Hard work and fun experiences — Summer Student Program 2025 at GSI/FAIR
16.09.2025 |
This summer, 34 students from 11 countries came to Darmstadt to take part in the GSI and FAIR Summer Student Program. Over the course of eight weeks, they immersed themselves in cutting-edge research, worked on their own projects on campus, and experienced the unique atmosphere of an international accelerator laboratory. A special glimpse behind the scenes is provided by the students’ photo competition.
Every year, the Summer Student Program offers young talents the opportunity to experience research at GSI and FAIR firsthand. “A summer with a lot of hard work, but a lot more of fun experiences,” “I wish I could experience the program for the first time again,” and “A once-in-a-lifetime experience” – these are some of the comments participants made about their time at GSI/FAIR.
Each participant was integrated into a research group and worked on an individual scientific or technical project directly connected to ongoing research activities. The range of topics spanned from atomic and biophysics to nuclear and astrophysics. A particular focus was placed on developing and testing technical and experimental components for the FAIR accelerator facility, which is currently under construction, as well as for its future experiments.
For many international participants, the program is just the beginning: a large number return to Darmstadt later to pursue their Master’s or PhD thesis at GSI and FAIR. The program, now in its 43rd edition, is organized in cooperation with the HGS-HIRe graduate school. Beyond the scientific work, the schedule also offered plenty of variety – from a city rally and sports activities organized by GSI’s company sports program to self-organized excursions in the region. Complementary lectures provided a comprehensive overview of the wide-ranging research conducted at GSI and FAIR, as well as the scientific results achieved.(LW)
