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1 ICTP: AYear in Review
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ICTP: A Year inReview
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2020: A Year in Review
2020: A Year in Review
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
Compiled by the ICTP Public Information Office
Designed by Jordan Chatwin
Photos: Roberto Barnabà, ICTP Photo Archives, unless otherwise specified
Public Information Office
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)
Strada Costiera, 11 I – 34151 Trieste Italy
e-mail: [email protected]
www.ictp.it
ISSN 1020–7007
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Contents
Foreword 4
Science During a Pandemic 6
ICTP Research 8
ICTP Impact 16
2020 Timeline 20
Governance 30
Donors 31
Scientific and Administrative Staff 2020 32
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Foreword
Looking back on the unusual year of 2020 is an occasion for reflection as well as for renewed optimism. The trying circum-stances of the pandemic have underlined the magnitude of some of the great chal-lenges facing the world, as well as the im-portance of science in addressing them effectively and the need for international cooperation transcending geographic bor-ders. It was also an occasion to witness the enormous goodwill that ICTP enjoys around the world. ICTP has a unique global mandate and therefore a special responsi-bility in this regard to play a leading role in promoting `Science without Borders’ in the years to come.
On this backdrop, ICTP’s new five-year Strategic Plan was presented to and en-thusiastically endorsed by its Scientific Council and approved by its Steering Com-mittee in November. The plan was in the making for almost a year, building upon input from the entire ICTP community to identify priority areas important for the fu-ture success of ICTP.
The new Strategic Plan emphasises ICTP’s special global mission to promote scientif-ic excellence around the world, especially in developing countries, and to bridge the knowledge divide and advance internation-al cooperation. In the coming five years, we will aim to enhance the nurturing environ-ment at ICTP to enable even greater sci-entific accomplishments and new break-
throughs at the frontiers of science. We will aim to expand a broader ‘International Science Alliance’ that can help overcome the barriers of geography, gender, class or ethnicity by building capacity in advanced sciences, especially in developing coun-tries, through novel initiatives for online and regional connectivity. We will seek to increase ICTP’s role as an international fo-cal point for scientific research, education, and outreach, with active engagement in science advocacy and international coop-eration.
The pandemic starkly brought home the importance of ICTP’s mission in a world that faces new obstacles that can accentuate fragmentation and the intellectual isolation of scientists. ICTP successfully continued its Postgraduate Diploma Programme with students coming in from more than 30 different countries to the Trieste campus. We also continued successfully online with most of our major scientific schools and conferences. It was heartening to see this resolve and resilience under difficult cir-cumstances. I am proud of ICTP’s scientists and staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure that ICTP maintains its level of ex-cellence and engagement with the global community of scientists, especially those from disadvantaged countries.
Atish DabholkarDirector, ICTP
ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar at the 2020 Postgraduate Diploma Programme graduation ceremony. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ceremony was held as a hybrid event, with most students following the ceremony online. A small number of faculty and student representatives attended in person, following strict guidelines for social distancing and wearing masks.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world in 2020, ICTP took swift action to protect its staff and visitors from the growing international health emergency. By early March, the institute had suspended all on-site activities and staff began teleworking. Courses for Postgraduate Diploma students became 100% virtual, with professors teaching online from their home offices or living rooms.
ICTP took additional steps to ensure that its scientific community could remain connected and overcome isolation as the world entered national lockdowns. It quickly embraced online, interactive platforms like Zoom to deliver its seminars and colloquia, providing expanded, interactive access to ICTP’s rich programme of lectures by staff scientists and invited speakers (all colloquia were recorded and can be watched on ICTP’s YouTube channel). While most of ICTP’s Scientific Calendar activities (conferences, schools and workshops) for 2020 were postponed or cancelled, some, like the Summer School on Superstring Theory and Related Topics, went online as well, offering livestreamed talks by the world’s top string theorists to some 149 registered participants from 32 countries plus thousands more who watched the proceedings online.
“The mission of a global institute like ICTP perhaps has an even greater relevance and urgency in this crisis, which could accentuate intellectual isolation in different parts of the world,” said ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar, adding, “Perhaps this adversity is also an opportunity to think of new ways to deliver on this mission. Using interactive technology is one way ICTP can help diminish the intellectual isolation many of us are experiencing during this coronavirus crisis.”
Science for PolicyScience for PolicyICTP on regional COVID data task force informing policymakers
Researchers in ICTP’s Quantitative Life Sciences (QLS) section participated in a regional scientific task force to ensure the integrity of data being used in efforts to fight the spread of the coronavirus. Matteo Marsili, head of the QLS section, and his colleague Jacopo Grilli used models to simulate the consequences of policies aimed at reducing the number of infections. Their goal, and that of the task force, was to help policymakers find ways to intervene ahead of COVID-19 infections, to minimize the enormous social and economic disruption caused by outbreaks. “It’s important to give an informed view to policymakers, with a clear quantification of the uncertainties so that they understand what data are needed to monitor the situation,” says Grilli.
