Thanks to the efforts of the Faculty of Sciences, P.J. Šafárik University in Košice, and its NCPXFEL, the first visit by high school students from Eastern Slovakia is being organized as part of the Xcool Lab educational program created by the European XFEL – a European research center near Hamburg that operates the world’s most powerful X-ray laser.
Talented students will participate in the educational program – winners of science competitions in physics, biology, and other natural sciences – will take place from October 12-15, 2026, directly on the European XFEL campus, where laboratories equipped for physics and biology experiments are available for high school students from shareholder countries.
Slovak students will participate in an experimental physics program titled “The Invisible World of X-rays” and a biology program titled “Enzymatics – Isolation and Characterization of Alcohol Dehydrogenase”.
To help students better prepare for the exercises, NCPXFEL, in collaboration with the Institute of Physics at the Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, will hold a preparatory meeting for Xcool Lab participants will be held. The program of lectures and exercises.
Participation in Xcool Lab 2026 will certainly be a valuable experience for the students, allowing them to expand their specialized knowledge, become familiar with the international scientific community, and motivating them to study at the Faculty of Science at UPJŠ in Košice. Twenty four students from nine high schools in Prešov and Košice regions will participate in the event. The costs of the stay at the European XFEL will be covered by the European XFEL and the NCPXFEL project.
