In November 2025, Belgrade hosted two landmark international events marking the centennial of quantum mechanics.
The Centennial of Quantum Theory: Progress in Atomic and Molecular Structure (CEQPAS-2025), jointly organized by the Institute of Physics Belgrade (IPB) and the Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (ICTM), brought together leading scientists from Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Over 25 speakers presented cutting-edge research in atomic and molecular spectroscopy, collision processes, plasma science, astrochemistry, chemical bonding, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in spectroscopy and data analysis.
Organizing Cometee: Nigel J. Mason (University of Kent, UK), Bratislav P. Marinkovic (IPB), Felipe Fantuzzi (University of Kent, UK), Jelena B. Maljković (IPB), Matija Zlatar (ICTM).
ICTM was represented with an invited lecture by Ivana Veljković, who spoke on “Non-covalent sulfur interactions through the lens of quantum chemistry”, highlighting new insights into chalcogen bonding.
The Book of Abstracts is openly available: J. B. Maljković, M. Zlatar, eds., Centennial of Quantum Theory: Progress in Atomic and Molecular Structure – CEQPAS 2025, Book of Abstracts, Belgrade, 2025. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17467615
Some photos from the conference can be found on the IPB website.
Immediately following CEQPAS, ICTM hosted the inaugural meeting of the MOLecular Excited State spectroscopy (MOLESs) consortium. MOLESs aims to create a modern atlas of molecular excited states, integrating experiment and theory into openly accessible resources. Inspired by Melvin Robin’s classic Higher Excited States of Polyatomic Molecules series, the initiative will provide benchmark datasets, reproducible protocols, and digital tools to support future discovery.
Together, CEQPAS and MOLESs align historical perspective with future capability, positioning Belgrade as a regional hub for quantum-enabled molecular science. These events were organized under the framework of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025), proclaimed by the United Nations and coordinated with UNESCO, underscoring Serbia’s growing role in international scientific collaboration.
