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located in Trieste, Italy, is a unique The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), scientific institution. Dedicated to both research and training, the Centre has earned an international reputation for its contributions to the advancement of science in the developing world. Over the past four decades approximately 100,000 scientists have visited the Centre to participate in its training and research activities. In addition, ICTP's research staff have made significant contributions to a variety of subjects in high energy physics, condensed matter physics and mathematics. More recently, the Centre has extended its research efforts to fields such as the physics of weather and climate, seismology, statistical physics and complex systems, and a variety of areas in applied physics. What follows is a historical timeline of critical events that have shaped ICTP's past accomplishments and created a strong foundation for future success. • June - University of Trieste's • February - Citizens' Committee physics faculty holds Symposium on asks Italian government to nominate Elementary Particle Interactions in Trieste as Italy’s candidate to serve the Castelletto ("small castle") in as the ‘seat’ of the proposed Miramare Park less than 10 kilometres from downtown international centre. Trieste’s mayor, Trieste. Abdus Salam invited to attend, marking first Mario Franzil, formed the committee, which consisted of • April - Sigvard Eklund, IAEA face-to-face meeting between him and Trieste's physics prominent citizens in government, commerce, education Director General, convenes community. Daniele Amati, Luciano Bertocchi, Paolo and industry, to promote city's efforts to host centre. panel of experts to devise Budinich, Nicolò Dallaporta, Giuseppe Furlan and Claudio framework for Villi—individuals who will become instrumental to the • March - Italian Government submits candidacy of institution-to-be. success and long-term growth of ICTP—participate Trieste to IAEA. in event. Sterling Cole, IAEA Director General, convenes panel of experts to discuss feasibility of • June - IAEA accepts Italian offer. Other candidates creating international centre are Austria, Denmark, Pakistan and Turkey. for theoretical physics. Panel recommends creation of such • October - Italian government and IAEA sign a centre. agreement "concerning the establishment of an Paolo Budinich, a physicist at international centre for theoretical physics at Trieste." University of Trieste, is an observer to panel. He later serves as ICTP's Deputy Director (1964-1978). • July - IAEA International Seminar • August - Participants—among them, Abdus Salam— on Theoretical Physics held in Trieste. at the Tenth Annual International Conference on High Energy Physics in Rochester, New York (USA), discuss possibility of creating an international centre for theoretical physics to promote collaboration among physicists from East and West. • September - As a member of Pakistani delegation to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Abdus Salam calls for creation of international physics centre at IAEA's Fourth • September - IAEA's General Conference and Board General Conference in of Governors endorse creation of international centre for Vienna, Austria. Many theoretical physics and request financial assistance from developing countries IAEA member states. support proposal. timeline timeline • ICTP/TWAS Donation Programme • ICTP agrees to host a three-year programme in Ecological • Ford Foundation provides financial • First UNDP-sponsored course in launches eJournals Delivery Service and Environmental Economics, jointly managed with the assistance to associates and federation applied mathematics, Global Analysis offering scientists from developing Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, agreements. Funding continues and Its Applications, held. world's most impoverished Sweden, and Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Italy. countries free electronic access to until 1973. Directed by James Eells and Initiative launched at Trieste University with Nobel E. Christopher Zeeman. the most current scientific • Solid state physics added to research and training Laureate Kenneth Arrow in attendance. • Scientific Council, chaired by literature. curriculum. • On occasion of Paul A.M. Dirac's 70th birthday, Centre Mexican-born physicist Manuel hosts Symposium on Physicist's Conception of Nature, Sandoval Vallarta, meets at IAEA • December - IAEA and Italian Government sign attended by several Nobel Laureates. (28-29 May) and ICTP "seat" agreement, formalising the location of ICTP (13 September). Vallarta holds secretariat in Trieste. post until 1970. • October - ICTP celebrates UN Day for first time, • Associateship