DO YOUR OWN EXPERIMENT AT CERN, DESY, AND ELSA: 2026 "Bunch Line Competition for High Schools" Information Meeting

The İstinye University Science and Technology Communication Coordination Office organized the 2026 information and training session for the “Beamline for Schools (BL4S)” competition, which enables high school students to conduct their own experiments at CERN, DESY, and ELSA laboratories. Held annually since 2022 within the framework of our University, this year’s event took place on Saturday, 10 January 2026, at the İstinye University Topkapı Campus Congress Center, with strong participation.

The event was led by Prof. Dr. Serkant Ali Çetin, Coordinator of Science and Technology Communication at İstinye University, Türkiye Coordinator of the CERN–ATLAS Experiment, and National Contact Person for the BL4S competition. More than 150 students and teachers attended the event in person, while nearly 100 participants followed the program online.

Within the scope of the program, participants were introduced to the fundamental concepts of particle physics, experiments conducted at CERN, the competition process, experimental design, and key elements of preparing a successful project proposal. In addition, teams that had achieved success in previous years shared their experiences, providing valuable insights into the competition process.

In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Serkant Ali Çetin expressed his satisfaction with the strong interest shown by participants from Türkiye, emphasizing that applications from Türkiye account for more than 15% of total global applications in a competition that attracts participants from over 50 countries worldwide each year.

During the final session of the event, award-winning teams from the previous year shared their experiences. Team PhysiCAL from Cağaloğlu Anatolian High School, winner of the CERN BL4S 2025 competition, along with Team Luminaria from Şehremini Anatolian High School, recipients of the Best Video Proposal and Best Outreach Proposal awards, presented their projects and reflected on their achievements throughout the competition process. The creative presentations highlighted the importance of creativity in scientific production.

This information and training session, organized by the İstinye University Science and Technology Communication Coordination Office, not only encouraged high school students to engage in scientific research but also provided a strong preparatory foundation for participation in the internationally prestigious CERN BL4S competition.