Humboldt-Kolleg HCS2-Kiev2009

Humboldt-Kolleg H_CS² -Kiev2009, 19-22 November, 2009

In memoriam Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859)

The International Conference “Humboldt Cosmos: Science and Society” (HCS2-Kiev2009, www.humboldt.org.ua/kolleg) belongs to the Humboldt-Kolleg series that is kindly sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This event was organized in Kiev on 19-22 November, 2009 by the Humboldt-Club Ukraine in close cooperation with the German Embassy in Kiev at the honorary patronage by the Ambassador, Dr. Hans Juergen Heimsoeth, German Embassy, Kiev, Ukraine, the honorary scientific patronage: by Prof. Dr. Yaroslav S.Yatskiv – Main Astronomical Observatory of Ukrainian National Academy of Science, President of the Ukrainian Astronomical Association, and Prof. Dr. Valeryi I. Grigoruk - ViceRector of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, and contributed to “the Days of German Science and Research in the Ukraine 2009”. In addition, the Ukrainian National Academy of Science, and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev supported the Conference H_CS²-Kiev2009. Joint efforts have strengthened significantly the organization, rise greatly the event value, and were quite beneficial for the Kolleg success. The memorial medal has been issued to mark the Conference, the Internet available discussion and the Kolleg materials can be found on: www.humboldt.org.ua/kolleg. The Humboldt-Kolleg HCS2-Kiev2009 has received considerable attention as one can see from the statistics: near 200 participants, over 100 talks and poster presentations (see the Book of Abstracts), in addition over 20 invited and honorary guests. The Conference venue has included several places in Kiev: the Hotel ‘Rus’, Hospitalna str., 4, the German Embassy in Kiev, Bohdana Chmelnyzkoho str., 25, the Kiev Main Astronomical Observatory of Ukrainian National Academy of Science, Acad. Zabolotnogo str., 27, the Kiev Institute of Mathematics of Ukrainian National Academy of Science, Tereshchenkivs’ka str., 3, the Astronomical Observatory of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, Observatorna str., 3.

The Kolleg scope included the following main groups: Cosmology & astrophysics experience in S² – science&society; Mathematical & analytical method implications in S2 – science&society; Geopolitics & economy in Society. However, the topics were not limited by these subjects. The Kolleg has addressed multidisciplinary issues of various aspects of Science and Society, according to the spirit and traditions of the Humboldt meetings. Therefore, the Club continues on the series of recent Humboldt-Kollegs which were organized by the Humboldt-Clubs in Poland, Belarus, Moldavia and the Ukraine. We follow the best traditions promoting, in particular, young researchers. The best contributions from young researchers on the Kolleg were acknowledged, and many young participants have expressed an interest in application to the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship. The Humboldt-Club Ukraine will provide an assistance and support for applications.

In the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (http://www.astronomy2009.org/) particular attention was, naturally, devoted to Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology, especially, their impact in modern science, technology, economy, philosophy, theology, religion and/or Society. The childhood from Immanuel Kant[*](cited below) is brought, thereby, by the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO to a new global level in understanding and exploring by the Society a place in the Universe. Respectively, some of the Kolleg events occurred at astronomical places in Kiev: historical – the Astronomical Observatory of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, and modern - the Kiev Main Astronomical Observatory of Ukrainian National Academy of Science.

Moreover, the invited plenary talks at the first day of the Kolleg opening have discussed the modern status of monitoring problems of the Space, the Solar System and the Earth with the use of the Earth based and the Cosmic Satellite based Observatories emphasizing, thereby, the importance of multipoint measurements in space plasma to reveal the multiscale MHD/kinetic nature of nonlinear physical processes controlling the key elements in the chain of solar-terestrial relations (Prof. Dr. Lev M. Zelenyi, Space Research Institute (IKI) of Russian Academy of Sciences), as well as the history of Astronomical observations their place and role in society development (Prof. Dr. Bohdan I. Hnatyk, the Astronomical Observatory of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev). The ideas, methods and approaches of Alexander von Humboldt were emphasized to be quite useful and even still advanced in modern science, monitoring and technology. It is worthy to mention in this respect the Alexander von Humboldt Commemorative Year 2009. Therefore, several talks at the Kolleg have discussed the legacy of Alexander von Humboldt in more details, especially, the period in Russia.

The further scientific program explored such a direction. The parallel Half Plenary Sessions have addressed I- the composition, the main energy production mechanisms in the Universe and the energy sources fundamentals at the Earth based environment as well as II- various mathematical and analytical methods. Geopolitical and economical aspects have been mainly concentrated on modern view on the common features in the development of economical and social projects, reasons and periodicity of crises as, e.g., the concept of Kondratyev waves. Significance and relationship for the support of projects and individuals in science were the main subject of the round table discussion.

The Humboldt-Kolleg H_CS²-Kiev2009 has made it possible to arrange some satellite events: the exhibition ‘imaginary’ in Russian Art museum in Kiev and in the German Embassy in Kiev; the excursions in the Kiev Main Astronomical Observatory of Ukrainian National Academy of Science and the Astronomical Observatory of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev (AO KNU), the public lecture by Prof. Dr. Greuel Gert-Martin (Centre for Computer Algebra University of Kaiserslautern, Germany) in Kiev Institute of Mathematics of Ukrainian National Academy of Science, etc.

Several ideas for collaborative work, research projects emerged from the meetings and various formal and informal discussions during the Conference, especially, among Humboldtians. Several of them (e.g., between the Kiev Institute of Mathematics of Ukrainian National Academy of Science and the University of Kaiserslautern (Germany), Joint Institut for Nuclear research (Dubna, Russia) and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, the Ukrainian National Academy of Science and the Russian Academy of Science) come to the level of further applications and intention protocols strengthening and extending, thereby, the Humboldt network.

Therefore, one can conclude that the Conference “Humboldt Cosmos: Science and Society” (H_CS²-Kiev2009, www.humboldt.org.ua/kolleg) of the Humboldt-Kolleg series has been interesting, useful and fruitful event that has attracted considerable attention of scientific community in the Ukraine and the neighbour countries. Apart from bringing together Humboldtians this event has made it possible for many scientists, especially, young researchers learn anf approach the Humboldt community and ideas.

[*] We have put to an epigraph of the Conference the well known sentence from Immanuel Kant “The Starry Sky Above Me and the Moral Law Within Me”