Science During a Pandemic: How the ICTP Community Rose to the Challenge
COVID PreventionCOVID PreventionICTP SciFabLab creates facial shields for local civil protection agency
ICTP’s SciFabLab, a hub of do-it-yourself innovation, put their expertise to work in response to a scarcity of personal protection equipment for local civil protection workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. After consulting its Maker community as well as technical assistants from Trieste Hospital, the Lab produced 90 re-useable facial shields.
Science Never SleepsScience Never SleepsHow ICTP’s partner institutes prevail during COVID-19
In the face of enormous challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, ICTP’s partner institutes in Brazil, China, Mexico and Rwanda have discovered ways to overcome the difficulties imposed by lockdowns and social distancing. But longer-term consequences loom: “As universities and institutes across the country go virtual, researchers are scrambling to protect their funding and their careers,” said Zhang Min, coordinator of the ICTP-Asia Pacific (ICTP-AP) in Beijing. Read how the four partner institutes have coped.
Adapting to Abrupt Adapting to Abrupt ChangesChangesICTP’s Diploma students on studying during a pandemic
They arrived at ICTP in August 2019, eager to embark on a year of intense academic study. By spring 2020, ICTP’s Postgraduate Diploma students found themselves in lockdown as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Isolated from their classmates and professors, not to mention their families thousands of kilometres away, the students relied on perseverance and virtual learning to continue their studies. Read how ICTP helped the young scholars cope with the pandemic restrictions by minimizing interruptions to their learning.
Image credit: Markus Spiske, Unsplash
Photo: A coordinator of a local civil protection agen-cy inspects the SciFabLab facial shields. Photo credit: unknown.
Photo: ICTP Diploma students (clockwise from top left): Prakash Timsina, Muhammad Saleem, Amna Mohsin Abdalla and Vali-soa Rakotonirinjanahary.
Staying ConnectedStaying ConnectedICTP scientists find innovative way to create virtual, random encounters
ICTP is well known for its ability to bring scientists together, whether it is in a lecture hall, a corridor or at its beloved coffee bar. When the COVID pandemic made impromptu, encounters impossible, ICTP researcher Mehrdad Mirbabayi devised a virtual solution.
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4040Number of countries represented by ICTP researchers
ICTP’s quality research
More than 75% of ICTP research is published in the most-cited journals, an indication of the quality of ICTP research. The pie chart shows ESI quartiles' frequencies for ICTP papers produced from 2015 to 2019.
ICTP Research in Numbers 2020
Region of origin, ICTP researchers
47%DevelopedCountries
43%DevelopingCountries
79%Q1
14%Q2
5%Q3 2%
Q4
10%Least Developed
Countries
166166Number of researchers
Staff, consultants, longterm visiting scientists,postdoctoral fellows
Number of papers produced within ICTP
Total number of citationsof ICTP papers
In spite of the upheaval caused by the COVID pandemic, ICTP research flourished in 2020. A record 546 papers were published, representing a 7% increase over the number of papers published by ICTP researchers in 2019. ICTP is proud of its long research tradition, which began in 1964 when Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam founded the centre. Over the decades, ICTP has stayed true to its roots, maintaining a strong presence of theoretical physics research. At the same time, the Centre has had the foresight to branch out into new research areas that address key sustainability concerns, such as Earth system physics and renewable energy.
ICTP’s unique strength lies in its ability to bring together large numbers of gifted scientists from developing and developed countries to participate in joint research. From its early focus on theoretical high energy physics, the Centre’s research areas have evolved in response to the needs of physicists and mathematicians from the developing world, and now include the areas below.
ICTP Research
Condensed Matter and Statistical PhysicsStrange and unexpected behaviours may emerge when large numbers of particles collect together. Research-ers in the Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics (CMSP) section at ICTP are tackling this challenging realm with a variety of analytical and numerical techniques, with a particu-lar focus on the development of new methods of numerical simulation.
MathematicsICTP’s Mathematics section empha-sizes two core functions: the creation of new mathematical knowledge and its global dissemination, in particular to developing countries. Research by ICTP’s mathematicians reflects the im-portant synergy between mathemat-ics and physics, as well as the role of mathematics in driving the rapid de-velopment of technological advances.
Applied PhysicsFrom archaeology to X-ray imaging, and from optics and lasers to satellite navigation and turbulent fluid flows, ICTP’s Applied Physics section encompasses diverse areas of research that respond to the most critical needs of the ICTP scientific community. The areas are, in fact, among the activities for which the demand in developing countries is enormous and growing.
Earth System PhysicsUnderstanding the various components of the Earth system, including their interactions and processes, forms the basis of research by ICTP’s Earth System Physics section (ESP). From building and using models of climate change and its impacts to deciphering the me-chanics of earthquakes and volcanoes, ESP research covers a wide spectrum.
Quantitative Life SciencesScientists in ICTP’s Quantitative Life Sciences (QLS) section are uncov-ering the underlying physics in the broad domain of life sciences that encompasses disciplines ranging from molecular and cell biology to terrestrial and oceanic ecology, and economics and quantitative finance.
High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle PhysicsThe High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (HECAP) section at ICTP is studying some of the most exciting areas in physics today, from string theory to physics at large energy colliders, from neutrino phenomenology to alternative cosmologies.
