ENU Senior Lecturer, PhD Receives International Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Ulbossyn Ualikhanova, Senior Lecturer, PhD at the Department of General and Theoretical Physics of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, has become the winner of the international “Antonia Ferrín Moreiras” Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis in Astronomy and Astrophysics, established by the Association of Spanish Scientists in the Baltic Countries (ACEBaltic).

The “Antonia Ferrín Moreiras” Award is being held for the first time in 2026 and is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Antonia Ferrín Moreiras, a pioneer of astronomy in Spain. The award was established to recognize outstanding doctoral research in astronomy and astrophysics. PhD theses defended between 2020 and 2025 at universities in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were eligible for the competition. The award includes a monetary prize of €1,500, as well as a medal and diploma.

Ulbossyn Ualikhanova pursued her doctoral studies at the University of Tartu, Estonia, where she prepared and defended her doctoral dissertation in 2021 under the supervision of Professors Manuel Hohmann and Laur Järv. Her research focused on topical issues in modern gravity and cosmology.

Following the competitive selection process, her doctoral dissertation was recognized as the best thesis in astronomy and astrophysics among the works submitted from the Baltic countries.

The award ceremony took place on 21 May 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The winner received the diploma and the corresponding award in recognition of the high scientific quality and significance of the research.

Receiving this international award is a significant achievement both for the researcher and for L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. It demonstrates the high level of scientific training and the international competitiveness of the research and contributes to strengthening ENU’s academic ties with leading foreign universities and research centres.

We congratulate Ulbossyn Ualikhanova on this well-deserved international recognition and wish her continued scientific success, new research achievements and significant accomplishments.