The 1st IAS School on Particle Physics and Cosmology and Implications for Technology

As CERN is a signatory supporter of the 1st Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High Energy Physics (AEPSHEP), which will also be held in 2012, the 1st IAS-CERN School in Singapore will now be known as the 1st Institute of Advanced Studies School on Particle Physics, Cosmology, and Implications for Technology in order to avoid any confusion. CERN continues to be a participating institute and to support the academic programming of the IAS School.

In any field of science, there is a constant need for all researchers to keep up with the latest discoveries and advances in their field.  It is important that they follow the new developments not just in their own narrow field of research but also the broader trends and perspectives in related fields beyond.  The major centres of research have traditionally organized summer and winter schools in order to fill this need.  Such schools have been held in America in the early years at Brandeis, continued now at Boulder Colorado, and in Europe at CERN, at Les Houches, at Erice and elsewhere. 

For many of the young scholars and researchers who have returned to their home countries to pursue a career in frontier fields of science, the distance from major research centres in Asia, Europe and America may be an issue.  Because of the relative geographic isolation, they may not have access to the weekly colloquia and seminars at major centres of research, nor may they have access to the advanced schools. 

In an effort to address their needs, the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) at Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, together with participating institutions such as CERN, is organizing a school to be held in Singapore, 9 January to 31 January, 2012. 

During this period, distinguished lecturers in the frontiers of Particle Physics and Cosmology will be invited to come to Singapore and deliver a mini-course (~6 lectures) on current hot topics in the field.  

During the first two weeks, the mini-course lectures will be given in the morning, with afternoons free for discussions and related special topic seminars by selected speakers.  The school will end with a week-long workshop, with lectures by distinguished visitors on particle physics and cosmology and implications for technology. 

The week-long workshop will include sessions in related applied physics topics and is open to scientists in other areas of research, such as biophysics, medical physics, nanotechnology, quantum technologies and beyond, to encourage cross-disciplinary pollination.

Directors of the School