In addition to its research and work with university students, as well as initiatives aimed at secondary school students, the Institute of Physics Belgrade welcomes primary school students. An eighth-grade student of the French School in Belgrade, Maxim Smith, spent a week at the Institute in February 2025. He was hosted by researchers of the Laboratory for Atomic Collision Processes, and he also toured other Institute’s laboratories, gaining insight into various research topics.
‘This educational visit allowed me to see for the first time how physics operates in the professional world’, says Smith, explaining that in the French educational system, secondary school students choose specific courses, with his choice being mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering.
According to his words, during his visit to the Institute, his attention was captivated by the Photonics Centre, particularly the Laboratory for Biophysics. ‘What fascinated me the most was the application of lasers in medicine,’ explains Smith.
Dr Jelena Maljković from the Laboratory for Atomic Collision Processes, who mentored Maxim Smith through this educational visit, emphasizes the importance of gaining practical knowledge during schooling. ‘Each educational visit can turn into an invaluable experience, inspiring someone to choose a certain career. Educational visits to the Institute of Physics foster networking with researchers in the fields students are interested in and provide a learning experience in a safe environment,’ says Dr Maljković.
The Institute of Physics, the first national institute of the Republic of Serbia, has been dedicated to education, in addition to its commitment to science and innovation, and it places great importance on novel educational ideas. Along with visits and work with university students who have taken part in student internships in great numbers this year, the Institute remains open to working with both secondary and primary school students, reinforcing its role as a national institute.
‘This experience will definitely make an impact on my future plans,’ says Maxim Smith, accentuating the importance of such opportunities for students to explore science beyond the classroom before making their choice about their future career. ‘I still don’t know whether physics is my future career choice, but it is certainly one of my favourite subjects. I am not sure whether I will take on research work in the future, but it is one of my options,’ he adds, saying that ‘everybody should experience what it looks like in reality before making a decision.’
