Balkan Physical Union️ 1 month ago

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to speak to 15 Polish students (from Akademeia High School) and their 15 Greek classmates (from Ellinogermaniki Agogi) about Neutrino Astronomy - a field born in 1987, which I was fortunate enough to serve from 1992 to 1998. I stole - slightly modifying - the title of a talk given by Francis Halzen of the University of Wisconsin–Madison: “Ice-Fishing for Neutrinos”. Halzen gave the original talk at Burg Liebenzell, near Karlsruhe, in April 1998, during the workshop “Physics at Cosmic Accelerators,” where I was representing the NESTOR Experiment at the time. I used that title to tell the story of this unique field of research, which is still in its youth. And today, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Francis Halzen for his vision and his belief in the creation of neutrino telescopes.It feels especially meaningful to have shared this story with a new generation of students just days before this recognition.

Balkan Physical Union️ 2 months ago

European Researchers Night - Greece

Balkan Physical Union️ 2 months ago

Within PICO Project and European Researchers’ Night 2026, BPU is helping extend science engagement across Southeast Europe, connecting researchers, universities, schools and the wider public in Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Türkiye and Cyprus, alongside the wider European PICO network. The initiative reflects BPU’s role as an umbrella organisation for the physical societies of the Balkan region and its commitment to strengthening cooperation, physics education and public outreach. Across the Balkans, Researchers’ Night offers a rich variety of activities designed for students, teachers, families and citizens of all ages: popular-science talks and seminars, interactive workshops, hands-on activities and experiments, demonstrations, games, astronomical observations and opportunities to meet and discuss directly with researchers. In Iași, Romania, for example, the event at Palas Garden, organised by Alexandru Ioan Cuza University together with the Romanian Physical Society, brings science out of the laboratories through spectacular experiments, demonstrations, astronomy and interactive activities covering physics, chemistry, biology, geology, technology and the natural sciences. In Türkiye, Maltepe University in Istanbul combines expert talks with connections to major international experiments, including KATRIN, CERN-CMS and Virgo, as well as live astronomical observation and presentations ranging from black holes and astrophysics to green technologies. Complementing these local activities, participants throughout the Balkans can join common online experiences and virtual visits to leading European research infrastructures, including KATRIN, CERN’s CMS experiment and the Virgo gravitational-wave detector, together with live astronomical observations. In this way, the BPU contributes to creating a genuine Balkan network of science outreach, combining talks, seminars, workshops, experiments and hands-on discovery to make modern physics accessible to everyone and to bring the research community closer to society. #balkanphysicalunion #openschools #europe #eureasearchersnight

Balkan Physical Union️ 2 months ago

The European Researchers Night Events in Moldova are organised by the EU-funded project Sci-TRUST ‘Fostering trust in science’, which focuses on combating misinformation, promoting careers in research and STEAM fields and strengthening the connections between education and research. The programme includes an ECO Fashion Show (TUM Design Faculty), presentation of research results by R&D organisations, an exhibition and contest titled ‘Creation opens the Universe’, interactive activities for children and master-classes, an open night at the Planetarium (Chișinău) / in Research Laboratories (Bălți), and a musical show. In Chișinău, the event will take place at UTM Park on Studenților Street. In Bălți, the Night will take place in the square of the ‘Alecu Russo’, State University on Pușkin Street. The Balkan Physical Union supports these initiatives through PICO Project. This cooperation between two European Researchers Night Initiatives offer a unique opportunity for further cooperation in the field of science communication and education. As the Republic of Moldova advances in the EU accession process, rebuilding the relationship between science and society becomes essential for democratic participation and integration into the European Research Area.

Balkan Physical Union️ 2 months ago

European Reseachers Night Events in Iasi, Galati and Craiova: Science as an Agent of Change and Cooperation.