In recent decades, our comprehension of the cosmos has undergone a profound transformation, largely facilitated by the increasing precision of electromagnetic and gravitational-wave astronomy. However, as our theoretical models advance, it is increasingly evident that photons alone cannot resolve the most fundamental questions regarding the nature of matter and the evolution of the Universe.
On Tuesday, 19 May 2026 we are honored to invite the academic community and members of Academia Europaea to a lecture by Professor Takaaki Kajita, 2015 Nobel Laureate in Physics Physics for his discovery of neutrino oscillations.
Observations from underground have come to play a vital role in this exploration. In this lecture, drawing largely on his own pioneering involvement, Professor Kajita will discuss the study of neutrinos and gravitational waves in underground environments and explore the specific cosmic mysteries these investigations aim to unveil.
The lecture, titled “Unveiling the mysteries of the Universe from underground,” will take place at the Congress Hall of Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Building D-20, 8 Janiszewskiego Street) at 13:15 CET
BIO:
Takaaki Kajita is a Distinguished University Professor and a Special University Professor of The University of Tokyo. He is affiliated with the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR) of the University of Tokyo.
Kajita received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo School of Science in 1986, and has been researching with Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande neutrino detectors at the Kamioka Observatory of ICRR in central Japan. In 1998, at the Neutrino International Conference held in Takayama, Japan, he showed the analysis results which provided strong evidence for atmospheric neutrino oscillations. In 2015 he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for his role in discovering atmospheric neutrino oscillations. He is the project leader of KAGRA aiming to explore the gravitational wave astronomy.
Kajita was the director of the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research between 2008 and 2022. He was the President of the Science Council of Japan between 2020 and 2023. He has been a member of the Japan Academy since 2019.
Admission is free, but prior registration is required.
Transmission link : Professor Takaaki Kajita’ Lecture
The Interdisciplinary Scientific Seminar is a series aimed at a wide audience – students, doctoral candidates, researchers, and anyone interested in expanding their knowledge. Wrocław University of Science and Technology regularly hosts experts from various fields who are eager to share the results of their research.
ISN attendees have had the opportunity to listen to, among others, the 2023 Nobel Prize laureate in physics – Prof. Ferenc Krausz, renowned architect and urban planner – Prof. Kees Christiaanse from ETH Zurich, world-famous cognitive science expert Prof. Peter Gärdenfors from Lund University, Prof. Szymon Malinowski – Chair of the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Climate Crisis Committee, as well as Finnish researcher Prof. Tomi Kauppinen from Aalto University, Dr. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska from the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the creator of the psychological theory of implementation intentions Prof. Peter Gollwitzer from New York University, and Prof. Stephen Evans – Director of Research in Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge.