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ICTP Research Highlights 2020
High Performance High Performance Climate ResearchClimate ResearchICTP partners with supercomputing centre for climate modelling
The international success and reputation of ICTP’s regional climate modelling require enormous amounts of computing power and storage space. Thanks to a partnership with Italy’s CINECA, one of the top supercomputing centres in the world, ICTP can participate in worldwide climate projects such as the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), performing modelling exercises that ultimately inform policy decisions related to climate change.
High Tech, Low CostHigh Tech, Low CostNew book by ICTP scientists aims to bridge the digital divide
Developing countries that lack reliable power supplies or technology infrastructures risk being left behind in the use of technologies such as the Internet of Things that could help their development. A book by ICTP scientist Marco Zennaro and ICTP Simons Associate Bharat Chaudhari proposes low-power and low-cost solutions.
ICTP Success in ICTP Success in Quantum InformationQuantum InformationICTP scientist awarded Google Computer Science prize
ICTP senior research scientist Rosario Fazio, head of the Centre’s Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics (CMSP) section, is among the recipients of the Google Faculty Research Awards, dedicated to outstanding researchers in computer science and related fields. Fazio’s research on quantum information is in line with Google’s interests in supporting research into quantum algorithms and quantum computing applications.
Photo: Marco Zennaro and Bharat Chaudhari (first and second from right) during a workshop at MIT World Peace University, Pune, India in 2019. (Photo credit: unknown)
Image credit: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay
Quantum Simulators Quantum Simulators for Gauge Theoriesfor Gauge TheoriesA new approach to the study of the fundamental forces of nature
A study by ICTP and SISSA and published in Physical Review X shows how atomic physics experiments allow for simulation of the forces that govern our Universe more efficiently than traditional calculators do. To simulate in a laboratory what happens in particle accelerators has been an ambitious goal in the study of the fundamental forces of nature pursued by high-energy physicists for many years. Now, thanks to this study, that goal is closer to reach.
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A New Description A New Description of Black Holesof Black HolesNew research applies the holographic principle
Describing black holes has always been a complex question: Are these mysterious cosmic objects spherical, smooth, and simple according to the theory of relativity? Or are they extremely complex and full of information as Stephen Hawking proposed? New research published in Physical Review X by ICTP, SISSA and INFN proposes a surprising new possibility that incorporates these seemingly disparate descriptions.
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Image credit: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay
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Searching by SmellSearching by SmellResearch from ICTP’s Quantitative Life Sciences section explores optimizing collective behaviour
Nature has inspired many new technologies: for example, robots designed to search the air for traces of bombs or other volatile chemicals use strategies developed by moths searching for mates by following their smell. Those strategies are quite efficient, but Antonio Celani, an ICTP physicist who studies animal behaviour, wondered what strategies would emerge if they didn’t just search individually, but worked collectively. A paper published in Physical Review E explores the possibility of how working together could make the searching process more efficient.
Microbial ModellingMicrobial ModellingNew research identifies macroecological laws of variation and diversity
The natural world is astonishingly complex. After centuries of study, scientists still have much to learn about how all the species in an ecosystem coexist, for example. New research by ICTP biological physicist Jacopo Grilli on microbial communities published in Nature Communications helps light the way to answering this fundamental question in ecology. “What I wanted to know is, sure communities are very complicated, there are many species interacting, but if we try to describe the most important forces shaping this community, what are they?” asks Grilli.
Air Pollution and Air Pollution and COVID-19 MortalityCOVID-19 MortalityStudy estimates 15% of COVID-19 deaths worldwide could be attributed to air pollution
Not everyone’s risk of dying of COVID-19 is the same, and now a paper has linked long-term exposure to air pollution to a much higher risk of death. The paper’s authors have estimated, for the first time, the proportion of deaths from the coronavirus that could be attributed to air pollution in every country in the world. Andrea Pozzer, a scientist in ICTP’s Earth System Physics section, led the collaboration with scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the University Medical Centre Mainz.
Image credit: CC BY 2.0 Keith Roper
Image credit:CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 [email protected]
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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Neanderthal MysteryNeanderthal MysteryNew study narrows theories of Neanderthal demise
An analysis of three milk teeth belonging to Neanderthal children who lived between 70,000 and 45,000 years ago in north-eastern Italy showed that their weaning age was very similar to modern humans. The discovery disproves theories that differences in child development and nursing strategies contributed to the Neanderthals’ demise. Results of the analysis, which was carried out by a consortium of research institutes including ICTP, were published in the 2 November edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Sensing the UnknownSensing the UnknownICTP scientist leads research on dark energy theories
The first direct observation of gravitational waves by the LIGO and Virgo Scientific Collaboration in 2015 offered scientists a new tool to investigate the Universe and its many undiscovered secrets, including that of dark energy. Knowing more about dark energy is one of the main goals of contemporary cosmological research, given its relevance in the overall composition of the Universe. For ICTP scientist Paolo Creminelli, observing the Universe with this new ‘instrument’ “means having infinite analysis possibilities and infinite new questions to answer.”
