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Activities, success and Activities, success and experiences of the experiences of the

Roland Eötvös Physical Roland Eötvös Physical SocietySociety

in Hungaryin Hungary

Dr. Csaba Sükösd Dr. Csaba Sükösd vice presidentvice president

Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsBudapest University of Technology and EconomicsDepartment of Nuclear TechniquesDepartment of Nuclear Techniques

Head of departmentHead of department

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Roland Eötvös Roland Eötvös (1848 – 1919 ) (1848 – 1919 ) Hungarian Physicist Hungarian Physicist Professor of PhysicsProfessor of Physics President of the Hungarian Academy of Sci.President of the Hungarian Academy of Sci. Minister of Education (long sighted) Minister of Education (long sighted)

His most important achievementsHis most important achievements Scientific Scientific • Eötvös-pendulum Eötvös-pendulum (used in geology, petrol- and mine-industry) (used in geology, petrol- and mine-industry)• Heavy and inert masses are proportionalHeavy and inert masses are proportional (10 (10-8 -8 precision! Important for general relativity)precision! Important for general relativity)

Social and educationSocial and education• Created several educational institutionsCreated several educational institutions• Mathematical and Physical Journal (1890)Mathematical and Physical Journal (1890)• Mathematical and Physical Society Mathematical and Physical Society (1891)(1891)• Special College for talented youthSpecial College for talented youth

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1891 „Mathematical and Physical Society”

(created by Roland Eötvös)

The Eötvös Society has a long (120 year) tradition

1919 „Roland Eötvös Mathematical and Physical Society”

(after Eötvös death it was renamed after its founder)

1949Roland Eötvös Physical Society

1949János Bólyai Mathematical Society

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Membership today: over 1200 members

~60% Physics teachers (primary and secondary school)

~35% Research physicists and academia

~ 5% Students (university and secondary schools)

The Roland Eötvös Physical Society

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• Edits an own periodical: Review of Physics (Fizikai Szemle) (scientific and physics teaching articles)

The Roland Eötvös Society

• Co-edits (with the János Bólyai Society) Maths and Phys. Problems for Secondary School Pupils (nationwide problem-solving contest during a year)• and editing several other teaching material

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International relations, networking

• Member of the European Physical Society

• GIREP (1970 – 2002),

even presidency (George Marx, 1992-1995)

• Strong cooperation with many

other societies in Europe and overseas

• Preparing the Hungarian delegation for the

International Physics Olympics

The Roland Eötvös Physical Society

George Marx (1927-2002)

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Annual conference for physics teachers• Plenary lectures: newest achievements of physics research• Workshops: Discussion of didactical and methodological • issues• Fair: new, innovative „hands-on” experiments• Forum: discussion with representants of the ministry• Awards for teachers

Examples of the successful educational activites

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Organisation of nationwide physics competitions• Eötvös Physics Competition (high-school and first univ. level)• Rudolf Ortvay Physics Competition (university level)• József Öveges Physics Competition (primary school level)• Leo Szilárd Competition for Modern Physics (high-school)• … many moore

Theoretical problems Measurements Computer simulations

Examples of the successful educational activites(continued)

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Organisation of teacher upgrade trainings• Inside Hungary (several programs)• one-week training in CERN (annually, for 40 teachers)

• „usual” CERN-program (lectures, visits, cloud-chamber)• visit the TOKAMAK in Lausanne• additional physics experiments (6 experiments) • Aiguille du Midi (Mont Blanc)

Examples of the successful educational activites(continued)

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An example of long-time success

Influencing the science curriculum reform between 1970-1980 • Introducing modern physics subjects • introducing nuclear and radiation protection subjects• organising special teacher-training programs in nuclear• distributing GM-counters to schools where teachers attended

Results • In 1986 (Chernobyl accident) schools measured and interpreted the radiation levels correctly • Now the population is 78% in favour of nuclear energy (last Eurobarometer). Long-time effect!• The only field where the goverment and opposition agree is nuclear (vote in the Parliament on 30. March 2010.)

Bad news • Since 1990 the number of physics lessons has been decreased by a factor of 2, + serious cuts in the educational budget. SCIENTIX Brussels

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Conclusions, messages

• Bring together teachers and researchers. Mutually beneficial • Children like contests. Use this to motivate them! • Motivate children by introducing relevant, modern topics• Your work may influence the scientific literacy of a whole generation. It may have effect even on the country’s policy!

• Whatever you do NOW (good or bad) in education, shows its effects only ~20 years later. No short-time effect. • Therefore some politicians - focusing only to win the next election - are tempted to cut finances in the educational field. Everyone feeling responsible for the future should fight against it.

Thank you for your attention

sukosd@reak.bme.husukosd@reak.bme.hu

SCIENTIX Brussels