Mourning Zbigniew Majka
04.06.2024 |
It is a great loss for FAIR. On the 20th of May 2024, a staunch supporter and founding father of FAIR, Professor Dr. hab. Zbigniew Majka, has passed away at the age of 77.
Zbigniew Majka was a renowned scientist, a leading figure in nuclear physics. He was a full professor at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.
He started his engagement for FAIR already many years before FAIR was initiated officially, playing a major role in the conception of the facility. In particular, he was among the founders of the CBM collaboration, in which he led the Jagiellonian University team since 2002 and remained a supporter of the collaboration.
From 2007 on Zbigniew Majka was a member of the management of the FAIR project and spent some years at GSI as member of the FAIR Joint Core Team. He contributed significantly to the preparatory phase for the FAIR project and served as Director of Research within the FAIR Joint Core Team from 2008 until the foundation of the FAIR GmbH in 2010.
Thanks to his engagement, Poland signed the FAIR Convention in 2010, signing up for more than 2% shares in the endeavor. Zbigniew Majka was subsequently identified as a representative of the Polish shareholder Jagiellonian University in FAIR. He served as a delegate to the FAIR Council from 2010 up to 2023, making him the longest-serving of all delegates to the FAIR Council. In this position, he vigorously promoted FAIR in Poland and Poland in FAIR, to the benefit of Poland, FAIR and the international science as a whole.
Zbigniew Majka also chaired the National Consortium FEMTOPHYSICS in Poland, whose aim is to organize the Polish participation in the FAIR research program.
He will certainly be missed by all friends of FAIR and GSI. Our deepest sympathy goes to his family and friends. (CP)