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ICTP Research Highlights 2020
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Order and Disorder in Order and Disorder in Crystalline Ice ExplainedCrystalline Ice ExplainedA new theoretical model enlightens the structure and the electrical properties of pure and doped ice
A fascinating substance with unique properties, ice has intrigued humans since time immemorial. Unlike most other materials, ice at very low temperature is not as ordered as it could be. ICTP scientists were part of a collaboration that made new theoretical inroads on the reasons why this happens and on the way in which some of the missing order can be recovered. In that ordered state the team of scientists have described a relatively obscure and yet fundamental property of very low temperature ice, ferroelectricity. The results, published in PNAS, are likely to extend to ice surfaces, a possibility that could be relevant to the agglomeration of ice particles in interstellar space.
High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Dabholkar, A.; Putrov, P.; Witten, E., Duality and mock modularity, SciPost Phys. 9 (2020) 5, 072.
Bellazzini, B.; Elias Miro, J.; Rattazzi, R.; Riembau, M.; Riva, F., Positive Moments for Scattering Amplitudes, e-print: 2011.00037 [hep-th].
Gorghetto, M.; Hardy, E.; Villadoro, G., More Axions from Strings, e-print: 2007.04990 [hep- ph].
ATLAS Collaboration incl. Aad, G.; Acharya, B.S. et al., Evidence for ttˉttˉttˉttˉ production in the multilepton final state in proton–proton collisions at √s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector, arXiv:2007.14858 [hep-ex], Eur.Phys.J. C80 (2020) no.11, 1085.
Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics
Protopopov, I. V.; Panda, R. K.; Parolini, T; Scardicchio, A.; Demler, E.; Abanin, D. A., Non-Abelian Symmetries and Disorder: A Broad Nonergodic Regime and Anomalous Thermalization, Phys. Rev. X 10, 011025 (2020).
Nguyen, T. K. T.; Kiselev, M. N., Thermoelectric Transport in a Three-Channel Charge Kondo Circuit, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 026801 (2020).
Poli, E.; Jong, K.; Hassanali, A., Charge transfer as a ubiquitous mechanism in determining the negative charge at hydrophobic interfaces, Nature Communications 11, 901, (2020).
Surace, F. M.; Mazza, P.P.; Giudici, G.; Lerose, A.; Gambassi, A.; Dalmonte, M., Lattice Gauge Theories and String Dynamics in Rydberg Atom Quantum Simulators, Phys. Rev. X 10, 021041, (2020).
Mathematics
Arezzo, C.; Della Vedova, A., Big and Nef Classes, Futaki Invariant and Resolutions of Cubic Threefolds, Progress in Mathematics 333, Birkhauser, 1-16.
Göttsche, L.; Kool, M., Virtual refinements of the Vafa-Witten formula, Comm. Math. Phys. 376 (2020), 1–49.
Guo, M.; Ohmori, K.; Putrov, P.; Wan, Z.; Wang J., Fermionic Finite-Group GaugeTheories and Interacting Symmetric/Crystalline Orders via Cobordisms, Commun. Math. Phys. 376 (2020) 2, 1073-1154.
Rodriguez Villegas F. (with Radchenko D.), Independence polynomials and hypergeometric series, arXiv:1908.11231
Applied Physics
Zennaro, M.; Pietrosemoli, E.; Rainone, M.; Trinchero, D.; Poletti, M.; Colucci, G., TROPPO LoRa: TROPospheric Personal Observatory using LoRa signals, FRUGALTHINGS’20: Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Experiences with the Design and Implementation of Frugal Smart Objects, September 2020, 24–29, https://doi.org/10.1145/3410670.3410856.
Zennaro, M.; Pelsser, C.; Albinet F.; Manzoni, P., Evaluating the performance of NRENs in deploying IoT in Africa: the case for TTN, Proceedings of CCNC 2020: 2020 IEEE 17th Annual Consumer Communications & Networking Conference (CCNC).
Mannatunga, K. S.; Ali, S. H. M.; Crespo, M. L.; Cicuttin, A.; Samarawikrama, J. G., High Performance 128-Channel Acquisition System for Electrophysiological Signals, IEEE Access, vol. 8, 122366–122383, DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3007082, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9133110.
Ng C. L.; Reaz, M. B. I.; Crespo, M. L.; Cicuttin, A.; Chowdhury, M. E., Characterization of capacitive electromyography biomedical sensor insulated with porous medical bandages, Scientific Reports 10, 14891, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71709-0.
Earth System Physics
Abid M. A.; Ashfaq M.; Kucharski F.; Evans K. J.; Almazroui M., Tropical Indian Ocean mediates ENSO influence over Central Southwest Asia during the wet season, Geophysical Research Letters, 47:e2020GL089308, DOI:10.1029/2020GL089308.
Di Sante F.; Coppola E.; Giorgi F., Future projections of river floods over the European region using EURO-CORDEX simulations, International Journal of Climatology, doi: 10.1002/joc-7014.
Vicic B.; Aoudia A.; Borghi A.; Momeni S.; Vuan A., Seismicity rate changes and geodetic transients in Central Apennines, Geophysical Research Letters, 47:22.
