ELI delegation visit to Warsaw for discussions about future engagement of Poland in ELI ERIC
On 28 September 2021, an ELI ERIC delegation participated in a round table meeting at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw (MUT) with Polish stakeholders and members of the ELI-Polska consortium to explore a possible Polish membership in ELI ERIC and identify concrete steps for how to achieve this.
The program kicked off with an opening speech from Przemysław Wachulak, Rector of the Military University of Technology who emphasised the importance of the ELI for modern science and society, and welcomed the prospect of tightening the cooperation between ELI and the Polish scientific community, as well as the University. An overview of the current status at the ELI facilities and corresponding technical, scientific, and organisational developments was given by Allen Weeks, Director General of ELI ERIC. Additionally, a new program created by the Ministry of Education and Science in Poland to support involvement of Polish research teams in ESFRI projects, including participation contributions, was also introduced by Michal Rybinski, Head of Unit Strategic Research Infrastructures (MES).
The ELI-Polska consortium consists of universities and research institutes interested in participating in the use of the research capacities of ELI. During the meeting, representatives of the consortium presented examples of cooperation with ELI so far and plans for the future. The speakers mentioned the considerable actions of the ELI-Polska consortium aimed at the promotion of ELI among Polish students and the younger generation of scientists who may be future users of the ELI facilities. ELI ERIC pledged support for these opportunities to collaborate.
“Poland has been an active contributor to ELI and the ELI community and this meeting strengthened the discussions about the possibility of Poland to join ELI ERIC as a member in the near future. There are already existing efforts connecting Poland to ELI, including construction of unique instruments, joint experiments, and training students from the Wroclaw University of Technology at the ELI facilities. These activities create a strong foundation to pursue future cooperation” – said Henryk Fiedorowicz, Professor of the Institute of Optoelectronics at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw.
The next step in the activity of the ELI-Polska consortium will be the submission of an application to the Polish Ministry of Education and Science to initiate activities aimed at Poland becoming a member of ELI ERIC. The possibility of organising an Information ELI Day in Krakow in spring 2022 was discussed.
Source: eli-laser.eu
Photo source: MUT