From September 16-19, 2024 The 2nd international conference “Central and Eastern European Conference on Physical Chemistry & Materials Science (CEEC-PCMS2)” organized by the Department of Silicate Technology of the KTU Faculty of Chemical Technology (CTF) was held at KTU’s Santaka Valley. Scientists and young researchers from various countries presented their scientific projects at this conference on physical chemistry and materials science. The conference was organized for the first time in 2022 in Split, Croatia.
The CEEC-PCMS2 conference was organized together with partners from Central and Eastern Europe, including Croatia and Romania. The conference was attended by 150 participants from 24 countries (Romania; Croatia; Lithuania; Poland; Czech Republic; Germany; United Kingdom; Moldova; Italy; Switzerland; Estonia; Slovakia; Thailand; Bulgaria; Sweden; Turkey; Hungary; Spain; Latvia; Slovenia; Canada; Brazil; Austria; China). In addition to 6 plenary talks and 7 invited speakers, the conference included multiple parallel sessions and poster presentations by young researchers. Conference chairpersons: Eugenijus Valatka (Lithuania); Kęstutis Baltakys (Lithuania). Vice-chairpersons of the conference: Raimundas Šiaučiūnas (Lithuania); Tadas Dambrauskas (Lithuania).
At the conference organized by the Department of Silicate Technology of KTU CTF, presentations were given on the stability of crystalline materials, the development of catalysts and the development of sustainable materials. Plenary and invited sessions and poster presentations by young scientists encouraged active discussion and exchange of ideas among the participants.
The CEEC-PCMS2 conference was designed to create a network of cooperation between Central and Eastern European scientists, promoting joint research projects that would help solve global challenges such as increasing sustainability and the search for energy efficiency.
“The conference was very successful. Many interesting and high scientific reports were read. Also, agreements were made with foreign colleagues for joint research, which should be published in prestigious scientific journals. I’m happy that our university can create excellent conditions for the participants of international conferences, and KTU student communal groups “Nemunas” and “The Brassbees” can surprise the guests of the conference with excellent performances”, says prof. Raimundas Šiaučiūnas.
“The musical performance during the conference was impressive. Lots of welcome speeches. The most interesting and fun thing was to understand that a different audience came to this conference. The researchers’ presentations and posters were varied, so it didn’t seem like I was wasting my time at the conference,” says prof. Dr. Barbara Lothenbach.
“I’m in Kaunas for the first time and even in Lithuania for the first time. I came here only for this conference. Although I’m from the UK, the journey might have seemed difficult, but it was actually very easy. I’m glad I came in to this conference. It was interesting to listen to the reports of different scientists and to hear how well everyone speaks English”, says Prof. Colin R. Pulham.
International cooperation
In addition to scientific presentations, the conference included practical sessions that also helped the conference participants to get to know or re-recognize various scientific processes. This academic event not only contributed to the dissemination of knowledge, but also helped to establish important international contacts, which are important for the further advancement of scientific research in Central and Eastern Europe.
“International cooperation can help with the scientific project process. It should be emphasized that even without cooperation, it is possible to achieve the goals of the project, and the results of the research can be quite successful even without the direct partners, but this may not be enough to make your work better known. International relations can help to reach a wider audience and yield better results for the development of scientific projects,” says assoc. prof. Paola Fabbri.
“There are several reasons why international cooperation is important and beneficial. The best reason I would like to emphasize the most is that people think about specific things in completely different ways. Every country has a different educational system. Therefore, combining people of different cultures into one group helps the development of creativity”, says prof. Colin R. Pulham.
“One more thing that is important, when you work with international organizations, they can have the equipment that you don’t have, but you need that thing to implement the project. This opens up sharing opportunities. Often, some equipment is limited due to their high price, so without partners, it can be difficult to use that equipment”, emphasizes prof. Colin R. Pulham.
The next Central and Eastern European Conference on Physical Chemistry & Materials Science is scheduled to take place in 2026. September 8-11 in Croatia.
The main organizers of the conference
- Kaunas University of Technology (Faculty of Chemical Technology)
- University of Split (Faculty of Chemistry and Technology)
- Babeş-Bolyai University (Faculty of Engineering)
- Central and Eastern European Committee for Thermal Analysis & Calorimetry
- Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (Lithuania)
- Vilnius University
- Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
Sponsors of the conference