Zebre M.; Colucci R. R.; Giorgi F.; Glasser N. F.; Recoviteanu A. E.; Del Gobbo C., 200 years of equilibrium line-altitutude variability across the European Alps (1901-2100), Climate Dynamics, doi:10.1007/s00382-020-05525-7.
Quantitative Life Sciences
Grilli, J., Macroecological laws describe variation and diversity in microbial communities, Nature Communications, 11, 4743 (2020).
Barbier, J.; Rush, C.; Macris, N., All-or-nothing statistical and computational phase transitions in sparse spiked matrix estimation, Neural Information Processing Systems NeurIPS, 2020.
Durve, M.; Piro, L.; Cencini, M.; Biferale, L.; Celani, A., Collective olfactory search in a turbulent environment , Physical Review E 102 (1), 012402.
Touzo, L.; Marsili, M.; Merhav, N.; Roldan, E., Optimal work extraction and the minimum description length principle, J. Stat. Mech. 2020 (9), 093403 (2020).
Image credit: Lasave, Koval, Laio, Tosatti - “String of proton-ordered water molecules caught in motion”
Image credit: Abdelkrim Aoudia
Image credit: Aberystwyth University
Earthquake InsightsEarthquake InsightsICTP study highlights the mechanics of seismic events in central Italy from 2009 to 2018
In 2009, a violent 6,3 magnitude earthquake centred in Italy’s Abruzzo region precluded other seismic events that took place in the following months and years along the central part of the Apennine chain. A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters provides insight on the genesis and the mechanics of these seismic sequences and their interactions. The study is the result of years of research carried out by a multidisciplinary team of scientists coordinated by ICTP’s Abdelkrim Aoudia in the framework of a project funded by Generali Group and Generali Italia.
Alpine Glaciers MeltingAlpine Glaciers MeltingNew research warns that 92% of Alpine glaciers are at risk of disappearing by the end of this century
“All Alpine glaciers will continue to decrease over the next few decades, and in fact most are in danger of disappearing completely by the end of the century,” warns ICTP climatologist Filippo Giorgi. Giorgi was one of the authors of a new open-access research study published in Climate Dynamics, one of the most influential peer-reviewed scientific journals in the field of meteorological and atmospheric sciences.
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Publication Highlights
ICTP Research Highlights 2020
Tanzania
Mauritius
Brazil
Argentina
Mexico
Cuba
China
India
PakistanMorocco
Egypt
South Africa
Uganda
Cameroon
Belarus
Romania
France
Tunisia
Iran Nepal South Korea
Indonesia
Philippines
Colombia
Rwanda
Croatia
Armenia
M M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
C
C
C
C
C
C
CC
C
C
C
S
S
S
S
S S S
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ICTP Impact
ICTP supports research and training activities of physicists and mathematicians living and working in developing countries, primarily by providing assistance for regional activities. Such support complements the training and research that is provided to developing-country scientists at ICTP. Our goal is to boost the scientific level of individuals, groups or institutes in developing countries to an international level through North-South collaboration, and to stimulate networking of scientists in the developing regions to reach a critical mass of researchers through South-South collaboration.
ICTP also provides funds for graduate schools to support student grants, fellowships for young researchers, visits of research collaborators and other activities. Assistance is coordinated by ICTP’s Office of External Activities (OEA), and is carried out through ICTP Affiliated Centres (there were 11 in 2020 in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America) through which ICTP directly supported 22 postdoctorate students (due to COVID-19 restrictions, two of these students have still not managed to start their course). The OEA also supported 7 research group networks in 2020, as well as 54 grants for scientific meetings in 34 countries ( due to the pandemic, only 11 of these scientific meetings could actually take place). In addition, the OEA supported 25 visiting scholars and consultants (due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only two visits actually took place in 2020).
ICTP Partner Institutes 04
ICTP Schools and Workshops 07
ICTP-OEA Affiliated Centres 11
ICTP-OEA Networks 07
ICTP-OEA Scientific Meetings 11
S
C
M
N
ICTP regional centres of excellence
Mexico:
The Meso-American Institute for Sciences (MAIS) was established in collaboration with the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH) as a regional headquarters of ICTP in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Brazil:
The ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research (ICTP-SAIFR), is a regional centre for theoretical physics created in collaboration with the State University of Sao Paulo (UNESP) and the Sao Paulo Research Funding Agency (FAPESP).
Rwanda:
Inaugurated in 2018, the East African Institute of Fundamental Research (EAIFR), based at the University of Rwanda’s Kigali campus, offers an important educational and research hub for the region and for Africa.
China:
In Beijing, the International Center for Theoretical Physics-Asia Pacific (ICTP-AP) is hosted at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) and provides opportunities for advanced training, research and education in theoretical physics and related interdisciplinary areas.
