UPJS (SK)
Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (https://www.upjs.sk/en/) ranks among important and recognized educational and scientific institutions not just in the Slovak republic but also in advanced Europe. It was founded in 1959 as the second classical Slovak university but the tradition of higher education in Košice goes back to the year 1657, when the bishop Benedict Kishdy founded an Academy by the Memorandum of “Studium Universale”. The University of Košice Golden Bull issued on 6 August 1660 by the Roman emperor Leopold I. granted the University the same privileges as to all the other universities of the Habsburg Monarchy.
At present, the University consists of the Faculties of Medicine, Science, Law, Public Administration, and the Faculty of Arts that educate physicians, experts in natural sciences, mathematics and information science, teachers, legal professionals, public administration specialists, psychologists, social workers, political scientists, historians, translators and interpreters, experts in the English language and linguistics, literary scholarship and cultures of the English speaking countries, gender studies, specialists in philosophy, applied ethics, mass media studies, teachers of Slovak, English, Latin languages and literatures, psychology in double-major study programmes.
Astronomy at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice
Astrophysical research as well as education are carried out at the Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics (https://ktfa.science.upjs.sk/) of the Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science. The first student graduated in astrophysics in 2000, and to date, 38 students have completed their master's studies. Since 2014, doctoral studies have also been accredited at the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice.
The first introductory astronomical lectures are held in the third year of bachelor's study of Physics (http://astronomy.science.upjs.sk/teaching/for-students/). During the master's study, students take lectures from all basic areas of astronomy and astrophysics: interplanetary matter, solar physics, stellar structure and evolution, stellar atmospheres, variable and binary stars, extrasolar planets, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, celestial mechanics as well as astronomical equipment, observations and their reduction, astronomical software (http://astronomy.science.upjs.sk/teaching/lectures/). During the doctoral study, students attend other specialized lectures such as: high energy astrophysics, numerical methods in astrophysics, physics of close binary stars, and others. Special lectures in astrophysics are intended for teacher training students as well for all university students. Astronomy is also given to participants of the University of the Third Age.
Students gain practical experience in obtaining photometric and spectroscopic observations, as well as observation data for their theses at the university astronomical observatory on Kolonica saddle (http://astronomy.science.upjs.sk/observatory/). Students can present the results of their astronomical research at the Student scientific conference in physics, which is organized annually at faculties and also as the joint Czech and Slovak finals.
The research at the Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics is focused on multi-wavelength investigation of interacting binary stars (symbiotic and cataclysmic variable stars, contact and near-contact binaries), especially on high energy phenomena and mechanisms related to mass transfer between the components of these binaries that cause the observed activity of these objects. Symbiotic variable stars (http://astronomy.science.upjs.sk/symbiotics/) are also studied in relation to the ChETEC COST Action as possible progenitors of type Ia supernovae and also as sources of chemical elements in the universe. Other research fields are eclipsing binary stars and pulsating variable stars (modelling of light-curves, analysis of period variations – searching of other bodies in systems and mass transfer phenomena, study of pulsations of components), exoplanets (transit light-curves analysis and parameters determination, follow-up photometric observations of exoplanet candidates, analysis of transit times variations, study of orbital stability in multi-planet and binary star systems), as well as astroinformatics and virtual observatory (http://astronomy.science.upjs.sk/research/research-themes/).
The department staff also participates in the organization of scientific conferences (e.g. Conference on the achievements of stellar astronomy Bezovec, International conference on variable star research KOLOS), various educational seminars and workshops for primary and secondary school teachers as well as astronomical camps and observation expeditions for young people. They also guide students in their high school research activities, as well as prepare them for various astronomical competitions and Olympiads. They also organize a number of astronomical outreach activities: public lectures and observations of space objects and phenomena, especially for young people, activities within the European researchers' night, Science and technology week in Slovakia, Science café, activities related to protection against light pollution (e.g. Earth Hour, Globe at Night) and others.
Linked ChETEC facility
Web page
ChETEC contact person
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Rudolf Gális (rudolf.galis
upjs.sk)