Organised under the coordination of Ankara University’s Office of the Dean of Research and the Department of Physics Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, the conference titled “DESY at 65: Ankara University–DESY Relations” was held on 26 February 2025 at the Faculty of Dentistry, 10th Year Campus. This significant event aimed to highlight the long-standing scientific collaboration between Ankara University and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and European XFEL, and to discuss the impact of research conducted at these centres on science, technology, and industry.
In the opening speech, Vice Rector and Dean of Research Prof. Dr. Kaan Orhan emphasised Ankara University’s 65-year collaboration with DESY and the contributions this partnership has made to the scientific community. He also underlined the importance of Ankara University academics and researchers making more effective use of the advanced scientific facilities offered by DESY and European XFEL. Highlighting the university’s increasing involvement in international projects as a “Research University,” Prof. Orhan stated that studies in areas such as particle physics and photon science help position the university as a global scientific reference point.
Following the opening speeches, the first session began under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Ömer Yavaş (Department of Physics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ankara University), and included the following presentations:
- Dr. Frank Lehner (DESY, Germany) – “Accelerating Science – An Overview of DESY”
- Prof. Dr. Serguei Molodtsov (European XFEL, Germany) – “European XFEL and Ankara University: Capabilities and Opportunities”
- Prof. Dr. Saleh Sultansoy (TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Türkiye) – “History of Ankara University–DESY Relations”
The second session, chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aysuhan Ozansoy (Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ankara University), focused on photon science, synchrotron radiation facilities, and XFEL technologies, and included the following presentations:
- Dr. Kemal Şafak (Cycle Lasers, Germany) – “The Importance of DESY for Young Scientists and Entrepreneurs: Photon Science Research and Applications”
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Didem Ketenoğlu (Ankara University, Türkiye) – “The World’s Brightest Synchrotron Radiation Facility PETRA III: Scientific and Technological Applications”
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bora Ketenoğlu (Ankara University, Türkiye) – “Commissioning of European XFEL Hybrid Undulators and High-Tech Applications of XFELs”
After the second session, Prof. Dr. İlkay Türk Çakır, Director of the Institute of Accelerator Technologies, provided an overview of the Institute’s collaborations with DESY.
The event concluded with a Q&A session followed by a closing speech delivered by Prof. Dr. Saleh Sultansoy.
We thank all the academics, researchers, and students who participated in the event.
Note: A recording of the conference will be published on the website of the Office of the Vice Rector for Research.
