Photonics Community Pledges Support for Those Affected by War in Ukraine

The scientific community, and the optics and photonics community within it, continues its support of those affected by the war in Ukraine. Initiatives by leading organizations, as well as top trade shows and scientific journals, are among those offering support.

Optica and SPIE have released independent statements in opposition of the conflict, and the organizations co-signed a letter to the U.S. executive and legislative branches, along with 31 other major scientific organizations. Optica has additionally established a page detailing ways that members of the international community can help Ukrainians affected by the crisis.

Wavejobs, a photonics job board based in Warsaw, Poland, has also launched the Photonic Aid for Ukraine initiative. The program aims to help Ukrainian photonics professionals displaced by war find jobs in the field so that they can continue their professional development.

“Optics, optoelectronics, photonics are specialized areas where finding a job matching your competences and interests may not be easy,” WaveJobs stated on its webpage, detailing the initiative. “We are going to help you to find a job in companies and institutions active in areas of your specialization. We are publishing offers for other positions in those organizations too — perhaps your friends or relatives will find a job close to you.”

The project is run by the Candela Foundation together with the Polish Technological Platform on Photonics and Wavejobs, with support from Optica, SPIE, and IEEE Photonics.

Last month, Messe München, organizers of the LASER World of PHOTONICS Munich, announced in an email to exhibitors that it would dedicate two of its conference halls previously reserved for the exhibition to shelter refugees displaced by the war. “The stakeholders of Messe München have approached our management with the urgent request that parts of the exhibition center be made available for the refugees arriving in Munich from Ukraine,” the organizers said in an email to exhibitors. “The use of Halls C5 and C6 for this purpose will now require that we adjust the hall configuration for LASER World of PHOTONICS and World of QUANTUM.

“We would also like to express our solidarity with the refugees and are therefore very pleased to implement the initiative of the advisory board to use the LASER World of PHOTONICS 2022 as an opportunity to collect donations for those affected. We will announce more information about this initiative shortly.”

Scientific journals Nature and Science drafted editorials condemning the military action, and more than 4000 Russian scientists and science journalists co-signed a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin in opposition to the war.

For more information, visit www.optica.org/en-us/optica_blog/2022/march/how_you_can_help_the_people_of_ukraine/.