Dr Falk Ebert, Prof. Wolfgang Ketterle (2001 Nobel Laureate) and Don Duffield
The journey of Team South Africa into the world of the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) began in 2015, when two passionate educators crossed paths at the Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT) at MIT. Don Duffield, then Head of Science at Parklands College in Cape Town, met Dr Falk Ebert, an enthusiastic German physics teacher from Herder Gymnasium in Berlin. Dr Ebert’s passion for IYPT as a platform to engage high school students in real-world physics proved inspiring and transformative.
Dr Falk Ebert, Seth Vogler, Devon Crowther, Frank Smuts and Don Duffield (GYPT 2017)
Thanks to the efforts of Dr Ebert and the German Physical Society (DPG), Parklands College was invited to participate in the German Young Physicists’ Tournament (GYPT) in 2017, sending a team of three learners. The learners exceeded expectations, performing remarkably well at this highly competitive event — an achievement that laid the foundation for continued involvement in IYPT.
Dr Florian Ostermaier, Seth Volger, Enzo Peres Afonso, Sita Punwassi, Don Duffield and Dr Falk Ebert (GYPT 2018)
Jordan Henning, Don Duffield, Juhi Sewchurran (Team Captain), Dr Alistair Douglas and Jana Grobbelaar
Encouraged by the strong showing at GYPT, Parklands College received a second invitation to GYPT in 2018 from Dr Florian Ostermaier, Head of GYPT. That same year, Don Duffield attended IYPT 2018 in Beijing as a guest and observer, at the invitation of Prof. Martin Plesch, the President of IYPT. These experiences cemented South Africa’s commitment to the ideals of IYPT and its mission to nurture young physicists on a global stage.
It also became clear that for a team to compete effectively at IYPT, a dedicated management team was essential. This team would need to include a professional experimental physicist and a postgraduate mentor capable of supporting team members with advanced tasks such as coding and computational modelling.
In 2019, Don Duffield partnered with Dr Alistair Douglas, a professional experimental physicist and teacher at St. John’s College in Johannesburg. Together, they embarked on an ambitious path to establish Team South Africa. Despite fielding only three learners, South Africa officially participated for the first time in IYPT 2019 in Warsaw. While the team did not take part in the main tournament, they engaged in valuable practice fights against Team Macedonia — another newcomer to IYPT. This experience demonstrated both the resolve and determination of the South African learners.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected challenges, halting South Africa’s plans to compete in IYPT in both 2020 and 2021. Nevertheless, the team’s commitment did not waver. Instead, the leadership regrouped and added a key new member to the management team: Frank Smuts, a former GYPT participant and rising academic in applied mathematics. With renewed focus and strength, South Africa prepared for the IYPT 2022 tournament in Timișoara, Romania.
For the first time, South Africa fielded a full-strength team of five learners, drawn from multiple schools. The team proudly competed in the main tournament and even faced the formidable Team Singapore, six-time IYPT world champions. South Africa finished 22nd out of 25 teams, ahead of several more experienced nations — a remarkable outcome for a team still early in its international journey. As the well-known Chinese proverb reminds us:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Dr Alistair Douglas, Frank Smuts, Mthawelanga Nhuku, Yu Tang Shan (Captain), Jianqiao Song, Bianca Altini, Hein Gertenbach and Don Duffield