SEE Networks promoted by UNESCO Information note We are repeating often the phrase: ”Think globally, act locally”. This means, that all global issues like climate changes, depletion of the natural resources of water, oil, coal, ores and others, appearance of new dangerous diseases have always local expression. Every nation and every region should look for solutions adapted to the local specific manifestations of the global problems and they need scientific expertise. Given the relative weaknesses of the national S&D&I systems in Southeast Europe, it seems that the national Centres of excellence should be strengthen via networking with complementary entities in the neighbouring countries thus attaining a mass closer to the critical one. The building of expertise on regional scale is mandatory, e.g. in health care, quality food and nutritional additives production and control, the environment and biodiversity preservation, weather forecasting and adaptation to the climate changes, the prevention of local natural disasters, clean and sustainable energy production, efficient transportation systems, etc. This is a conditio sine qua non both for providing advice to the Governments and securing innovative ideas for the local public and private economies. This policy approach has been recommended more than 10 years ago at a Conference in Venice organised by UNESCO- ROSTE (now BRESCE)1. A strong accent has been put on the regional co-operation and creation of regional networks, which might be considered as distributed Centres of excellence or competence. More extensive co-operation within and among the European regions, in general, and with and within Southeast Europe in particular was seen as a warranty for securing regional relevant expertise, and breeding ground for innovative ideas and new talents. Following this idea and further EU incentives since 2003, several regional networks have been created namely in astronomy, mathematical and theoretical physics, molecular biology and genetics, microbiology and virusology, and earthquake hazards mitigation. An efficient collaboration has been set up among the National Electronic Networks for Research and Education. UVO-ROSTE supported also the creation of the Interacademy Council of the Academies in Southeast Europe and kept in the following years its active support mainly to the networks of astronomy and theoretical and mathematical physics. 1 Reconstruction of Scientific Co-operation in Southeast Europe, International Conference of Experts, Proceedings, eds. Pierre Lasserre, Simeon Anguelov, Iulia Nechifor, Rosana Santesso, UNESCO ROSTE, 2001 Southeastern European Network in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics The SEENET MTP Network Short History The initiative for the establishment of SEENET-MTP NETWORK has been agreed by the participants of the UNESCO-Venice sponsored BALKAN WORKSHOP BW2003 "Mathematical, Theoretical and Phenomenological Challenges Beyond the Standard Model: Perspectives of Balkans Collaboration", Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia, August 29 - September 3, 2003, http://bw2003.seenet-mtp.info/ The Network has been a natural continuation of Prof. Julius Wess` initiative: Scientists in Global Responsibility (Wissenschaftler in Global Verantwortung – WIGV), started in 1999. Within the years 2004-2012 the Network joined (see http://www.seenet-mtp.info/): - 20 institutions from 11 SEE countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine; - 13 partner institutions all over the world; - About 300 individual members. Objectives of the Network Strengthening the co-operation among universities, research institutions and individual scientists across South Eastern Europe (SEE); Development of educational and research activities in the region and improvement of the interregional cooperation through networking, organization of scientific events and mobility programs; Encouraging the communication between educators, students and gifted pupils motivated for natural sciences, by new approaches to teaching physics and sciences, by promotion of science through exhibitions, popular lectures, publications, meetings and contests; Supporting the capacity building in science and technology in the region, by creating and updating a database of existing research and teaching capacities in Physics and Mathematics; The main area of scientific interest is related to all the fields of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics. Leading and Administrative Structures The following structures ensure the scientific and administrative coordination of SEENET MTP activities: - Representative Committee (RC) - one member for each network node: - Executive Committee (EC) – one representative for each country in the Network; - Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) – renowned scientists all over the world; - Permanent SEENET MTP Office; - President and Executive Director of the Network. The relation between all these structures is specified by the Terms of references accepted in November 2005: The Representative Committee (RC) has the role of preparation and implementation of the Network activities. It consists in representatives of nineteen from twenty Network nodes (Bogazici University, Istanbul did not delegate a new representative since 2010). The Executive Committee has as main objectives elaboration of the Network Program, its implementation and widening of the Network financial basis. Depending of the budget, the EC meets regularly once per year. The EC actually consists of 10 representatives from 10 countries, Turkey is being not represented. The Scientific-Advisory Committee (SAC) has as responsibilities: consideration of research project proposals submitted by the nodes; supporting the activities and the development of SEENET-MTP co-operation with other international institutions and organizations. It comprises a number (actually 19) of outstanding scientists from both SEE region and all over the world (http://www.seenet-mtp.info/committees/scientific- advisory-committee). The first coordinator of the SAC was Prof. J. Wess (LMU/MPI Munich) 2003-2007, and the running coordinator is Prof. Goran Senjanovic (ICTP Trieste). The Permanent SEENET-MTP Office is responsible for administration of the Network and, additionally, for maintaining and improving the official website, http://www.seenet- mtp.info. It is established at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Nis, Serbia In accordance with the decisions made at the last meeting of the Representative Committee of the Network (August 2011) and Executive Committee (September 2012), leading structure of the Network is as follows: President of the Network: Prof. Radu Constantinescu, University of Craiova, Romania. Executive Director of the Network: Prof. Goran Djordjevic, University of Nis, Serbia. MAIN ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS Joint research and scientific publications, organization of scientific meetings and scientific mobility, capacity building and promotion of science for youth have been the main activities of the Network since its establishment in 2003. A comprehensive list of the conferences, schools, and workshops organized or supported by the Network could be found at http://www.seenet-mtp.info/category/events/network- meetings. As far as research and publications, the contacts, exchange and joint conferences with leading groups and researchers had as a result about 100 common publications with a proper acknowledgement of the Network`s support, and even several joint projects. The publications include monographs, books, special issues of the SCI journals and Proceedings. Promotion of sciences, in particular of Physics, has been done through: - Popular lectures and publications targeting a large audience; - Contests addressed to undergraduate students and gifted high school pupils; - In-service training of science teachers through symposia and conferences on modern topics in physics. Exchange and mobility programs allowed during last 8 years, about 160 exchanges of researchers and students completely or partially financed by the Network. In order to highlight the capacity building potential of the SEE region, a map of the main educational and research organizations in Physics and Mathematics in 7 countries from the region has been achieved based on an electronic survey run by the Network and UNESCO Venice Office. Cooperation of the Network with other organizations The main organizations SEENET MTP is collaborating are: UNESCO Venice Office, UNESCO Paris, ICTP Trieste, European Physical Society (EPS), CERN, Balkan Physical Union (BPU) and Central European Initiative (CEI). We are investigating all other possible partnerships which could be helpful in accomplishing our objectives. Future actions and expected results In cooperation with UNESCO and the other potential partners, the Network is focused on establishing a Balkan Research and Education Network in Physics and Mathematics. Its future actions concern: Programs sustaining contacts and mobility of educators, researchers and young people from the Balkan states; Participation in EU Programs in the frame of Horizon 2020; Promotion of sciences and science education in the region. Joint research activities through the already existing working group - “Cosmology and String”, and support to establish the new one(s), as Physics Education group. The main next event of the Network will be the meeting BW2013 – Beyond the Standard Models, 25 – 29 April, 2013, Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia,