On 16 January, the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP UL) was visited by Costas Fountas, President of the CERN Council, as part of a broader visit to Latvia that included meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as research institutions at Riga Technical University and the University of Latvia. The visit provided representatives of Europe’s leading nuclear research organization with a closer look at Latvia’s scientific capabilities and strategic research priorities.
During the visit, ISSP UL presented its expertise in materials science. Director Andris Anspoks provided an overview of the Institute’s research activities and key strategic directions, followed by presentations from our leading researchers. Anatolijs Popovs discussed the historical and current cooperation between ISSP UL and CERN, while Aleksejs Kuzmins examined in greater depth the potential of X-ray absorption spectroscopy in advancing CERN’s research objectives. Following the presentations, the visiting delegation took a tour of the Spectroscopy Laboratory, led by its Head and leading researcher Anatolijs Šarakovskis.
Several ISSP UL researchers are already collaborating with CERN, and the Institute welcomes the visit as a potential first step toward laying the groundwork for new initiatives and future collaborations.