1918
ICTP: A Hub for Global Scientific Excellence Why do scientists from around the world come to ICTP? The reasons are many: to participate in the annual programme of high-level conferences; to meet in person some of the world’s top physicists; to form an interna-tional network of collaborators. Since ICTP’s opening in 1964, about 150,000 scientists from 188 countries have participated in ICTP programmes, including more than a hundred Nobel Laureates. For those who can’t come to its Trieste campus, ICTP also organises activ-ities throughout the developing world, including at its partner institutes in Brazil, China, Mexico and Rwanda.
Scientists also visit ICTP to congratulate the winners of its yearly prizes and medals, most of which are given to top physicists and mathematicians from developing countries. Its Dirac Medal, one of the most prestigious medals in the field of theoretical physics, can be considered as a barometer for future success: five medallists have proceeded to win Physics Nobel Prizes.
ICTP Activities in Numbers, 2020
2946 131
27%
21
7
scientific visitors, including those who participated remotely
nations represented
of visitors were women
conferences, schools and workshops
training activities in developing countries
Participants
ESP
16
1.06
Person-months
HECAP
151
59.57
QLS
246
138.22
HPC
211
63.71
AP
451
176.91
CMSP
1438
517.64
Attendance at ICTP Conferences, Workshops and Schools by Field, 2020*
1500
1250
1000
750
500
250
1750
Education & Training As an international hub of scientific excellence, ICTP offers a unique environment for scientists at all stages of their careers to advance their knowledge in physics and mathematics. From the Centre’s Postgraduate Diploma Programme, an intense, year-long course of study that gives young scientists from developing countries the boost they need for acceptance into doctoral programmes anywhere in the world, to the Centre’s Associates Scheme, which supports sabbatical visits of established scientists, ICTP provides a lifeline for a lifetime of learning.
Today, ICTP alumni can be found throughout the world, serving as science ambassadors in their home countries and sharing their knowledge with new generations of scientists.
For a detailed account of ICTP’s education and training programmes during 2020, please see our Full Technical Report below:
1991–92
40
80
120
160
1995–96 2000–01 2005–06 2010–11 2015–16 2020–21
Trend in ICTP Programmes and Enrollment
Postgraduate Diploma Students
ICTP-UniTS Joint Masters in Physics(ended in 2019)
ICTP-STEP Fellows’ visits
Joint PhD Programme, Earth Science and Fluid Mechanics
Master of Advanced Studies in Medical Physics
Master in High Performance Computing
Joint ICTP-SISSA PhD Programme in Physics and Mathematics
ICTP Education in 2020
105 44
61
students enrolled in masters, PhD, Diploma, and STEP programmes
countries represented (including 12 least-developed countries)
scientists from 19 countries engaged in career development programmes (Associates, TRIL, Affiliates, and Elettra)
*All Mathematics conferences were cancelled for 2020
View Full Technical Report ↗
2120
Salam Distinguished Salam Distinguished Lecture Series 2020Lecture Series 2020
ICTP’s 2020 edition of its Salam Distinguished Lectures Series featured theoretical physicist Marc Mézard, Director of l’École normale supérieure, Paris, France. Professor Mézard delivered three lectures on topics ranging from artificial intelligence to statistical physics of inference and machine learning. The lectures were recorded and can be viewed on ICTP’s YouTube channel.
MHPC GraduationMHPC Graduation Twelve students of the joint ICTP-SISSA master’s programme in High Performance Computing (MHPC) graduated after a year and a half of intense studies and thesis preparation. ICTP’s support was once again crucial for the presence of four students from developing countries among the graduating class: Federico Barone (Argentina), Herbert Nguruwe (Zimbabwe), Florentino Silva (Brazil), and Jesús Espinoza Valverde (Costa Rica).
2020 Timeline
January February
Spirit of Abdus Spirit of Abdus Salam Award Salam Award The family of ICTP founder and Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam revealed the winners of the 2020 Spirit of Abdus Salam Award. Announced annually on 29 January—Abdus Salam’s birthday—the award recognizes those who, like Salam himself, have worked tirelessly to promote the development of science and technology in disadvantaged parts of the world. The 2020 recipients were: M.S. Narasimhan, former head of ICTP’s Mathematics section and a member of the Scientific Council, and Erio Tosatti, a co-founder and senior member of ICTP’s Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics section.
ICO/ICTP Gallieno ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award Denardo Award ICTP and the International Commission for Optics announced the recipient of the 2020 ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award: Kok Sing Lim from the Photonics Research Centre, University of Malaya, Malaysia. Dr. Lim was recognized “for his achievements in the field of optical fibre sensing and optical communications, and his substantial contributions to sustainable development in Malaysia through promoting the use of optics-based technologies in the industrial sector.”
Right: 2020 ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award recipient Kok Sing Lim.
Top: Marc Mézard
Right: ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar presents the Spirit of Salam prize certificate to Erio Tosatti (left), and to M.S. Narasimhan, who watches from the screen.
Top: ICTP scientist Sandro Scandolo (left) and HPC specialist Ivan Girotto (far right) with MHPC graduates Federico Barone, Jesús Espinoza Valverde, Florentino Silva, and Herbert Nguruwe.
