The School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS), at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU), hosted the inaugural Nanyang Physics Summer School from 5-7 June 2023. The event was attended by 30 students from 11 junior colleges across Singapore.
Conducted within the premises of the SPMS building, the Nanyang Physics Summer School provided an immersive three-day learning experience delving into multiple exciting areas of physics. Faculty members from SPMS’s Division of Physics and Applied Physics delivered lectures on topics not covered in the junior college (JC) physics curriculum, such as black holes, entropy, quantum materials, and quantum technologies.
A lecture on entropy by Associate Professor Chong Yidong. Photo credit: Taufiq Murtadho.
The participating students also took part in laboratory tours and live physics demonstrations involving lasers, optics, relativity, and semiconductor lithography. These hands-on experiences allowed them to witness how scientific concepts are translated into real-world experiments and applications.
Hands-on experiences with using a semiconductor cleanroom (left) and making a gas rocket (right). Photo credit: Taufiq Murtadho.
Professor Cesare Soci (third from left) shows students a maze puzzle made using a laser and optics elements. Photo credit: Taufiq Murtadho.
Left: Assistant Professor Justin Song (left) and Dr Alexander Petrovic (right) demonstrating magnetic levitation by a superconductor. Right: Associate Professor David Wilkowski (center) explains how a Michelson-Morley interferometer is used to prove the theory of relativity. Photo credit: Taufiq Murtadho.
In addition, the participants had numerous opportunities to learn about what studying physics is like at the undergraduate level and beyond. At a poster session, graduate students studying for their PhDs at NTU SPMS showcased their research projects, telling the JC students about what it is like to conduct cutting-edge physics in Singapore. On the final day of the Nanyang Physics Summer School, there was a panel discussion with alumni and senior students, who shared their insights about university life and the career opportunities for physics graduates.
“Our aspiration is to inspire the upcoming generation of physicists in Singapore,” said Assistant Professor Nelly Ng, an NTU SPMS faculty member and the chair of the Nanyang Physics Summer School’s organising committee. “Hopefully, these lectures and activities will guide the participating students along their physics learning journey, giving them a taste of the exciting topics taught in university and nurturing their passion for scientific inquiry.”
Assistant Professor Nelly Ng (far left) presenting certificates of participation to five of the JC students attending the Nanyang Physics Summer School. Photo credit: Taufiq Murtadho.
Asked about their experience at the Nanyang Physics Summer School, the participating students responded with strongly positive feedback. “The summer school was fun and enjoyable and enlightening! Thank you for organizing this!” wrote one. Other students enthused about the opportunity to “make friends with like-minded people”, and the chance to be exposed to advanced physics without worries about whether it was “out of syllabus”.
Based on the success of this year’s event, SPMS plans to hold the Nanyang Physics Summer School again in 2024 and subsequent years. The organising committee for this year’s summer school consisted of Assistant Professor Nelly Ng and Assistant Professor Justin Song (co-chairs), Ms Rebecca Won, Ms Moo Aun Mee, Associate Professor Cheong Siew Ann, Dr Koh Teck Seng, Associate Professor Rainer Dumke, Associate Professor David Wilkowski, Associate Professor Gao Weibo, and Associate Professor Chew Lock Yue.