Lukas Schmidt, at the University of Basel, recently began his Master’s studies in Physics. Before that, in the summer of 2025, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Computational Sciences, where he soon found his way into research.
The Computational Sciences program offers students the opportunity to combine studying science and computational methods. “This approach helps us solve complex problems that would be impossible without computational methods,” explains Schmidt.
As part of the “Computational Sciences Applications” lecture series, which is offered early on in the program, he learned about various research areas and projects in which this interdisciplinary approach is implemented. Among the lecturers was SKACH team member, Dr. Rubén Cabezón, who spoke about his work at the Center for Scientific Computing (sciCORE) at the University of Basel and about his research in astrophysics, particularly the SPH-EXA project, which he co-leads with Prof. Florina Ciorba, SKACH co-founder and Board Member.
International Research Collaboration
As part of the SPH-EXA project, researchers are developing new methods to enable extremely complex simulations on the world’s largest supercomputers. The aim is to simulate processes in the universe with unprecedented detail, such as the formation and merger of black holes, the formation of planets, and massive stellar explosions. Such simulations provide valuable insights for cosmology and astrophysics.
Moreover, the ability to simulate planet formation with high-resolution models will play an important role in consolidating Switzerland’s position as a leader in experimental physics and observational astronomy.
“I’ve always been fascinated by physics,” Schmidt recalls. “Rubén’s lecture inspired me so much that I simply wrote to him and asked whether I could get involved somehow, maybe through an internship.”
That initiative paid off. He was soon offered an internship and subsequently even a student assistant position in the HPC group of Prof. Florina Ciorba at DMI to work in the SPH-EXA project, even though he was only at the beginning of his bachelor’s degree. “For internships, the academic stage matters less than what people may think,” says Cabezón. “We see the person, not the semester in which they are. Experience is a plus, but willingness to learn and collaborate, being pro-active, and delivering results is what really matters.”
For six months, Schmidt worked full time in the project, taking a short break from his studies. Even after returning to university, he continued contributing to the SPH-EXA team on a smaller scale. His work focused on the physical validation of the methods developed within the project. “Every particle we know from physics has certain properties and you can encode these,” he explains. “By combining many such digital particles, we can create simulations, which we then compare against the physical laws we already know.”
For him, high performance computing is an indispensable tool, yet should be used thoughtfully, “HPC allows us to explore scales that are far beyond what conventional experiments can achieve. Supercomputers give us the computational power to push the boundaries of physics but at the same time they consume a great deal of energy and we need to use the resource responsibly.”
Research Begins with Initiative
He is now studying for a master’s degree in physics. The experience he gained during his time on the SPH-EXA project has enriched his academic path. Cabezón is convinced that more students should take the initiative to get involved in research early on: “Lukas did something I wish more students would do: use the university’s access to researchers. This is by far the best way to gain hands-on experience in actual research within a collaborative and international atmosphere. In my opinion, one of the most valuable benefits a student can get from their university.”
While moving from an internship to a paid research position is not always straightforward, Cabezón notes that it can happen under the right circumstances: “In Lukas’ case, he approached the work as an experienced researcher, with devotion and respect, independence, and a strong willingness to contribute. The decision of welcoming him into our project was easy.”
The work on the SPH-EXA project was demanding and required considerable effort, yet it was exactly the kind of challenge that inspired Schmidt, “I was able to work on questions that touch on the bigger picture, which made every single day exciting. The experience confirmed and deepened my interests.”