QuMat researchers Antonija Grubišić Čabo, Mazhar Ali, together with colleagues, explain what happens behind the scenes of a conference and also in the laboratory. As supporting actor we can also see PHD student Michiel Dubbelman.
Superconductivity’s Next Big Leap — 3 Breakthroughs You Shouldn’t Miss
Original text: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2025/10/what-really-happens-behind-the-scenes-at-a-lorentz-center-workshop
When you imagine a scientific conference, you might think of endless presentations and coffee breaks. But at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, things are a little different. Here, scientists don’t just listen—they collaborate, debate, and design the future of their field.
That’s exactly what happened during a workshop organized by physicists Semonti Bhattacharyya and Leiden graduate Remko Fermin, together with colleagues from Delft and Regensburg.
For five full days, fifty researchers from around the world and across career stages came together to discuss one of the most intriguing phenomena in physics: superconductivity—materials that conduct currents without any electrical resistance.
A week of ideas and inspiration
Rather than filling the schedule with back-to-back talks, Lorentz workshops emphasize discussion and collaboration. Small groups brainstorm, challenge each other’s ideas, and sketch out new research directions. As Fermin puts it: ‘It’s about shaping where the field is heading next.’
Capturing the moment on film
To give others a glimpse of this process, the participants decided to create a behind-the-scenes video. Watch the video to see how scientists turn their discussion into discovery — focusing on three breakthroughs in their research fields.