On Friday, December 1, 2023, an Cooperation Agreement between the prestigious Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the Institute of Physics Belgrade and the Faculty of Physics of the University of Belgrade, as well as an Agreement on Scientific and Technological cooperation between INFN and University in Belgrade, were signed at the Rectorate of the University of Belgrade.
“Cooperation with Italy has been very good in recent years, primarily thanks to the Italian Embassy, and this Agreement represents the continuation of successful cooperation,” said Dr. Vladan Djokic, Rector of the University of Belgrade, at the event.
“In the field of research, the ties between Serbia and Italy are long-lasting. Numerous agreements have been signed, and the most important is the one that was signed in March of this year at the Italy-Serbia Business and Science Forum,” said H.E. Luca Gori, Ambassador of Italy to Serbia. The Ambassador emphasized that the new document builds on the agreement from 2015, and that the important new point is related to the ambitious Einstein telescope project, in which researchers and engineers from Serbia will be able to participate.
Dr. Aleksandar Bogojević, Director of the Institute of Physics Belgrade, addressed the audience and reminded that the Institute has a strategic partnership with the Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics.
“This partnership includes cooperation in basic and applied research, technology transfer, two-way mobility of researchers and exchange of administrative and organizational skills.” For the Institute of Physics, this is a long-term partnership that takes place in parallel with the growth of business and cultural partnership between our countries,” said Dr. Bogojević.
The signed Agreement could be a turning point in the cooperation between Italian and Serbian physicists and will affect the further cooperation of these institutions, as well as the potential possibilities of applying new technologies in both countries.
Željka Dukić addressed the audience on behalf of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, looking back at the various forms of scientific cooperation between the two countries and announcing the mobility programs that are being prepared.
After the Agreement was signed, Luciano Catani, Science Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Belgrade, reminded the audience of the main instruments of scientific cooperation between Italy and Serbia and the most important documents. During his presentation, he also announced a Scientific and Business Forum that will be held in Trieste in 2024 and where new opportunities for institutions and companies from Serbia can arise.
Dr. Ivan Belča, Dean of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Belgrade, emphasized that the previous cooperation in the field of physics was primarily related to the physics of elementary particles, while now, with the Einstein telescope project, it is moving to a new level.
prof. Dr. Marco Pallavicini, INFN Vice-President, held a presentation of the Einstein telescope project. He reminded of a new way to observe the universe, gravitational waves, and that Italy already has an instrument for detecting gravitational waves, Virgo, but that the Einstein telescope would be the next step.
Italy is working to build a telescope in Sardinia because the idea originated in Italy but also because Sardinia is an ideal, geologically stable place with a low population density,” said Dr. Palavicini and expressed the hope that researchers from Serbia will find a lot of space to participate in this project.
Photos by: Bojan Džodan/IPB