Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
On the last Saturday of April, the Polytechnic University hosted the tenth anniversary student physics olympiad.
The idea of holding a physics olympiad at SPbPU arose in 2015. By that time, experience had been accumulated in participating in such competitions – since the early 2000s, Polytechnic students had participated in the inter-university physics olympiad. It was held in September, and preparations began in advance – teachers from the physics and technology faculty (now the physics department) worked specifically with the students. As a result, the Polytechnic students confidently performed at each olympiad, taking prizes.
Professor Yuri Mamaev, scientific director of the physics practical laboratory, associate professor Sergei Starovoitov, and associate professor Tatyana Vorobyeva made a great contribution to the Olympiad movement at the Physics Department, including the emergence of their own Olympiad at the Polytechnic University.
In 2015, together with Mikhail Voronov, a research fellow at the Physics and Technology Institute, the team of organizers began organizing the Olympiad at the Polytechnic, selecting tasks and criteria for their evaluation. The preparation of student participants was carried out at an optional club. The head of the department, Vadim Ivanov, helped with the audience, and also provided other organizational assistance.
And so, 10 years ago, on the last Saturday of April 2015, the first student Olympiad in Physics took place. More than a hundred people took part in the competition. The winners from the department were awarded books – dictionaries and encyclopedias on physics.
According to the rules, the participants of the competition could only use reference books on physics and mathematics. This tradition has been preserved to this day: the use of textbooks or notes is not allowed. Although this will not help the participants much, since solving the Olympiad problems requires systematic knowledge and understanding of physical laws. To the question: “Is it possible to cheat at the Olympiad?” Sergey Starovoytov answers with a smile: All Olympiad problems are author’s, so it is impossible to find their solution on the Internet.
The authors of the problems are a group of young teachers and postgraduate students of the Department of Physics, who develop unique problems from the physics course that require an original solution. A careful approach to the selection of tasks allows us to create conditions for equal and fair participation in the competition. A team is formed from among the SPbPU students who successfully performed at the Physics Olympiad for subsequent participation in the Interuniversity Physics Olympiad. It is prepared by a senior teacher of the Department of Physics Vadim Kozhevnikov.
The solution to each problem is presented by the authors-developers after the end of the Olympiad. Not only participants, but also anyone who wishes can attend the event with the analysis of the problems.
The Olympiad is open to everyone, so there is a special atmosphere here: not so much a rivalry as a celebration of knowledge and science! This idea is confirmed by the feedback from the participants of the tenth anniversary Olympiad.
Danil, 2nd year, Physics and Mechanics Institute, winner of the 2024 Physics Olympiad: I have attended various Physics Olympiads. This is not my first time participating in this Olympiad and I am very pleased! First of all, I feel joy from solving interesting problems.
Matvey, 1st year, Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications: For me, the Physics Olympiad is an opportunity to discover something new.
Daria, 1st year, Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications: I believe that you need to strive for something more than just solving problems, so I am participating in this Olympiad.
The results of the Olympiad will be announced very soon. Let us wish the participants great achievements. Could the teachers who were at the origins of the Olympiad have imagined that it would become a tradition of the Physics Department and would be held annually? However, that is exactly what happened! Students still wait for the last Saturday of April to test their knowledge of physics in a fair competition.
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