On Sunday, 15 February 2026, the second-level experimental round of the 75th Physics Olympiad in the Rzeszów district was held at the Institute of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Exact and Technical Sciences, University of Rzeszów. The aim of the Physics Olympiad is to promote physics, nurture students’ interests, and stimulate the cognitive activity of secondary school pupils, as well as to encourage independent learning. The Olympiad is conducted in three stages. Tasks for the first stage are completed by participants electronically via the Olympiad’s online platform (Part I) and submitted to the relevant Regional Committees in either paper or electronic form (Part II). The second stage, comprising both theoretical and experimental tasks, takes place within the respective districts. This year, 54 secondary school students from across the Subcarpathian Voivodeship participated in the first stage of the competition in the Rzeszów district. In the second-stage theoretical competition, held on 11 January 2026, 36 students took part, while the 11 most talented students qualified for the experimental round.

The experimental round of the second stage is, in every edition of the Physics Olympiad, the final meeting with participants in each district, including the Rzeszów district. At this stage, students have the opportunity to visit the University of Rzeszów, particularly the modern A0 building and its student laboratories. Their visit also provides a chance to promote our Institute, Faculty, and the University as a whole, as well as to build connections with the most talented young people interested in the sciences. It is worth emphasising that winners are not yet determined at this stage — this occurs only during the central competition in Warsaw. However, simply qualifying for the second-stage experimental round is a significant achievement; in practice, all participants at this stage are already young “winners,” representing the highest level of knowledge, skills, and commitment.

For the participants — our potential future students — the University of Rzeszów’s Promotion Office provided gifts: UR-branded items. These undoubtedly served as a pleasant and meaningful complement to their work on the physics experiments.