Simons Science School in Chemistry and Physics 2025
From September 28 to October 5, 2025 in Vienna
STEM education and the training of future scientists, innovators, and high-tech entrepreneurs play a key role in Ukraine's future recovery. The Ukrainian education system excels at identifying gifted youths and at nurturing them in specialised STEM schools and a highly-developed culture of science olympiads and research competitions. This experience should be studied and supported at the highest level, recognizing it as a national asset. Collaborative projects in STEM education between Ukraine and the EU will be to everyone's benefit and promote Ukraine's further integration into the EU.
The Simons Science School in Chemistry and Physics is a one-week program for Ukrainian high school students who have excelled at science competitions. The goal is to foster the students’ interest in science, to introduce them to potential research careers, and to inspire them to apply their talents to shape Ukraine’s future. During their week in Vienna, participants will engage with cutting-edge research groups of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, the University of Vienna, and TU Wien.
This event is made possible by a generous gift of the Simons Foundation, the support of the Erwin Schrödinger Institute, our unbelievable volunteers, and the work of Dmytro Rzhemovskyi and his team from Projekt MmF.
Jim Simons sets an outstanding example to us all.
The participants of the Simons Science School in Mathematics are Ukrainian prize-winners of national and international science competitions in mathematics, physics, and computer science. They are students of two Ukraine’s prominent specialized science schools: the Ukrainian Physics and Mathematics Lyceum in Kyiv and the Lviv Physics and Mathematics Lyceum.
Program
Sunday, September 28
- 11:20 Arrivals in Vienna
- 12:30 − 13:30 Lunch by Som Kitchen at Faculty of Mathematics
- 14:00 − 15:00 Check-in at Hotel Geblergasse
- 16:00 − 18:30 Free time, e.g., exploring the 1st district
- 19:00 − 20:00 Dinner at Centimeter
Monday, September 29
University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics
- 07:30 − 08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Geblergasse
- 10:00 − 11:30 Research group Nanomagnetism and Magnonics
- Introductory lecture and lab tours by Andrii Chumak and Khrystyna Levchenko.
- 12:00 − 13:00 Research group Isotope Physics.
- Guided tour to the VERA accelerator by Martin Martschini and Carlos Vivo Vilches
- 13:15 − 13:45 Lunch at University of Vienna's cafeteria (Kolingasse)
Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information
Coordinator: Sofia Maria Satanakis
- 14:00 − 14:40 Introductory lecture by Markus Aspelmeyer
- 14:40 − 15:20 Labtours
- 15:30 − 18:30 Free time, e.g., visit to Prater and Vienna University of Economics and Business
- 18:30 − 19:15 Dinner by Radatz at the Faculty of Mathematics
Tuesday, September 30
Vienna BioCenter
Coordinator: Sina Metzler
- 07:30 – 08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Geblergasse
- 09:30 – 10:00 Vienna BioCenter Introduction by Benedikt Mandl and Kateryna Serbin
- 10:00 – 11:15 Research group Quantum Microscopy and Biophysics
- Introductory lecture and lab tour by Thomas Juffmann
- 11:30 – 12:45 Research groups Chloroplast Biogenesis and Protein Quality Control and Plasticity And Repair After Brain Injury
- Lab tours by Silvia Ramundo and Martina Beccari
- 13:00 – 13:30 Lunch at Vienna Biocenter's Cafeteria
- 14:00 – 16:30 Hiking to the Kahlenberg and vineyards
- 16:30 – 18:30 Free time
- 18:30 – 19:15 Dinner by Radatz at the Faculty of Mathematics
Wednesday, October 1
Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Coordinator: Maksym Serbyn
- 07:30 − 08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Geblergasse
- 09:10 − 09:45 Bus transfer to ISTA (Bus No. 400)
- 10:00 − 11:00 Presentation of ISTA's programs by Kanako Aono
- 11:15 − 12:15 Research group Emergent electronic phenomena in 2D materials
- Lab tours by Hryhoriy Polshyn
- 12:15 − 13:00 Free time
- 13:00 − 13:45 Lunch at ISTA's cafeteria
- 13:45 − 14:45 Research group Quantum Dynamics and Condensed Matter Theory
- Lecture and group presentation by Maksym Serbyn and Dmytro Kolisnyk
- 15:00 − 15:30 Bus transfer to Vienna
- 15:30 − 18:30 Free time
- 18:30 − 19:15 Dinner at Centimeter
Thursday, October 2
Atominstitut of the TU Wien.
Coordinator: Nataliia Bazhan
- 07:30 − 08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Geblergasse
- 10:00 − 12:00 Atominstitut
- Presentation of the institute by Nataliia Bazhan
- Guided tour to the TRIGA reactor
- Guided tours to the labs of the institute
- 12:30 − 13:00 Lunch at University of Vienna's Cafeteria (Kolingasse)
- 13:30 − 15:30 Visit to Schönbrunn
- 15:30 − 18:30 Free time
- 18:30 − 19:15 Dinner at Brandauer
Friday, October 3
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Coordinator: Valentyna Mokina
- 07:30 − 08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Geblergasse
- 10:00 − 10:45 Institute of High Energy Physics
- Short introduction about HEPHY
- Talk by Valentyna Mokina: "Dark matter studies with CRESST at HEPHY"
- 11:00 − 12:30 Acoustic Research Institute
- Talk by Nicki Holighaus: "Machine Learning at ARI"
- Talk by Zsófia Katona: "AI methods for analysis of animal communication"
- Lab tours with Michael Mihocic
- Belle VR with Michel Bertemes and Ulyana Dupletsa
- 12:45 − 13:30 Lunch at the University of Vienna's Cafeteria (Kolingasse)
Erwin-Schrödinger-Institute (ESI)
- 14:00 − 15:00 Presentation of ESI and Meet & Greet with ESI Director Christoph Dellago
- 15:00 − 18:30 Free time
- 18:30 − 20:00 Dinner and Meet & Greet with scientists at Sägewerk
Saturday, October 4
- 07:30 − 08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Geblergasse
- 10:00 − 12:00 Visit to Vienna Museum of Science and Technology
- 12:30 − 13:15 Lunch at Brandauer
- 14:00 − 18:00 Free time, e.g., visit to WeltMuseum
- 18:00 − 19:00 Dinner at Centimeter
Sunday, October 5
- 07:30 − 08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Geblergasse
- 10:00 − 12:00 Guided tour of Kunsthistorisches Museum with Kateryna Kinsel
- 12:30 − 13:30 Lunch at the Faculty of Mathematics
- 13:30 − 14:30 Free time
- 16:40 Departure to Ukraine
Speakers
Coordinator and Contact Person
For any questions regarding Simons Science School in Chemistry and Physics 2025, please feel free to contact Dmytro Rzhemovskyi via email at dmytro.rzhemovskyi@univie.ac.at .
Sponsors
Partners
Support
Participating Schools
Lviv Physics and Mathematics Lyceum
Ukrainian Physics and Mathematics Lyceum