Poland joins European Southern Observatory
Photo: Fotolia
Polish space researchers will gain access to state-of-the-art facilities under a membership accord with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) signed by Poland Tuesday.
The agreement also opens the door to lucrative deals for Polish companies.
The accord was sealed in Warsaw by Science and Higher Education Minister Lena Kolarska-Bobinska and ESO Director General Tim de Zeeuw. The document is now awaiting ratification by the Polish parliament and signature by the president.
Kolarska-Bobinska said at the signing ceremony that membership in ESO will supplement Poland\'s earlier accession to CERN and the European Space Agency (ESA).
"We will be able to participate fully in research conducted by means of the most modern observation instrument", the minister said. She added that ESO membership will also enable young Polish research staff to participate in the organisation\'s practice and study tours.
Kolarska-Bobinska also noted that as an ESO member Poland could gain access to commercial contracts worth from EUR 10 to 20 million.
According to the scientific milieu the agreement with ESO is a breakthrough for Polish science. Professor Kazimierz Stepien from Warsaw University observed that the main advantage will be access to advanced research equipment and particicpation in leading space projects.
Professor Marek Sarna from the Polish Academy of Sciences remarked that membership in ESO was a very important step for Polish science.
Founded in 1962, the European Southern Observatory (officially the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere) is an intergovernmental research organisation affiliating 15 countries. ESO employs about 730 and has observatories in northern Chile.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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Przed dodaniem komentarza prosimy o zapoznanie z Regulaminem forum serwisu Nauka w Polsce.