2322
“Epidemic Control of COVID-19 “Epidemic Control of COVID-19 Through Instantaneous Contact Through Instantaneous Contact Tracing: The Case for a Mobile Tracing: The Case for a Mobile App-based Solution”App-based Solution”
ICTP Colloquium:Luca Ferretti Oxford University, UK
COVID-19 lockdown beginsCOVID-19 lockdown begins
Italy imposes strict COVID-19 lockdown; ICTP staff switch to teleworking.
“Computational Epidemiology “Computational Epidemiology at the Time of COVID-19”at the Time of COVID-19”
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium:Alessandro Vespignani Northeastern University, USA
“Digital Herd Immunity “Digital Herd Immunity and COVID-19”and COVID-19”
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium:Shivaji Sondhi Princeton University, USA
2020 Timeline
March
April
May
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium
Epidemic Control of COVID-19Through Instantaneous Contact Tracing:
The Case for a Mobile App-based Solution
Luca FerrettiProfessor
Big Data Institute, University of OxfordUK
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
Friday 24 April at 14:00
Advance registration at:https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hVd-EXGk-
SMeZIhp0nzwTjQ
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
NETsi, Northeastern UniversityUSA
Professor Alessandro Vespignani
Computational Epidemiologyat the time of COVID-19
Advance registration at:
Wednesday 6 May at 15:00
WEBINAR link
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
Wednesday 13 May at 16.00
Advance registration at:
Princeton UniversityUSA
Digital Herd Immunity and Covid-19
WEBINAR link
Shivaji SondhiProfessor
“The Stochastic Thermodynamics “The Stochastic Thermodynamics of Computation”of Computation”
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium: David WolpertSanta Fe Institute, USA
“Generic Regularity in “Generic Regularity in Obstacle Problems”Obstacle Problems”
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium:Alessio Figalli, Fields Medallist Forschungsinstitut für Mathematik, Switzerland
“Computational Molecular “Computational Molecular Medicine: from Neurobiology Medicine: from Neurobiology to COVID-19” to COVID-19”
ICTP Colloquium:Paolo CarloniJuelich Research Center, Germany
“Quantum Computational “Quantum Computational Supremacy and its Applications”Supremacy and its Applications”
ICTP Colloquium:Scott AaronsonUniversity of Texas at Austin, USA
“Scaling Down the Laws “Scaling Down the Laws of Thermodynamics”of Thermodynamics”
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium:Chris Jarzynski University of Maryland, USA
June
July
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 - Trieste - Italy • Tel. +39 0402240111 • Fax. +39 040224163 • [email protected] • www.ictp.it
ICTP is governed by UNESCO, IAEA, and Italy, and it is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute
Advance registration at:Wednesday 3 June at 16.00
David Wolpert
The StochasticThermodynamics of Computation
Santa Fe InstituteUSA
Professor
WEBINAR link
The classical obstacle problem consists of finding the equilibrium position of an elastic membrane whose boundary is held fixed and which is constrained to lie above a given obstacle. By classical results of Caffarelli, the free boundary is C∞ outside a set of singular points. Explicit examples show that the singular set could be in general (n-1)-dimensional — that is, as large as the regular set. In a recent paper with Ros-Oton and Serra we show that, generically, the singular set has zero Hn-4 measure (in particular, it has codimension 3 inside the free boundary), solving a conjecture of Schaeffer in dimension n ≤ 4. The aim of this talk is to give an overview of these results.
Where: Pre-registration is required at the link https://sissa-it.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ca93G01TQ6eO0zn99mkp-g After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
When: July 2nd 2020, 4PM
GENERIC REGULARITY IN OBSTACLE PROBLEMS
ALESSIO FIGALLI FIELDS MEDALLIST 2018, ETH ZÜRICH
Photo © École polytechnique – J.Barande
ICTP COLLOQUIA 2020
Advanced registration at:
WEBINAR Link
Wednesday 10 June at 15.00
Paolo CarloniInstitute for Advanced Simulation (IAS)
Jülich, Germany
Computational molecular medicine:from neurobiology to Covid-19
Professor
ICTP COLLOQUIA 2020
WEBINAR LinkAdvanced registration at:
Re-scheduled to:Wednesday 29 July at 16:00 hrs
Quantum Computational Supremacy and its Applications
University of Texas at AustinUSA
Professor Scott Aaronson
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium
Advance registration at:WEBINAR link
Professor Chris Jarzynski
Scaling Down theLaws of Thermodynamics
University of Maryland, USA
Wednesday 15 Julyat 16.00
2524
2020 Timeline
August
Postgraduate Diploma Postgraduate Diploma Programme GraduationProgramme Graduation
Some 43 students completed their studies and were awarded an ICTP Diploma at a hybrid ceremony. This year’s Diploma graduates faced challenges above and beyond the standard rigor of completing ICTP’s year-long intense educational programme: in March, the Centre was forced to close its premises due to the COVID crisis, and all classes were moved online. The transition went smoothly, however, as ICTP is well equipped for delivering online content.
