Since 2009, DIPC has organised the massively popular top@DIPC – Zientziarekin solasean! encounters, bringing Nobel Prize laureates and other leading international scientists together with secondary school students from across the Basque Country in sessions moderated by Pedro Miguel Etxenike. During the Passion for Knowledge festival, the presence of the festival’s distinguished guest scientists provides the ideal opportunity to host the annual edition of these meetings.
The goal is to spark young people’s curiosity about science and inspire future scientific careers. The encounters give students the chance to learn first-hand about the scientific achievements and personal journeys of the invited speakers. Before attending, participating schools explore the biographies of the guest scientists in the classroom and prepare the questions they would like to ask. During each session, all registered schools have the opportunity to take part, with questions selected at random through a draw.
As part of P4K 2026, the 16th edition of top@ DIPC – Zientziarekin solasean! encounters will feature two sessions. The first will take place on 29 September at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre in Donostia/San Sebastián, while the second will be held on 1 October at Bizkaia Aretoa (EHU) in Bilbao. In an informal and welcoming setting, students will have the opportunity to talk with some of the world’s leading scientists and put their questions to them directly.
Each session will feature two or three internationally renowned researchers from different scientific fields, selected from the P4K 2026 plenary speakers. They will be joined once again by Pedro Miguel Etxenike, who will moderate the discussions. The invited scientists will share their passion for research, reflect on their professional journeys, and answer questions from the student audience.
Programme:
- 29 September, Teatro Victoria Eugenia (Donostia-San Sebastián), 9:00 am-12:30 pm
- 1 October, Bizkaia Aretoa (Bilbao), 9:00 am-12:30 pm
The full programme will be announced in September, when registration will also open. To make sure you don’t miss any updates, we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter for teachers.
Best Question Award
At each session, a prize will be awarded for the most interesting or original question asked by a student. This award is made possible thanks to the generous support of Telefónica and Fundación EDP, both members of the DIPC Board of Partners, who will take part in the Bilbao and Donostia / San Sebastián events, respectively.
The award is intended to encourage young people’s curiosity about science while enriching the discussion. The winners will be announced live during each session.
