Virtual Institute of Astroparticle physics - science and education online

TL;DR

The Virtual Institute of Astroparticle Physics (VIA) is an online platform supporting remote scientific collaboration, education, and conferences in astroparticle physics, demonstrating high-quality, stable virtual communication with minimal equipment.

Contribution

This paper introduces VIA as a comprehensive online infrastructure for astroparticle physics research and education, integrating videoconferences, courses, and collaborative tools in a single platform.

Findings

VIA effectively supports remote scientific meetings and education.

VIA maintains high quality and stability with minimal equipment.

VIA enabled global participation in physics discussions.

Abstract

Virtual Institute of Astroparticle Physics (VIA), integrated in the structure of Laboratory of AstroParticle physics and Cosmology (APC) is evolved in a unique multi-functional complex of $e-science$ and $e-learning$, supporting at distance interactive online participation in conferences and meetings, various forms of collaborative scientific work as well as programs of education. The activity of VIA takes place on its website and includes regular videoconferences with systematic basic courses and lectures on various issues of astroparticle physics, regular online transmission of APC Colloquiums, participation at distance in various scientific meetings and conferences, library of their records and presentations, a multilingual Forum. VIA virtual rooms are open for meetings of scientific groups and for individual work of supervisors with their students. The format of a VIA videoconferences was effectively used in the program of XV Bled Workshop to provide a world-wide participation at distance in discussion of the open questions of physics beyond the standard model. The VIA system has demonstrated its high quality and stability even for minimal equipment (laptop with microphone and webcam and WiFi Internet connection) and without any technical assistance at place.