School of Photonics 2025: a meeting point for science and the future
From 19 to 22 March 2025, Lviv Polytechnic National University hosted the Waveguides Science School, which became a significant event for everyone interested in modern optics and photonics. The Photonics School aimed to promote the latest achievements in optics and photonics. Its special theme this year was waveguides, which are key elements of modern optical technologies. The organisers prepared a series of lectures and workshops covering both fundamental aspects and advanced technological developments.
The co-organiser of the event was the Department of Electronic Engineering, the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies and Electronic Engineering (ICTE), Lviv Polytechnic. It was the Department that organised the participation of leading experts and researchers who shared their knowledge with the school participants. The chairman of Lviv Polytechnic’s organising committee was Iryna Yaremchuk, who delivered a wonderful speech about our university at the opening ceremony. The committee members were Tetiana Bulavinets and Serhii Melnykov. The committee made great efforts to successfully launch the School of Photonics at our university this year. The main sponsors were: Karazin Photonics Student Society (SPIE and Optica), Ukrainian Society of Optics and Photonics, Photonics Cluster Ukraine, International Innovation Project HELIOS, Lviv Polytechnic National University, and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.
Key topics of the conference
The program of the School of Photonics was rich and diverse. The lecturers presented current topics, including:
- General theory of waveguides
- Dielectric and hollow rectangular waveguides
- Optical fibres and nanostructured fibres
- Photonic crystal and metamaterial waveguides
- Metasurfaces and their applications
- Machine learning for the design of special-purpose waveguides
The opening of the School 2025 was held by Oleh Yermakov, the chairman and one of the lecturers, at the beginning of the conference. He clearly outlined the principles, or in other words, the core values of the participants:
- Honesty, transparency and reputation
- Competence and qualifications
- Breakthrough science and impactful research
- Support for young professionals and leaders
- Love for Ukraine without borders
- Innovation and interdisciplinarity
- Flexibility and self-improvement
The School of Photonics 2025 invited Markus Schmidt from the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology in Germany, Anton Glushchenko from the National Research Centre «Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology», Volodymyr Tuz and Anton Ovcharenko to deliver lecturers.
The school was held in an interactive format. In addition to lectures, the participants had the opportunity to take part in practical classes and discuss scientific issues in a less formal atmosphere. The organisers also offered participants the opportunity to present their research in the form of a poster presentation. It was a great chance for young scientists to get feedback from leading experts. The best posters were awarded. Another advantage of the school was absolutely free of charge participation. In addition, the organisers provided travel grants for participants who did not live in Lviv, which made it possible for even those with financial constraints to attend the event.
