German Italian Physics Exchange 2023

Between my Bachelor's degree and the beginning of my Master's degree, I had the unique opportunity to participate in the German Italian Physics Exchange (GIPE). This event is organised annually by the Associazione Italiana Studenti di Fisica (AISF) and the young German Physics Society (jDPG).

The event lasted a total of 5 days and was held in Bari (Italy). The programme included various lectures by professionals from science and industry, visits to university research facilities and finally an excursion to the largest privately-owned space company in Italy. In addition to the scientific programme, there was also a wide range of cultural activities. These included city tours in Polignano a Mare and the old town of Bari, as well as networking opportunities between the Italian and German students. Even though five days is a very short time, a sense of community and trust was formed among the participants, which I have never experienced in this form before in the context of such a short programme.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire GIPE organisation team. As a member of the national board of the jDPG, I have organised multi-day events on a national level, so I can briefly imagine the time and passion that went into this international programme. I am very much looking forward to the next edition of this event in 2024 in Germany, which we as jDPG will host and organise.