Activity Report 2011 C Ouncil Meeting, 30-31 March 2012, CERN (CH)
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ACTIVITY REPORT 2011 C ouncil Meeting, 30-31 March 2012, CERN (CH) European Physical Society more than ideas ACTIVITY REPORT 2011 Luisa Cifarelli, EPS President INTRODUCTION FROM THE PRESIDENT In 2011, Council adopted EPS Strategy American Physical Society (thanks, in workshop is planned in 2012 as a kick- Plan 2010+. It is now time to take stock particular, to our joint involvement in off meeting. of what we have achieved. ‘Physics for Development’ actions such In 2011 energy has also been central Many actions of the EPS as a ‘federa- as the SESAME grant scheme). Relations to EPS activities, with the prepara- tion’ of European national physical with the American Physical Society tion for 2012 of the second European societies have been undertaken, such and the pursuit of common objectives Energy Conference in Maastricht (NL) as the ‘ Second Asia Europe Physics will be further enhanced, as I have re- and with the establishment of the Joint Summit – ASEPS2’ in Poland, the cently been elected member-at-large EPS-SIF International School on Energy launch in Italy of the International of the APS Forum on International in Varenna (IT), whose first summer Year of Light initiative which is likely Physics and appointed member of course will also be in 2012. to be soon approved by UNESCO, the the APS Committee on International In addition a conference on ‘Physics start of a dedicated study on ‘Physics Scientific Affairs. for Development’ at ICTP (Trieste, IT) and the European economy’ that will For the EPS activities as a ‘learned so- has been planned as well as a very in- be presented in 2012, etc. ciety’, we are of course very proud of teresting session of our EPS Forum on The EPS has been active in respond- e-EPS, our electronic bulletin, started Physics and Society, focused on ‘Physics ing to various EC consultations, for in May 2011, which is now becoming and the marketplace’. instance the ERA Framework Public rather popular. Finally the EPS has also undertaken a Consultation on ‘Areas of untapped Also a brand new EPS web site has just series of reorganisational steps, in par- potential for the development of the been released, with new structure, lay- ticular concerning its committees (for European Research Area’, or the con- out, contents, facilities, etc. We strongly instance, the Grants Committee). The sultation on the Green Paper: ‘Towards encourage our members to send us staff and Secretariat are also regularly a Common Strategic Framework for EU comments and suggestions for fu- monitored, and a young science com- research and innovation funding’, or the ture improvement. municator has been hired. The financial one on ‘Access to and preservation of The number of EPS Individual Members results for the year 2011 are positive and digital information’. (and of Associate Members) has been the budgetary extrapolation for 2012 ap- Contacts with the ERA representa- slightly increasing during 2011 and we pears to be good. tives have also been established, as well hope that this trend will continue in 2012. I would like to express my thanks to all as with representatives of the OECD The conferences and prizes of EPS that have worked to implement the EPS Global Science Forum. Divisions/Groups have been outstand- Strategy Plan 2010+. Let’s go on. n Links with other Societies outside ing, the EPS Historic Site programme has Europe have been strengthened, for started, and the first EPS Historic Site was CONTENTS instance with the African Physical created in Warsaw, on the occasion of the 02 Executive Committee Activities Society and the Federation of Ibero- Marie Curie celebrations in 2011. 06 Financial Report 2011 American Physical Societies (notab ly The revival of the EPS in the field of tech- 07 Secretariat through to the International Year of nology has begun. The Technology Group 08 EPS Committees Light), with the Association of Asia now includes innovation in its remit, and 11 EPS Divisions and Groups Pacific Physical Societies (who were has been renamed the Technology and 17 +ournals co-organisers of ASEPS2) and with the Innovation Group (TIG). A special TIG COUNCIL MEETING 01 ACTIVITY REPORT 2011 E XECUTIVE COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES The Executive Committee meets on a common approaches in different do- Executive Committee members are also regular basis, in order to give timely input mains (policy statements, prizes, physics in charge of specific tasks, which are listed on EPS matters. Since the 2011 Council, for development…). in the following table. Reviews of Action the committee has met in May 2011 in The Executive Committee members Committees, Divisions and Groups are Sofia, BG, in October prior to the ASEPS have been very actively involved in pro- ongoing; the outline of a new organi- meeting in Wroclaw, PL, and in January viding input (from the point of view of sational scheme is under discussion. 