This is the Indico webpage for the four-day retreat and school that will take place at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) from 16 to 19 February, 2026. The event is part of the University of Padua's PhD Programme in Technologies for Fundamental Research in Physics and Astrophysics, which is run in collaboration with ten other Italian universities, with the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).
The first two days of the School will serve as a kick-off for students of the 41st cycle and for those of the 40th cycle who couldn't attend the School in 2025. These students must arrive in time for the start of the event on Monday 16th February at 14:00.
They will have the opportunity:
- to get to know each other and the teaching staff;
- to understand the mission, structure, organisation of INFN and INAF;
- to know the main scientific and technological challenges that motivate the research of the two institutions and the tools used to carry it out;
- to learn about the courses that are offered within each PhD curriculum;
- to attend a course on soft skills.
Students of the 39th and 40th cycles are invited to join the group on Wednesday 18th February at 9:00. All together they will participate in:
- activities and discussions that will enrich their doctoral training, organized in plenary and parallel sessions for each curriculum;
- visits to the scientific and technological infrastructures of the Laboratories and of the Astrophysical Observatory in Serra la Nave.
In addition, students of the 2nd year are asked to prepare a poster illustrating their PhD activities, that will be exposed and presented in the poster session on Wednesday afternoon.
3rd-year students are instead invited to propose a presentation on topics related to their research activity that are of particular scientific or technological interest to be given on Wednesday afternoon (see the " Poster session and 3rd-year students seminars" page for further details).
On Thursday 19th February, the School will finish for everyone in the afternoon.
Attendance is compulsory for all PhD students: those unable to attend are asked to provide a justification.
