Informal Physical Societies Exchange Conference 2001 (IPSEC'2001)
Torun, Poland, 16 - 20 September 2001


Present:
  • Jaroslav Nadrchal (Czech Republic) - Chairman
  • Pavel A. Apanasevich (Belarus)
  • Szymon Bauch (Poland)
  • Kirill A. Boyarchuk (Russia)
  • Konrad Buschbeck (Germany)
  • Stanislaw Chwirot (Poland)
  • Jaroslav Dittrich (Czech Republic)
  • Josef Gyulay (Hungary)
  • Volker Haselbarth (Germany)
  • Andrzej Jamiolkowski (Poland)
  • Maciej Kolwas (Poland)
  • David Lee (EPS)
  • Natalia Maloushina (Russia)
  • Peter Melville (UK)
  • Jan Mostowski (Poland)
  • Denes L. Nagy (Hungary)
  • Wieslaw Nowak (Poland)
  • Zenonas Rudzikas (Lithuania)
  • Jaroslav Stanicek (Slovak Republic)
  • Ireneusz Strzalkowski (Poland)
  • Józef Szudy (Poland)
  • Henryk Szymczak (Poland)
  • Viktor Urumov (Macedonia)
  • Krystyna Zakowicz (Poland)
  1. Welcome
    Ireneusz Strzalkowski (Poland) welcomed all participants on behalf of the Polish Physical Society and asked Jaroslav Nadrchal to take the Chair as Chairman of the EPS East West Task Group.
    Zenonas Rudzikas, President of the Lithuania Physical Society, recalled that a collaboration and friendship agreement had been signed between the Lithuanian and Polish Physical Societies during the last informal meeting in Bialystok. He announced that this collaboration was developing well. As a mark of this Ireneusz Strzalkowski has been made the second honorary member of the Lithuania Physical Society; the first was Sir Arnold Wolfendale.
  2. Approval of the agenda
    Jaroslav Nadrchal proposed the following agenda:
    1. Opening
    2. Approval of the agenda
    3. Address of EPS President
    4. Discussion
      a. The role of physical societies in scientific cooperation and public understanding of physics
      b. Educational problems
      c. Sixth framework programme
      d. Large facilities and centres of excellence
    The agenda was approved.
  3. Address of the EPS President
    In the absence of Martial Ducloy, who had been unable to attend at the last moment, David Lee made the presentation. EPS has produced a new strategy document. The reasons for this are that there is a vast area where physics can play a role, and a vast area where physics needs help. The strategy defines where to focus and how to determine where to place resources. The strategy document was distributed widely before being finalised. This is the second EPS strategy document; the first was prepared by Herwig Schopper, helped by the IOP and DPG. The main headings of the new strategy document follow that of the earlier one, but with a new heading on financial activities - increasing EPS income. Most of the EPS income comes from members, but no great increase can be anticipated here, although it would be nice to have more IOMs. However, there is scope for increasing income from conferences and publications. In addition EPS intends to increase its influence under the sixth framework programme.
  4. Discussion
    a. The role of Physical Societies in scientific co-operations and public understanding of science.
    Jaroslav Nadrchal led the discussion. Scientific co-operation is very important. A major aim of the East West Task Force is the promotion of scientific and educational exchange. There was very good scientific co-operation in the Soviet Bloc, but this has now gone and the EWTF would like to support a revival of this. A further idea is exchange West to East, i.e. bringing someone from Western Europe to work in Central and Eastern Europe. This is an idea by Sir Arnold Wolfendale, and approved by the EPS Executive Committee this June. This initiative will start next year with emphasis on the public understanding of physics. David Lee stated that EPS was working with UNESCO to declare 2005 as the international year of physics (the 100th anniversary of Einstein's papers). All physical societies should lobby at national level to get this recognised. As part of this initiative EPS 13 is to be held in either Bern or Zurich. Zenonas Rudzikas stressed the possibility of finding other sources of funding from European Centres of Excellence. These have money for exchanges for young scientists. Zenonas Rudzikas stated that there should be no age limit, but young people do have greater difficulties in getting funds. Undue restrictions on age limits has restricted the ability to spend money available to fund people attending conferences. Some conferences don't want sponsorship from EPS because they think, erroneously, that it would hinder them obtaining IUPAP sponsorship. Denes Nagy commented on the brain drain to Western Europe and the USA. An integrated market is needed to fight against this. Young people should move around, but it's difficult to establish links across Eastern Europe because of financial problems. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians cannot afford a flat, if sent to Poland, Czech or Slovac Republics or Hungary for example.
