Our programs and initiatives enhance development and provide support for people working towards developing light harnessing science and technology in Poland
Optics and photonics are rapidly growing branches of science and technology focused on the properties and applications of light. The speed of light and its fascinating quantum properties have made photonics crucial to industry, modern medical diagnostics, telecommunications, defense, and many other areas of science.
Candela Foundation, together with Polish Technological Platform on Photonics, initiated and currently run the first communication channel informing about activities of polish community in optics and photonics research.
The Candela Foundation has opened a summer internship programme called “Resonators” for students in optics and photonics. Scholarship recipients selected in an open competition will receive a one-time scholarship, the opportunity to complete an internship and will be covered by a dedicated training scheme.
The Candela Foundation, in collaboration with local scientists, is organising online lecture series on the latest discoveries in the field and photonics. The series ‘Exploring the Terahertz Foundamental Principles & Frontiers’ on Terahertz radiation will take place in the winter term 2024. The first lecture will take place on 16 October and the last on 4 December 2024. The lecture formula developed as part of a pilot edition organised jointly with Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC.
Candela Foundation was established in February 2021 as a result of a crowdfunding campaign organized by Michał Karpiński, Mihai Suster, Piotr Węgrzyn and Adam Widomski. The foundation was created to support young people developing optics and photonics in Poland and to offer services enabling efficient development of these sciences in Poland. Candela Foundation engages in initiatives of great importance to the local community. The activities of the Foundation are managed by the Foundation Board, supervised by the Foundation Council.
that set foundation for activities of the Foundation
It is extremely important to us that our community trusts Candela and gets actively involved in its activities and initiatives. In our opinion, this will not be possible without full transparency of our activities, therefore we will publish on our website not only the financial and factual reports on the activities of the foundation, but also all the resolutions of the bodies of Candela and a full statement of income and expenses incurred by the Foundation.
In creative fields, which is what optics and photonics are, the best ideas are generated when they are created by representatives of different backgrounds who look at an issue from a different perspective. As Candela Foundation, we support initiatives that promote openness, inclusivity and respect for the diversity of voices in the discussion. We also believe that countering discrimination is one of the most important challenges for modern science. As part of this priority, we plan to launch a Foundation Office where foreign people linking their scientific career with Poland will be able to receive comprehensive assistance. We also plan to publish and update a special guide with the most important information just for such people.
The team creating the first organ of Candela consists of young people who know the realities of the development of optics and photonics in Poland. We know that there are many ambitious projects, which face similar problems during their implementation. We realize that it is thanks to young people who still believe “it is possible” that projects and technologies of global importance are developed in Poland.
A great example can be a series of OPTO conferences, which began in 2005 and have become a brand recognized around the world. It is the oldest and so far only conference programme for young scientists, which has been organised continuously for 15 years.
There are many more such projects and people. Our dream is to make Candela a partner for them, thanks to which the reality will become clearly more pleasant and the realization of their ambitious projects will simply be possible. Within the framework of Candela’s numerous programs we plan to support first of all students, PhD students, young doctors and young people working in companies and research units. We will also support student-doctoral organizations and other initiatives of research and development units.
We organize and support events that facilitate development of the optical and photonics community. We provide opportunities to network, establish contacts, present research and promote it in an international environment. The Candela Foundation organizes scientific conferences, workshops, summer schools and webinars.
The Foundation is in the process of preparing and securing funds for statutory programs directly supporting people developing optics and photonics in Poland. In the first place we will focus on supporting international staff, increasing student mobility in Poland and popularization of science.
We build and maintain nationwide communication channels providing access to up-to-date information related to optics and photonics in Poland. Our flagship project is the Polish Newsletter on Optics and Photonics, run jointly with the Polish Technological Platform on Photonics. Sign up for it on Newsletter page!
The represent various communities related with optics and photonics in Poland
Selected, most important information about activities and initiatives of the Candela Foundation
Candela Foundation forms strategic partnerships with organizations that share our values and determination to develop optics and photonics in Poland
