ICTP announces new strategy

ICTP launched its 3-day, international science and policy conference "ICTP After 45: Science and Development for a Changing World" by announcing a new, five-year strategy aimed at helping the Centre to better adapt to rapidly developing geopolitical and technological changes.

"This strategy is really a vision for the future of ICTP," said ICTP Director Fernando Quevedo, explaining that full implementation of the plan depends on more funding for the Centre.

The strategy, which was developed by ICTP scientists, extends the Centre's scientific activities in value and range, as well as geographical extent, while reinforcing the necessary resources, and developing the required outreach techniques. Although broad, it has five specific priorities:

•    establish a formal PhD programme as a natural extension of the current Diploma programme;
•    establish regional centres of excellence in developing countries;
•    strengthen existing research sections and add new ones, particularly in energy and sustainability, quantitative biology and computing sciences;
•    develop improved internet-based techniques and new e-learning methods to further supplement and replace the traditional classroom;
•    create a new Institute Advancement Office (IAO) that would seek new funding and support opportunities.

The strategy announcement was followed by an awards ceremony for this year's Dirac Medal winners Nicola Cabibbo (posthumously) and Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan. Nobel Laureates David Gross and Walter Kohn presented the awards to Cabibbo's widow and Sudarshan,

Gross later delivered a keynote speech on "The Future of Science", which focussed on the importance of basic science for all countries. "Basic science is at the heart of ICTP, and is in incredibly good shape, because there are so many fascinating questions that we are on the verge of answering," he said.

A second keynote speech by Jacob Palis, president of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), focussed on "The Importance of Science for Developing Countries".

"The poorest countries generate less than one percent of science articles in peer reviewed journals, but account for one fourth of the world's population. We need to continue efforts to shrink this gap between scientifically capable countries and scientifically lagging ones by designing special activities, instruments and initiatives to deal with this very difficult problem to reach Least Developed Countries, said Palis.