Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From January 26 to 29, the 15th Siberian Tournament of Young Physicists (SibTYuF) was held at Novosibirsk State University. Participants were primarily students in grades 8–11 who were interested in physics. This year, 18 teams competed, primarily from Novosibirsk and the Novosibirsk region.
SibTUF is an individual and team competition for high school students in their ability to solve complex research and scientific problems, convincingly present their solutions, and defend them in scientific debates—physical battles. Over the course of three days, all teams participated in qualifying battles, each divided into three rounds, in which teams played one of three roles: Presenter, Opponent, and Reviewer. On the fourth day, the finals were held, with three teams able to advance. The day before the final battle, they chose the problem they would present.
In regular matches, teams were judged by several judges, while the finalists were judged by 15 tournament judges. The panel of judges included representatives from research institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Physics Department, and other departments of Novosibirsk State University, as well as faculty from the Specialized Educational and Scientific Center of NSU and team coaches.
Judges of the Siberian Tournament of Young Physicists, Maxim Fetisov and Sergey Veshtort, are first-year students. Faculty of Physics NSU. Before entering university, they were both on the same team and, starting in 7th grade, participated in many competitions, including at the Siberian Youth University.
"We have extensive tournament experience; we've participated in both regional and national competitions. Over the years, I've visited various universities and interacted with many students and faculty. When the question arose of where to apply, I knew for sure I wanted to study physics. I had a choice between two universities, and I chose NSU because the Physics Department of Novosibirsk State University was the closest to my heart, and even when I came here for tournaments, I'd heard a lot about the Physics Department being one big family. And even later, after graduating, many alumni maintain connections and continue to work together on this big project," says Maxim Fetisov.
For both students, judging the young physicists' tournament is a new experience. They believe that assigning scores is more difficult than participating in the physics competitions. The key is to be objective and able to justify the scores awarded.
"People often approached me and asked me to clarify their scores, asking how they should think about it. I always answered, because I was the same way when I participated in tournaments. The judges were always open to dialogue and happy to explain things. In my opinion, this is very important for the participants, because judges are usually qualified people; they offer advice, point out gaps in the team, and suggest how they can be corrected," adds Sergey Veshtort.
This year's finalists included teams that have long competed in the Siberian Tournament of Young Physicists. Team "Synergy" (where they're from) won the competition with a total score of 46.07. Second place went to the "Beavers" team from Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution "Gymnasium No. 4" in Novosibirsk with a total score of 43.75. Third place went to the "Physikon" team, made up of students from schools in the Iskitim district, including the villages of Lebedevka and Talmenka, as well as the city of Iskitim, with a score of 41.61.
As a reminder, the tournament's winners and runners-up receive bonuses when applying to NSU: first-place winners receive an additional 10 points toward their exams; second- and third-place winners receive an additional 7 points. Students in grades 8-10 receive invitations to the NSU Specialized Educational and Scientific Center's summer school based on their individual championship results.
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