BTU hosted an International Masterclass organized within the framework of the CERN-IPPOG (International Particle Physics Outreach Group) collaboration. The university partnered with three international institutions where parallel masterclasses were held: the University of Bern (Switzerland), the Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (Portugal), and the University of the Azores (Ponta Delgada, Portugal).
The primary objective of the one-day event was to inspire 18–20-year-old students to pursue scientific research and explore advancements in cutting-edge technologies.
The opening ceremony was led by BTU’s Head of International Affairs, Ms Ani Chelidze. A distinguished guest from CERN, Professor Hans-Peter Beck, President of the Swiss Physical Society, delivered a lecture on the fundamentals of particle physics and experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Professor Alexander Sharmazanashvili presented a lecture on modern detector technologies. The W-Path data analysis exercise was guided by BTU tutors Tatia Gabunia, Saba Abashidze, Elene Tsotsonava, and Luka Nebieridze. A virtual reality session was organized by the BTU IT team, including Gizi Jaliashvili and Nika Khomeriki.
At the conclusion of the event, CERN mentor Dr Tadej Novak reviewed and discussed the experimental results collected from all collaborating universities. Participants were awarded official IPPOG certificates.
IPPOG is a global network of scientists, science educators, and communication specialists dedicated to informal science education and public engagement. Each year, IPPOG organizes international masterclasses involving more than 15,000 students from over 50 countries and more than 200 universities worldwide.