Scheme Trieste Mayor Roberto Dipiazza is in attendance. established. Centre employees who have worked for UN for more • ICTP offices move to new (Main) than 20 years honoured. building near Miramare Park. To celebrate event, Symposium on • June - Minister of Contemporary Physics is held in June. • Adriatico Guesthouse Lower Level 1 refurbished. Scientific Research Carlo More than 300 physicists attend, Meeting rooms named in honour of Alfred Kastler and Arnaudi lays Main including Nobel Laureates Hans A. Bethe, Francis H.C. Crick, Stig Lundqvist. Informatics laboratory named in honour Building's cornerstone. Paul A.M. Dirac, Werner Heisenberg and Eugene P. Wigner. of Sigvard Eklund. • June - President of Mongolia, Natsagyn • May - ICTP • Atomic, molecular and laser physics Bagabandi, visits ICTP. Director Miguel • October - ICTP introduced into curriculum. Virasoro retires. officially inaugurated with Alfred Kastler directs first course. Erio Tosatti programmes in plasma, high appointed Acting energy and nuclear physics. Director. Offices temporarily housed at 6, Piazza Oberdan in centre of Trieste. • Mario P. Tosi and Erio Tosatti, • ICTP and Sincrotrone Trieste S.p.A. sign agreement University of Trieste, giving scientists from developing world access to new form core of beamline at Elettra synchrotron light laboratory in Trieste. permanent research group in Condensed Matter Physics. • Ad-Hoc Committee, chaired by Léon • Lê Dung Tráng appointed Van Hove, recommends biophysics and head of the Mathematics earth sciences be added to curriculum and computing Research Group. • Ad-Hoc Committee, chaired by facilities be made readily accessible. Dutch physicist Hendrik B.G. Casimir, assesses ICTP's impact. Daniele Amati, future director of International School • 15th Anniversary Meeting of Dirac Medallists. for Advanced Studies (SISSA), serves on committee, which recommends ICTP research and • First course on physics of environment training activities be expanded to include mathematics held: Physics of Oceans and and condensed matter physics. Atmosphere, directed by • Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) Sir George Deacon. begins its support of associates programme. • November - Indian-born US • June - Laying of cornerstone citizen Katepalli R. of Galileo Guesthouse. Sreenivasan • - UNESCO joins IAEA appointed new January Director of ICTP. as full partner in management of ICTP. • February - Philippe Busquin, European Union's • Vladimir Kravtsov Commissioner for Research, visits ICTP to discuss ways appointed head of Condensed EU and ICTP could work together to promote scientific Matter Physics Group. cooperation between developing countries and Europe. • New research activity • Federation Scheme launched. in Statistical Physics and Complex Systems • Research group in plasma established in Condensed physics, headed by Matter Physics Group. Boris B. Kadomtsev, Headed by • More than 100 Pakistani • January - K.R. Sreenivasan begins tenure as Director Marshall N. Rosenbluth and Riccardo Zecchina. alumni of ICTP form ICTP- and is appointed "Abdus Salam Professor". To ensure William B. Thompson, Pakistan Chapter. smooth transition, Erio Tosatti continues as Acting Deputy organised. Director until June. • Abdus Salam shares Nobel Prize in physics with Sheldon Glashow and Steven Weinberg for their work on • Research group in Fluid Dynamics created. the theoretical unification of • Refurbished cafeteria and Cryogenic turbulence laboratory established at electromagnetic and weak forces. • - Italian government announces it will increase May bar at Adriatico Guesthouse Elettra Synchrotron Light Laboratory, annual contribution to ICTP from 26 to 36 billion lire • United Nations Development opened. Area Science Park, Trieste. (US$18 million). More than 12 new scientific posts in Programme (UNDP), through UNESCO, condensed matter physics, high energy physics, contributes to activities in condensed mathematics, and physics of weather and climate are matter physics and establishment of programmes in created. applied mathematics. Funding continues until 1978. • Academic year 1965-1966. • Mathematics added to curriculum. • IAEA's Department of • Seminar Course on Computing as a • Refurbishing and classroom Technical Cooperation Language of Physics, organised in co- expansion of Adriatico partners with ICTP's Office of operation with CERN, marking beginning Guesthouse's Lower Level 1 External Activities in creation • First course on theoretical nuclear of applied physics at Centre. completed. Meeting room of Sandwich Training physics, directed by Amos de-Shalit named in honour of Educational Programme and Claudio Villi, takes place. • Nobel Laureate Alfred Kastler succeeds Juan José Giambiagi, one of (STEP). Gallieno Denardo and