Scientific Prizes shine at the Youth Research Competition - Steinmeier Backs Science Freedom
U.S. Criticized by Germany's Federal President Steinmeier - European Commission actively participates in organizing the European Youth Prize.
Step into the vibrant scene of the Youth Research Prize ceremony in Hamburg, where the Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, celebrated the brilliance of young minds. The winning duo from Thuringia, Oskar Rost (17) and Marius Strauß (18), bagged the President's Prize for a remarkable AI-based software revolutionizing school performance assessment. Their software detects errors, deducts points, and offers suggestions to ensure fair and transparent grading.
The innovative spirit didn't stop there! The award for the most groundbreaking project went to Louis Schwarzlose (17) from Hamburg. He crafted a mobile research buoy, equipped with autonomous navigation and multiple power sources harnessing wind, waves, and solar energy to collect crucial environmental data.
Ten more students from Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Rhineland-Palatinate secured their place as federal winners in categories like biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics/informatics, and technology. The prestigious Gymnasium Farmsen in Hamburg bagged the "Jugend forscht" School 2025 prize, awarded by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs.
Defending Scientific Freedom - A Heartfelt Appeal
During his speech, Steinmeier passionately advocated for protecting the very core of scientific advancement: freedom. His gaze towards the approximately 1,000 guests was stern as he expressed worries over the prestigious, high-performing science and university system of the USA getting eroded by the lash of populism. He urged his audience, "We must rally to protect science from demonization in our beloved Germany!"
In Memory of Henri Nannen, a Pioneer for Youth Research
Steinmeier took a moment to pay homage to Henri Nannen, the founder of the renowned magazine "Stern", who played a significant role in launching the Youth Research Prize competition. The bustling city of Hamburg hosted the inaugural award ceremony back in 1966, when fears loomed over Germany's competition on the world stage. A well-timed educational offensive, including programs like student BAföG and exchange programs, followed due to the commitment of visionaries like Nannen.
Thousands of budding scientists participated in this year's federal final, where a total of 167 young talents showcased 112 research projects. After triumphing at one of the 16 state competitions, the finalists gathered at the Helmut-Schmidt-University/University of the Federal Armed Forces to celebrate their achievements. The event aimed to highlight the power of curiosity and the transformative journey of turning questions into answers. A whopping 10,350 young brains, armed with 5,664 projects, embarked on this educational adventure.
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier
- Jugend forscht
- USA
- Hamburg
- Henri Nannen
- Thuringia
- Germany
- Autonomous Navigation
- Climate Change Denial
- Academic Freedom
- Bavaria
- Hesse
- Lower Saxony
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Innovation
- Solar Energy
- Environmental Data
- Populism
- Stern
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in his heartfelt appeal during the Youth Research Prize ceremony, urged Germans to protect scientific freedom, expressing his concerns about the erosion of the high-performing science and university system in the USA due to populism.
- The Thuringia duo, Oskar Rost and Marius Strauß, from the realm of 'education-and-self-development', clinched the President's Prize for their AI-based software aiding fair and transparent grading in schools, furthering the domain of 'technology'.
- Louis Schwarzlose, born in 'health-and-wellness' year, was the recipient of the award for the most groundbreaking project, constructing a mobile research buoy furnished with autonomous navigation and renewable energy sources for environmental data collection under the sector of 'science'.