    Kirill Boyarchuk explained that the United Physical Society of the Russian Federation had been formed by the Russian Academy of Sciences in March 1998 to tie together all the 45 separate physical societies in Russia. Academician Keldysh is the President. A major aim of the organisation is to bring together the regional societies. The society is also working with students in schools and with the physics Olympiad. The society has a journal available on the website in Russian, www.uniphys.ru. The society is organising virtual labs or teams. There is some unique equipment in Russia, and there is scope for web networks for experiments. Members of other physical societies may also take part. There are plans with EPS for a joint summer school for students. Natalia Maloushina has stated that much research in Russia had come under a secret military classification, although much of it was not in fact military. Some of the best people at such establishments but have no international experience. The number of members of the United Physical Society of the Russian Federation is at present uncertain. It is estimated at 1500 members, but there is a need to register the members of all the 45 regional societies.
    On the public understanding of science, Volker Haselbarth commented that the DPG has started work on the public understanding of science in 1999 and had employed a public relations company to get articles on physics into the newspapers. They managed to get the year 2000 declared by the ministry as the Year of Physics. This activity was funded by the science ministry and supported by the DPG. Events included a conference on a 100 years of quantum mechanics, the hosting of the third world conference of physical societies in Berlin (organised jointly by the DPG and EPS). A book on public understanding of science has been published. The first two German editions have sold out. A third edition, 20,000 copies in English has been planned and this will be available at a token sum of 10 Euros per copy. The DPG has agreements with the Polish, Czech and Slovak societies, is developing one with the Hungarian society, and would welcome agreements with other societies.
    b. Educational problems
    Ireneusz Strzalkowski made a presentation. As determined at the Malvern seminar in 1999, securing the future of physics means shaping the physics education. We are faced by various problems: declining enrolment of physics students, critical shortage of physics teachers, problems with teachers education and in service training, the implications of the Sorbonne, Bologna, and Prague declarations and the impact on bachelors and masters courses, ECTS and the standardisation of credits, education quality assurances, accreditation, innovation in education and learning and new technologies in multimedia, IT and distance learning, and longlife learning. To alleviate this physical societies need to: attract more young people, promote more attractive education, broker a link between universities and governments etc., have working groups on physics education, prepare position papers on physics education, and so forth. Josef Gyulay commented that physics became big when mathematics became integrated in physics; chemistry gained enormously when physics was involved in the subject and physics and chemistry are both now moving into biology. 21st century biology is likely to resemble physics and we need to sort out how to deal with this. We need to think what physics needs to be taught and not just to retreat into astrophysics and particle physics. In Hungary, Erikson awards a prize for physics teachers, the nomination being made by the Hungarian Physical Society. David Lee stressed the role of the EPS and its EurPhys qualification in setting common standards across Europe. As a rule, EPS power at EU level is poor; EPS is asked to contribute but not consulted. Volker Haselbarth commented on DPG initiative in making physics more popular in 'grammar schools'.
    c. Sixth framework programme
    Henryk Szymczak spoke on problems with the VIth framework programme for countries in Central Europe. One of the problems is that this programme concentrates on big projects, so in practice there is little place for smaller projects, a better balance is needed for physics. Priorities include nanotechnology and new materials, but Central Europe is behind the west and therefore has little opportunity. Because of the general low level of equipment, Central Europe is not getting money, but is paying into the framework programme, and thus effectively supporting western science. Konrad Buschbeck felt that Henryk Szymczak was being too pessimistic and that Central Europe should nevertheless put forward proposals. There had, for example been much collaboration between Poland and Germany on nanotechnology.
    d. Large facilities and centres of excellence
    Denes Nagy commented that there is a tendency of much physics to be done in large facilities, and international and national access is different in different countries. Because of the decrease in funding, access in becoming more difficult, but many physicists don't realise, there is access to large facilities in Central and Eastern Europe, in particular in Dubna in Russia. Physical societies need to lobby with the EU, the ESF etc. the science ministries for greater funding. Policies need to be developed for national and international facilities, and physical societies to take the lead.
    e. Mobility of young researchers
    Konrad Buschbeck commented on the need for more young researchers. When international groups meet, it is mainly old people, the young are missing. There was better co-operation in Soviet times than now. More motivation is needed for collaboration and opportunity for short stays abroad for young people for say two to three days. Peter Melville spoke of the support given by the Institute of Physics to enable physicists from Central and Eastern Europe to spend short times in the UK or Ireland, and commented that this years money could put to this use, rather that just to conferences. David Lee pointed at the Physnet website and the scope that this has for identifying possible physics exchanges.
  5. Closing remarks
    Jaroslav Nadrchal summarized the discussion, pointing out the main tasks which should be undertaken by national physical societies with regard to the topics discussed. Ireneusz Strzalkowski expressed his thanks to all physical society representatives for their active participation in the meeting and the EPS EWTF Committee for financial support enabling the organization of this meeting.

    Peter Melville (IOP)