DESY, DZA, and Ukrainian partners deepen collaboration in Lviv
During a visit last week to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, DESY Director for Astroparticle Physics Christian Stegmann and Stefan Ohm, Head of Regional Networking and Science Communication at the German Centre for Astrophysics (DZA), further deepened scientific ties to Ukraine.
Central to the visit was the signing of an extension to the memorandum of understanding originally concluded in October 2025 with the Ukrainian Astronomical Society. The aim is to strengthen cooperation with Ukrainian astronomy in order to support its reconstruction and development.
A new partner to the agreement is the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The extension was signed by Prof. Stanislav Dovhyi, President of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and a former Ukrainian Minister of Science, as well as by Prof. Iryna Vavilova, Vice President of the Ukrainian Astronomical Association. The expanded memorandum of understanding is intended to broaden the basis of the cooperation and, in particular, to involve young scientists even more strongly.
The meeting was also attended by the leadership of two major universities in Lviv: Prof. Nataliia Shakhovska, Rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University, and Prof. Roman Gladyshevskii, Rector of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
„Lviv is among the most important academic centres in Ukraine; the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and the National Polytechnic University are among the largest and most significant institutions of higher education in western Ukraine. With this extension of the agreement, we aim to further strengthen the scientific bridges between DESY, DZA, and our partners in Ukraine. Especially in the current situation, it is crucial to create long-term opportunities for collaboration, education, and joint research.“
Prof. Dr. Christian Stegmann, DESY, Director of Astroparticle Physics
„The discussions in Lviv once again demonstrated the strong interest in international cooperation. It is impressive to see how determined scientists, researchers, and students continue their work. We want to build upon that.“
Dr. Stefan Ohm, Leiter für Regionale Vernetzung und Wissenschaftskommunikation DZA
The visit also included a training session for teachers on radio astronomy aimed at introducing new approaches to teaching modern astrophysics in schools. The session was attended by teachers and university lecturers from Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv, and Charkiv. Based on an idea from the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), the format follows the “train-the-trainer” principle to establish a sustainable educational network. The training was conducted by Martin Schwinzerl, a research associate at DZA, and Valentyna Babur, a PhD student at DESY.
"Organizing the Space Radio for Ukraine project and this visit felt like bringing together everything DESY and DZA have been working towards in Ukraine over the past years. Educators from across Ukraine, a new memorandum with the Junior Academy of Sciences — it is a strong signal for the future, and I am excited about what comes next."
Pavlo Plotko, International Scientific Affairs, DZA
In addition, discussions were held with representatives of the Ivan Franko National University Observatory about potential collaborations in gamma-ray astronomy using the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). At Lviv Polytechnic National University, Christian Stegmann also gave a lecture on gravitational-wave astronomy.