2012 in Mulhouse, FR. A core group physics) into policy development at the Moreover, each Executive Committee meeting (vice-President, Treasurer, European Commission in areas such as member is the privileged contact point Secretary, and Secretary General) with the European Research Area, Horizon for a set of Member Societies. President Luisa Cifarelli was held at the 2020 and Gender Equality. All Executive beginning of September in order to fol- Committee members have contributed low up on on-going activities. to the ongoing Associate Member re- Education At most Executive Committee meet- cruitment campaign. The Executive Bologna Process Doctoral Study ings, particularly those that are not Committee has actively prepared the The EPS Study of the Implementation of held at EPS headquarters in Mulhouse, renewal of its members for the elections the Bologna Process has now been com- guests are invited. Special care is taken at Council 2012. The implementation of pleted. The project brought together 24 to invite representatives of the local the new distribution scheme with a topi- EPS Member Societies as partners to National Physical Society. In 2011, the cal and geographical balance had to be investigate the implementation of the Executive Committee discussed with adapted to the existing, renewable mem- Bologna reforms in physics studies in representatives from the Bulgarian bers of the Committee. European universities. This was the first Physical Society and the Balkan Physical Union, as well as with the Executive Committee - Distribution of tasks Polish Physical Society and Wroclaw Executive Activity Review University Physics Department. Committee Member J. Langer (IF Pan, Warsaw, PL & Marcis Auzinsh European Integration EPN Academia Europaea, London, UK) pro- Caterina Biscari Member Services, Large Facilities Division and groups vided insight to the future EU research Technology Network activities and services strategy and expected developments for Luisa Cifarelli Alliance for Physics Publishing, General Poland. These privileged meetings be- President Conference, Energy, Initiative for tween the EPS Executive Committee Science in Europe and its Member Societies are impor- Hendrik Ferdinande Education activities, European tant, in order to strengthen links, and Education Platform, Bologna Process gain awareness of particular situations Anders Kastberg Conférence Exceptionnelle PhysNet in different European countries. They Maciej Kolwas Young Minds, General Conference give the opportunity for both sides to Past President ASEPS/Chinese Physical Society, Forum Physics and Society, Initiative for be better informed about on-going ac- Science in Europe tions, and to discuss points where help Martina Knoop Conférence Exceptionnelle EPS Secretariat and/or input is needed. Secretary Grant's scheme Among the individuals invited to the Colin Latimer Finances Executive Committee meetings were Treasurer the officers of international relations Ana Proykova Gender Equality, Student Liaison of APS, DPG and IOP, with whom Els de Wolf European Integration, Education activities the Executive Committee discussed 02 COUNCIL MEETING ACTIVITY REPORT 2011 discipline specific study of this type, and Communication Visibility has led to the publication of three reports, e-EPS The Executive Committee has actively based on the research and analysis of in- In the second quarter of 2011, the EPS encouraged the development of EPS put received by the International Centre launched e-EPS, the electronic newslet- communication policy. I. Randall has for Higher Education Research, Kassel ter of the EPS. It was created to pub- been hired as the technical editor for (DE). The three reports are available at: lish timely information of interest to e-EPS and is providing valuable com- www.eps.org/?page=bologna_process the members of EPS, and to the physics munication services. B. Huchet, a master community. Ten issues of e-EPS have student in Science Communication at Specification descriptions been published since May 2011 with a the University of Grenoble (FR) is an in- The 24 Member Societies that worked large success and 35,000 subscribers. tern at the EPS Secretariat in Mulhouse. together for the Bologna Process Study, EPS Member Societies and Divisions Martina Knoop, the Honorary Secretary under the leadership of H. Ferdinande and Groups are encouraged to submit of the Executive Committee continues and with the input from the STEPS con- information for publication about their to prepare publishable summaries of the sortium have prepared a ‘European spec- activities, including prize announce- Executive Committee meetings. These ification for Physics Bachelor Studies’, ments, conferences and developments summaries are sent to Member Societies, a ‘European specification for Physics in their field. It is complementary to and are available on-line for EPS Members. Master Studies’, and a ‘European speci- EPN, publishing news items that have The visibility of the Society has increased but fication for Physics Doctoral Studies’. a relatively short lifetime. The edito- should be further enhanced, in order for EPS Each of these documents is a primary rial team is: Caterina Biscari, Luisa to become a recognized player in policy input. external source for higher education Cifarelli, Martina Knoop, Maciej institutions when developing new pro- Kolwas, David Lee & Ian Randall.