Speaker
Description
In recent years, Germany has played a key role in supporting Ukrainian science, particularly in the fields of physics, astrophysics, and research infrastructure development. The Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) plays a significant part in this process as Germany’s leading national laboratory for accelerator physics, photon science, and astroparticle research.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, DESY has been among the first European institutions to join targeted initiatives supporting Ukrainian researchers, including the Ukrainian EURIZON program, and has recently joined the newly established Research Infrastructures for the Future of Ukraine (RIFF) platform. Moreover, DESY organizes annual DESY–Ukraine Summer Schools and training programs for Ukrainian students and scientists.
In 2024–2025, this cooperation has expanded to include the Deutsches Zentrum für Astrophysik (DZA) — a newly established national center for science, technology, and innovation located in Görlitz. The DZA focuses on astronomy, digitalisation, and cross-border collaboration in Eastern Europe. Together, DESY and DZA contribute to the Recovery of Ukrainian Astronomy initiative, aligned with the Rome Declaration of Intent for Science, Research, and Innovation in Ukraine (2023). The goal is to restore scientific infrastructure, strengthen researcher mobility, and reintegrate Ukrainian science into the European Research Area (ERA).
From DZA’s perspective, this cooperation extends beyond institutional partnerships and aims to connect Ukrainian researchers with Europe’s next-generation scientific infrastructures — including the Einstein Telescope, a planned underground interferometric observatory that will use advanced laser and photonics technologies to detect gravitational waves with unprecedented sensitivity. Such projects exemplify the deep synergy between astrophysics and photonics and underline the importance of international collaboration in advancing fundamental science.
Looking ahead, DESY and DZA aim to further strengthen German–Ukrainian collaboration, ensuring Ukraine’s participation in major international scientific projects and fostering the development of a sustainable, interconnected European research landscape.
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