12th BPU CONGRESS – Bucharest, Romania
(8-12 July, 2025)
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3rd BALKAN SUMMER SCHOOL

Balkan Summer School on Artificial Intelligence for Science “Empowering the Next Generation of AI Scientists” August 24-28, American Farm School Thessalloniki.
 
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the way science is conducted, accelerating discovery across disciplines and enabling researchers to address challenges that were unimaginable only a few years ago. From exploring the Universe and analysing particle collisions to predicting earthquakes, discovering new materials, modelling climate systems and decoding biological processes, AI has become an essential tool for scientific research.
 
The Balkan Summer School on Artificial Intelligence for Science brings together talented secondary school students from across the Balkan region to explore how AI is reshaping the frontiers of scientific knowledge. Through inspiring lectures by leading scientists, hands-on workshops, computational activities and collaborative projects, participants will discover how machine learning, data science and intelligent algorithms are applied in astronomy, particle physics, Earth observation, space exploration, environmental science, robotics and computer science.
 
Beyond developing technical skills, the Summer School aims to cultivate scientific curiosity, critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and responsible innovation. Participants will experience how AI complements human creativity, helping scientists formulate new questions, analyse complex data and make evidence-based discoveries.
 
By connecting outstanding young minds with internationally recognised researchers, the Summer School seeks to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators who will shape the future of science in the AI era.
 
Kostas Vourlias
Hellenic Physical Society Secretary General
Balkan Physical Union Secretary General

8th BALKAN PHYSICS OLYMPIAD 2026

We are delighted to announce the organization of the 8th Balkan Physics Olympiad–BPO8, June 27-30, 2026, Istanbul Atatürk Science High School İstanbul Turkiye.
 
The Turkish Physical Society (TPS) will be host and organize the 8th Balkan Physics Olympiad – 2026 (BPO8) under the auspices of the Balkan Physical Union (BPU). The competition will be supported by the European Physical Society (EPS), Turkish Ministry of Education, Istanbul Atatürk Science High School, Maltepe University, Nişantası University and Sani Şener Foundation.
 
The Turkish Physical Society (TPS) is expected to welcome students from 10 BPU countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Türkiye) and 7 guest countries (Avusturya (Austria), Bosna-Hersek, Hırvatistan (Croatia), Kazakhstan, Slovenya, Türkmenistan, Oman) in İstanbul Türkiye.
 
For further information please contact: bpo8.tfd@gmail.com; seneroktik@gmail.com

Invitation to Join the ERATOSTHENES Experiment

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The Eratosthenes experiment March 2026 (https://eratosthenes.ea.gr/) will take place on the March equinox day, Friday the 20th of March (see here). 
 
In 240 B.C., the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes made the first good measurement of the size of Earth. By noting the angles of shadows in two locations on the Summer Solstice, and by performing the right calculations using his knowledge of geometry and the distance between the locations, Eratosthenes was able to make a remarkably accurate calculation of the circumference of Earth. Read the full story here:
https://eratosthenes.ea.gr/eratosthenes/. Carl Sagan presents the Eratosthenes Experiment here.
 
 
This year the Balkan Physical Union joins forces with Ellinogermaniki Agogi in organising a repetition of the Eratosthenes experiment for Balkan schools. Hundreds of schools are involved in this activity every year. Schools can perform the experiment in collaboration with another school that shares the same longitude or if no other schools can be found on the same longitude – for schools matchup – schools can consider the existence of a virtual school on the equator with experimental data 0 (shade of a one-meter stick measured at local noon) and conduct the experiment by yourself. Schools that register till Thursday 26th of February 15:00 CET will receive the next day an e-mail with the coordinates of potential matching schools along with the information (email) of their contact persons, so that they can communicate and arrange their match-up during the day of the experiment. 
 
You can register here: https://eratosthenes.ea.gr/register/
 
Ellinogermaniki Agogi, in the framework of the Green Deal EU Programme, is introducing in parallel a “green” version of the experiment, by finding the optimal inclination of a small solar panel for maximum energy production during local noon. It is expected that the panel’s inclination during this time will match the latitude of the experiment location. More information is available here:  https://eratosthenes.ea.gr/eratosthenes-goes-green/
 
The website (https://eratosthenes.ea.gr/) includes detailed guidelines and information – along with lesson plans – for interested schools.

The idea to found the Balkan Physical Union was first devised and put in motion by Prof A. Milojevic (Yugoslavia) and Prof. I Ursu (Romania) at the VIII Congress of the Union of Yugoslav Societies of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers (UYSMPA), held in Pristina (Yugoslavia) in Nov. 1985 where the proposal was accepted. The reason leading to the forming of such a non-governmental, non profit scientific organization stemmed from the positive experiences of Scandinavian scientific unions and some other ideas coming from the Mathematical Union.

The first Balkan Physical Union Council meeting was held in Bucharest in 1987, when the Constitution of the BPU was signed by the Balkan National Physical Society delegates from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia. Turkey’s signature was accepted later.

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