Cosmology

In the last week of January 2026, a research school on black holes and related topics took place in the beautiful setting of Licán Ray, Chile, nestled in a stunning volcanic lake region. C. Herdeiro was among the invited lecturers, with sessions held - quite fittingly - on whiteboards set up in the garden. The combination of great science and a relaxed, inspiring atmosphere made for a truly memorable event. Many thanks to Adolfo Cisterna and his team for making it all possible.

On January 20th, 2026, the art–science exhibition was officially (re)opened at Fábrica - Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro. The event was hosted by Fábrica’s director, Pedro Pombo, and brought together the head of the Department of Mathematics, Alexandre Almeida, and the director of CIDMA, Delfim Torres, along with several colleagues. This initiative is another step in sharing the beauty of science with a broader audience, strengthening the connection between scientific research and society.

Our friend and collaborator Haroldo Junior visited Aveiro for a few weeks in February 2026. A former PhD student in Belém/Aveiro and now a faculty member at Universidade Federal do Maranhão in São Luís, it was a pleasure to have him back. In the photo, Haroldo is joined by our very esteemed secretary, Cristina.

We kicked off 2026 with a get-together alongside collaborators Roman Pasechnik and Antonio Morais. A special highlight: the next generation joined in as well - future scientists already in the making!

In January-February we received the visits of Andrea Maselli (Grand Sasso, Italy), Gabriel Ribeiro (UFPA, Brazil) and Juan José Vázquez (INAOE, Mexico). Knowledge transfer in action!