3 Dec 2018
Novel approaches in structural and quantitative proteomics
The lecture was given by Dr. Christoph Borchers, University of Victoria.
Events
CIISB Events Calendar
Important and interesting events in the domain of large research infrastructures
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SwissELITE Kick-off Event Marks the Launch of a Czech–Swiss Research Project
On 1 April 2026, the Czech-Swiss project SwissELITE was officially launched in Dolní Břežany. The project connects ELI Beamlines research centre—as part of ELI ERIC—with its Swiss partners, Paul Scherrer Institute and University Hospital of Lausanne. The project focuses on the development of high-precision measurement and detection technologies that form the basis for new approaches in medicine, industry, and modern technologies. It will expand the portfolio of facilities offered by ELI ERIC to users. “The SwissELITE project will enable both the expansion of ELI ERIC’s research capabilities, which will benefit the global scientific community, and the establishment of closer cooperation between ELI ERIC and Swiss researchers,” said Marek Vyšinka, head of the Research Infrastructure Unit at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, at the launch event in early April. “We greatly appreciate the support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the Swiss Contribution Office, whose participation in the kick-off event reflects the broader significance of this joint initiative for the Czech-Swiss research community,” said Roman Hvězda, director of the ELI Beamlines facility. The project will strengthen collaboration between Czech and Swiss leading research institutions and accelerate the development of advanced technologies and capabilities within ELI Beamlines. By combining cutting-edge expertise in photon science, detector development, diagnostics, and biomedical applications, this project will support the development of a new generation of experimental tools and research services for users from academia, research, and innovation communities. The SwissELITE project is implemented under the Czech–Swiss Research Infrastructure Initiative, with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports serving as the programme operator. Support for this type of research enables the Czech Republic to participate in the development of key technologies in Europe and to apply cutting-edge expertise in practice. The Czech-Swiss Research Infrastructures Initiative is one of four programmes implemented under the Swiss-Czech Cooperation Programme, i.e., the Second Swiss Contribution to the Czech Republic (https://www.swiss-contribution.cz/en/). In 2025, two calls for proposals were launched under the Czech–Swiss Research Infrastructures Initiative. The first call supported the submission of a predefined SwissELITE project to support ELI ERIC’s cooperation with the Swiss scientific community, while the second call targeted large research infrastructures participating in international research infrastructure consortia together with Swiss partners. Photos credit: @elibeamlines
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Prague hosted the ISSP General Assembly
From April 25–29, 2026, the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague hosted a meeting of members of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Representatives of research institutions from 33 countries around the world gathered in the Czech capital to discuss the content of international questionnaires to be collected in the coming years. The Czech Republic was represented at the meeting Jindřich Krejčí, Ph.D., and Prof. Dana Hamplová, Ph.D., who also were involved in organizing the entire event. The main part of the program was dedicated to the preparation of the upcoming ISSP thematic modules. Delegates discussed, in particular, questions in the upcoming “Social Networks and Social Resources 2027” module and topics for the “Religion 2028” module. The discussions focused on questionnaire content, and methodological procedures. The program also included a Research Session, during which participants presented the results of studies using ISSP data. For example, presentations covered research on the decline in the preferred number of children in the Nordic countries (Sigrún Ólafsdóttir, Ásdís Aðalbjörg Arnalds) and methodological challenges in measuring religiosity (Harry Ganzeboom). Changes to the ISSP bibliography, i.e., the way in which the consortium tracks and evaluates the use of its data, were also discussed. At the conclusion of the meeting, representatives of the Czech Republic achieved several significant successes. The Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences was elected to the group preparing the questionnaire for the Social Inequalities 2029 module and also became a member of the ISSP Standing Committee. The ISSP General Assembly, was not just a series of working meetings. The program was complemented by informal social events that provided opportunities for networking and establishing new professional contacts. The program also included a gala evening for conference participants, which provided a venue for continuing discussions on upcoming research projects and opportunities for further international collaboration. The meeting was supported by the CSDA/ESS-CZ project (registration number LM2023046). The meeting was supported by the project „Research of Excellence on Digital Technologies and Wellbeing CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004583“, which is co-financed by the European Union. The International Social Survey Programme The ISSP is a cross-national collaboration programme conducting annual surveys on diverse topics relevant to social sciences. Established in 1984 by its founding members Australia, Germany, Great Britain and the US, the ISSP has since included members covering various cultures around the globe. www.issp.org
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President Petr Pavel visited the ESO observatories in Chile
As part of his official visit to South America, on April 17 of this year Czech President Petr Pavel, accompanied by a delegation of business leaders and scientists and the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The observatory is operated by the international organisation ESO (European Southern Observatory), of which the Czech Republic has been a member since 2008. The delegation was welcomed by ESO Director General Prof. Xavier Barcons. In addition to the world’s most advanced astronomical telescope, the VLT, and its control center, the president also toured the construction site of the ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) on nearby Cerro Armazones. Once completed and put into operation (planned for 2029–2030) it will become the largest and most advanced astronomical facility in the world. The Czech Republic’s membership in ESO is administered by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT). Czech scientists actively use the Paranal Observatory and its facilities for observations and analyses. The La Silla Observatory, also managed by ESO, is home to the Czech PlatoSpec project—a telescope and spectrograph that was renovated and installed for observation by the Institute of Astronomy of the Czech Academy of Sciences in collaboration with two Chilean universities. With the support of the MŠMT, this institute also plans to participate in the construction of the ANDES spectrograph, which will become an important component of the ELT telescope as one of its instruments. The Czech Republic’s participation in the ANDES consortium will not only create an opportunity for Czech astronomers to use this spectrograph but will also open the door for Czech companies to get involved. ESO Director General Prof. Barcons said during his visit: “We are very pleased to welcome President Pavel and his delegation to Paranal. The Czech Republic has been a highly committed and supportive ESO member state for nearly 20 years.” He also highlighted the successful collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and ESO, which led to the establishment of an internship program in engineering and science for young Czech astronomers and engineers: “This program now serves as a model for other member states.” Prof. Barcons also mentioned the upcoming involvement of the Astronomical Institute in the ANDES project: “The involvement of Czech institutes in the development of instrumentation for the ELT are examples of how cooperation between ESO and the Czech Republic is advancing astronomy and, at the same time, how the Czech Republic is investing in a new generation of scientists and engineers.”