Elite Istanbul school to conduct nuclear experiment at CERN

ISTANBUL

Students from Istanbul’s Cağaloğlu High School have become the first team from Türkiye to win a place in one of the world’s most prestigious school competitions, the Beamline for Schools (BL4S) program organized by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

Their physics team, PhysiCal, was selected as one of just five winners worldwide for its project targeting the reduction of nuclear waste through experiments on the spallation process. The 12th edition of the competition drew over 3,500 proposals from 72 countries.

As part of the prize, the students will spend two weeks at CERN this month conducting their own experiment alongside leading scientists.

Chemistry teacher and team coordinator Osman Türcan described the success as the fruit of years of dedication.

“Our students did not start this work a year ago. It has been years of effort, sacrifice and perseverance. They learned to think and work like scientists, to write reports, to face setbacks without giving up. The experience has shaped their characters as much as their knowledge.”

Türcan said the achievement should be seen as only a beginning.

“We must always make our name known through science. My students will go on to the best universities and laboratories in the world and I believe, eventually return to serve our country. This success will inspire other schools as well.”

Team captain Baran Buluttekin called the CERN opportunity “a huge professional and personal motivation,” adding that the positive outcome compensated for earlier setbacks in other competitions.

Team member Defne Karaoğlu emphasized the project’s broader aim.

“Nuclear energy will be increasingly used in the future, but its waste remains hazardous for thousands of years. By focusing on the spallation process, we sought to shorten that lifespan and offer a solution to one of nuclear power’s greatest challenges.”

Meanwhile, Yaren Başman emphasized that the success is significant not only for their own futures but for Türkiye as a whole: “Many students have reached out to us. This achievement has become an inspiration for our peers who wish to pursue science. Promoting science in our country is extremely valuable to us.”