News

On the birth anniversary of Prof. Algis Petras Piskarskas (1942–2022), the Vilnius University (VU) Foundation, in collaboration with the VU Faculty of Physics, announced the recipient of the Prof. A. P. Piskarskas Postdoctoral Fellowship. The inaugural named fellowship was awarded to Dr. Balys Momgaudis, a researcher at the VU Laser Research Center. The talented laser physics researcher was awarded a €20,000 named fellowship.

Two members of the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy of the Faculty of Physics have taken new roles in the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) for the 2024–2027 term.

Patrik Ščajev, a senior researcher at the Faculty of Physics of Vilnius University (VU), in collaboration with colleagues from the US, has published an article in the prestigious journal "Advanced Energy Materials". The research team applied an innovative method that has been advanced at VU and offered new insights into replacing silicon in the creation of more efficient and affordable solar cells.

The 68th International Conference for Students of Physics and Natural Sciences “Open Readings 2025” presents its first invited speakers!

In the wake of collaborations between national European research centers, a new course promoted by EuroCC Italy and EuroCC Lithuania has been established: “HPC Molecular Modelling“, scheduled from February 19th to 21st, 2025, in streaming mode.

Dr. Carlos Viscasillas Vázquez, Vilnius University, Faculty of Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy (ITPA), researcher undertook an academic visit to Lund University as part of the Erasmus+ for Teaching program.

A delegation from the Faculty of Physics visited CERN this week.

The 68th International Conference for Students of Physics and Natural Sciences “Open Readings 2025” invites its prospective participants to register!

Philanthropists Irena and Algirdas Juozapavičius have allocated €1.3 million from the inheritance of their late son to the Vilnius University (VU) Foundation. In memory of their son, a €1 million sub-fund named after Mantvydas Juozapavičius (1976–2023) has been established within the VU Foundation. One hundred thousand euros each has been allocated to the VU Life Sciences Center sub-fund, the Professor Algis Petras Piskarskas sub-fund, and to strengthen other VU Foundation initiatives. 

In the webinar SIESTA: a DFT code for large scale computational materials science in HPC environments, SIESTA founder Pablo Ordejón will share insights into the challenges and opportunities of computational materials science. He will explain how SIESTA, the tool he developed, enables the modelling of large atomic systems and how it adapts to today's and tomorrow's HPC environments. You will also learn about the further development of SIESTA and its application in scientific computing.

In celebration of World Photonics Day, The Vilnius University Foundation, together with the VU Faculty of Physics, announces a competition for the Prof. Algis Petras Piskarskas (1942-2022) Named Postdoctoral Fellowship, honoring one of the most renowned scientists in the country, known as the father of Lithuanian lasers.

The Žabolis family, patrons of Vilnius University (VU) and the city of Vilnius, entrepreneurs, and VU alumni Reda and Alvydas Žabolis, have donated 100,000 euros to the named Prof. Algis Petras Piskarskas Endowment Subfund, which was established last year. This subfund aims to promote and support research in laser physics.

On 10 October, the Senate of Vilnius University (VU) conferred the title of Honorary Doctor of Science on three distinguished scholars at a solemn meeting of the Senate held at the Church of St. Johns. Hans Kjeldsen, Professor of Aarhus University (Denmark) awarded Honorary Doctorate for his outstanding work in the field of the asteroseismic studies of stellar structure and in recognition of his close scientific bonds with Vilnius University.

On Tuesday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics to Professor John Hopfield from Princeton University (USA) and Professor Geoffrey Hinton from the University of Toronto (Canada) for fundamental discoveries enabling machine learning tasks using artificial neural networks. According to Dr Stepas Toliautas, an associate professor at the Institute of Chemical Physics at Vilnius University (VU), the awarded scientists applied principles from the field of physics that popularised the use of artificial neural networks for analysing complex data (e.g., images); due to these discoveries, neural networks are now an essential part of artificial intelligence systems.

Professor Gediminas Gaigalas, Vilnius University, Faculty of Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics (ITPA), a world-leading researcher in theoretical atomic physics, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Technology and Social Sciences, Malmö University.

This year, a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant was awarded to Prof. Mantas Šimėnas, a researcher from the Institute of Applied Electrodynamics and Telecommunications at the Faculty of Physics (FP) of Vilnius University (VU).

Vilnius University researchers and partners from the National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) are invited to apply for research projects in physics, chemistry, artificial intelligence and/or cyber security.

Coming to a foreign country can be both exciting and challenging. That's why Vilnius University (VU) invites all international students to participate in the Introduction Days. During these days, you can expect to meet faculty coordinators, take guided tours of VU, and join various interesting activities that will help you connect with both Lithuanian and international students.