The United Nations (UN) General Assembly 68th Session has proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015).   The International Year of Light is the initiative of a large Consortium of scientific bodies with UNESCO as lead agency, and the IYL 2015 Consortium is delighted to announce partnership in this International Year with Royal Philips – global leader in lighting solutions – as first Patron Sponsor.

In proclaiming an International Year focusing on the topic of light science and its applications, the United Nations has recognized the importance of raising global awareness of how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health.  

Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public and Government Affairs at Philips Lighting comments: “The transformative power of light is immense as we have seen over the last 120 years of Philips’ history – from the launch of the first commercial incandescent bulb through to connected LED lighting solutions. Lighting has now entered a digital era, where sustainable LED technologies are connected to networks, devices and apps and placed to address the world’s challenges like never before.  2015 and the International Year of Light presents the opportunity to realize the potential of recent innovations in light to benefit people both socially and economically, while addressing global challenges like climate change at the same time.”  

As a Patron of the International Year of Light, Philips will work closely with the IYL2015 Consortium to design and implement actions throughout 2015 to highlight the crucial role that light and light-based technologies play in improving the quality of people’s lives worldwide. 

Philips will play a leading role in several specific areas throughout 2015.  During the Opening Ceremony at UNESCO HQ in January 2015 and at other events during the year, Philips will participate in high-level Round Tables discussing the need for innovative lighting solutions to address issues of energy efficiency and climate protection.  

Philips will also support a key programme of the International Year of Light focussing on the fact that for over 1.5 billion people around the world, night-time means either darkness or the dim glow of an unhealthy kerosene lamp or candle.  With specific emphasis on the impact this has on educational opportunities, Philips will participate in the IYL2015 programme “Study after Sunset” to promote the use of portable solar-powered high-brightness LED lanterns in regions where there is little or no reliable source of light.

Maciej Nalecz, Director, Executive Secretary of the International Basic Sciences Programme at UNESCO HQ in Paris adds “UNESCO is very keen to engage with Private Sector partners in its activities in areas of sustainability and development, and Philips Lighting is a natural partner of the International Year of Light. We look forward to working with them during 2014 and 2015”.

More information in attachment and also see:

• The European Physical Society: www.eps.org.
• The International Year of Light: http://www.eps.org/light2015.

Contact the IYL2015 secretariat: light2015@ictp.it.

To get updates from the International Year of Light 2015, check out the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/IYLight2015

Dear colleagues,

 

There is still time to submit your scientific contribution to

Condensed Matter in Paris CMD 25 – JMC 14.

Uniting CMD 25, the condensed matter conference of the European Physical Society EPS, and JMC14,

the 14^th “Journées de la Matière Condensée” of the French Physical Society SFP, Condensed Matter

in Paris will, from August 24^th to 29^th, host between 1000 and 1200 physicists, and is poised to be

one of the major events of European condensed matter physics in 2014.

       Submission of abstracts to Condensed Matter in Paris is possible until April 15^th, 2014.

The program of Condensed Matter in Paris will comprise 6 plenary invited lectures and 15 semi-

plenary invited lectures. The largest and most important part of the program consists of the Mini-

colloquia (Symposia or Topical Sessions), which gather specific condensed matter communities. The

mini-colloquia at Condensed Matter in Paris will comprise one or more 3 ½ hour time slots, each slot

hosting 30’ overview talks and 15’ contributed talks.

 

You are kindly invited to submit your most recent work to the Mini-colloquium of choice.

Contributions may be submitted online on the conference website,

http://cmd25jmc14.sciencesconf.org/

Registration rates have been kept modest so that all who wish to attend can do so. Moreover,

extremely advantageous rates are available for (graduate) students and young researchers.

 

On behalf of the Program Committee and the Local Organizing Committee, the French Physical

Society SFP and the European Physical Society EPS, I am looking forward to welcoming you in Paris

this summer

 

                 Yours sincerely,

 

                Kees van der Beek

                Chair

                Condensed Matter in Paris CMD25 – JMC14

 

The official language of Condensed Matter in Paris CMD25 – JMC14 will be English.

Please bring the conference to the attention of your colleagues and co-workers

The 3rd Leadership Meeting of the EPS Young Minds will be held at University Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, on 6 and 7 June 2014.

The Physics Education Division of the EPS (EPS PED) and GIREP (Groupe International de Recherche sur l'Enseignement de la Physique) signed an agreement on co-operations. You can read this article and more news in the latest electronic GIREP Newsletter that was released last week. It can be found on the GIREP Website in the Newsletter section:
http://www.girep.org/newsletters/newsletter_2014_02.pdf