition, given the excellent results, the Olympiad commission has decided to award three honorable mentions and one of them is for our student Pablo Maestro Alonso from Year 13. The nine awardees will now receive a 12-hour experimental course in the faculty’s laboratories.

It is a pride to see the high level of training of our students and to see that in the scientific field they have this level of presence. The British education system emphasizes the importance of challenges, enrichment outside of the classroom and trying to achieve goals that motivate them.

The awards were given by the dean of the Faculty of Physics, Jordi Vidal Perona, on behalf of the vice-rector of Studies; the director of the Student Area of the UPV, Ester Giménez Carbó; and the president of the Local Section of the Real Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF), Mariam Tórtola. Also present was the Local Committee organising the Physics Olympiad of the University District of Valencia, Chantal Ferrer, Mª Jesús Hernández (UVEG) and Juan Carlos Carrión (UPV) and a representative of the teachers who taught the course.

The high school students who participate in this test opt for the local prizes, which include, among others, €1000 if they enrol in the next year at the University of Valencia. And, in addition, the first four classifieds can extend their participation in the national phase (Lugo, April 27-30), in addition to the Ibero-American Olympics (this year is scheduled for Costa Rica) and international (Tokyo, Japan, in July).