"Fascination Brain" - 33rd Summer Academy of the Gifted Foundation of Kreissparkasse Köln 86 upper secondary school students will participate in the 33rd Summer Academy of the Gifted Foundation of Kreissparkasse Köln from July 18-27, 2026 at the Physics Center Bad Honnef

How do emotions actually arise, how does our memory work, or can moral behavior be explained neurobiologically? These are some of the questions addressed by one of the six offerings, the working group "Fascination Brain – Current Topics in Brain Research" led by Dr. Michael Linkwitz. In addition to imparting the necessary basic knowledge, this working group will discuss the latest findings in brain research.

In addition to the interdisciplinary subjects "Neurobiology," "Mathematics," "Forensics," and "Psychology," students can enroll in the humanities course "Performing Literature." This working group offers a creative space to engage deeply with questions of identity, gender, relationships, and norms through theater, movement, and writing. Building on personal thoughts and impulses, the young participants develop their own performative scenes on stage.
Furthermore, a working group on "Criminology" will also be offered again. Here, the students will delve into the world of crime and examine criminal behavior through the lens of legal sciences, incorporating current debates in criminal law.

The 33rd Summer Academy of the Gifted Foundation of Kreissparkasse Köln will take place from July 18 to July 27, 2026, at the Physics Center Bad Honnef. This year’s academy will host 86 upper secondary school students (65 girls and 21 boys) representing 40 different schools. The schools participating in the Summer Academy are located exclusively within the funding area of the Kreissparkasse Köln Foundations, which includes the Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, and Oberbergischer Kreis. 

The young participants will be taught in small groups (maximum of 15 participants) over nine school days. The daily class schedule begins on Saturday, July 18 at 10:00 AM, followed by daily classes from Sunday, July 19 to Sunday, July 25 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM. For this, they can choose one of the six mentioned working groups.

In addition, this year the Foundation will organize ten different full-day or half-day workshops outside of the working groups, from which the students can select one or two workshops. The topics are diverse, ranging from personality development seminars, political-historical discussions, practical financial knowledge, to a hike around the Drachenfels.

In the accompanying program, lectures by experts from various fields followed by discussions will be offered to the students. Guests will include North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul, former NATO Admiral Joachim Rühle, Alena Struzh from "Reporters Without Borders," and Toby Rudolph, magician and physicist.

The Summer Academy will conclude on Monday, July 27, 2026, from 4:00 PM to approximately 6:00 PM, in the auditorium of the Siebengebirgsgymnasium. Here, the participants will present their findings and subsequently receive their certificates from Jutta Weidenfeller, board member of Kreissparkasse Köln and board of the Gifted Foundation, as well as Christian Brand, managing director of the Kreissparkasse Köln Foundations.