2020 Dirac Medal 2020 Dirac Medal Winners Announced Winners Announced
ICTP awarded its 2020 Dirac Medal and Prize to three distinguished physicists – André Neveu of University of Montpellier, Pierre Ramond of University of Florida, and Miguel Virasoro of Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento – “for their pioneering contributions to the inception and formulation of string theory which introduced new Bosonic and Fermionic symmetries into physics”.
String theory is physicists’ latest proposal for a unified theory of physics, attempting to put together Einstein’s general theory of relativity, that describes gravity, and quantum mechanics, that describes the fundamental elements of matter. String theory is of great importance in addressing several questions in fundamental physics, and has been applied in various fields, such as the study of black holes, the early universe, condensed matter, and so on, and has favoured major developments in pure mathematics, thanks to its complex and rigorous formulation.
The first developments of the theory came into being in the late 1960s, when it immediately appeared as a promising candidate for a quantum theory of gravity. Its earliest version was a Bosonic string theory, that is, a formulation that described only the class of particles called bosons. Bosons are particles which have integer spin (0, 1, 2 and so on, measured in units of Planck’s constant), such as photons,
gravitons or the famous Higgs boson. On the other hand, fermions are particles with half-integer spin (1/2, 3/2, 5/2 and so on, measured in units of Planck’s constant), such as electrons, protons and quarks.
In the late 1960s, Miguel Virasoro started working on an ambitious project in the field of theoretical physics, at first with Gabriele Veneziano and then later on his own. This work was mainly focussed on the development of the so-called “Veneziano model”, a mathematical model characterized by specific properties that later made it the first recognized string model. Inspired by the work of Veneziano, that described ‘open strings’, Virasoro developed his own model, later recognized as a ‘closed string’ model. At the time these studies were performed, a theory of strings was not yet fully or clearly developed, and these models were only years later recognized as perfectly describing the physics of strings.
Virasoro continued giving important contributions to the field by studying the mathematical properties of these models, and noticed that they featured some symmetries, characteristic of the model. He identified and formalized these symmetries, that are now
known as the “Virasoro algebra”, a complex Lie algebra widely used in two-dimensional conformal field theory and in string theory. This work was of great interest also from the point of view of pure mathematicians, as it is an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra, while until then Lie algebras were normally finite-dimensional.
André Neveu and Pierre Ramond, on the other hand, are responsible for the inclusion of the Fermionic degrees of freedom in the theory. Much of the work done by Virasoro was in fact dedicated to Bosonic strings, the first ones to be studied in the field of string theory. Neveu and Ramond expanded these works, extending the calculations to include the other portion of matter, made up by fermions.
The work done by Andrè Neveu in the early 1970s, together with John Schwarz, and independently by Pierre Ramond, is now known as the RNS formalism, after the initials of its three originators. This was the initial development of superstring theory, generalizing the Virasoro algebra - which is the symmetry algebra that describes boson strings - to an algebra that could also describe fermions, thanks to the property of supersymmetry. This formulation allowed to model all particles and fundamental forces in the Universe as vibrations of tiny supersymmetric strings, thus the name of
“superstring” theory, accounting for both fermions and bosons.
Among the diverse group of students who completed the 2019-2020 Postgraduate Diploma Programme and have been accepted into PhD programmes were (from left to right):
Poetri Tarabunga Indonesia
Sergio Aguilar El Salvador
Olivia Vashti Ayim Ghana
Aziza Yusupova Uzbekistan
Alain Didier Noutchegueme Cameroon
“In my country, building a research career is very hard. There is a lack of funding and researchers to work with, so I am excited to have the opportunity to explore research topics and work with the great researchers here at ICTP.”
Poetri Tarabunga Indonesia
André Neveu
Pierre Ramond
Miguel Virasoro
2726
2020 Timeline
September
ICTP Delegation ICTP Delegation Visits the IAEAVisits the IAEA
An ICTP delegation led by ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar was given a warm welcome at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna to discuss continued collaborations and future plans with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. ICTP has enjoyed the support and partnership of the IAEA from the Centre’s very beginning. Although ICTP now operates under a tripartite agreement between the Italian Government, the IAEA and UNESCO, the IAEA continues to be deeply involved in the Centre’s international programmes.
Diploma Programme Diploma Programme Launches New Launches New Academic YearAcademic Year
In the annual cycle of events at ICTP, none is more eagerly anticipated than the yearly welcome of new Postgraduate Diploma Programme students who arrive from all corners of the world to commence a year of intense study. In spite of this year’s pandemic, 2020 was no different. Thanks to extraordinary precautions implemented by the Centre, with guidance from health authorities, more than half of the class of 2021’s 50 students had arrived to the campus by the start of the programme.
Under ICTP’s strict COVID guidelines, the students had to self-isolate for two weeks. ICTP’s Galileo Guesthouse was prepared for their stay: all students had separate rooms with private facilities; meals were delivered to their doors, as were books from the Marie Curie Library.
Ramanujan Prize Ramanujan Prize 2020 Announced2020 Announced
ICTP awarded the 2020 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries to Carolina Araujo of the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The prize is in recognition of her outstanding work in algebraic geometry, as well as her key role in promoting women in mathematics and in the organization of important mathematical activities.
EuroScience Open EuroScience Open Forum 2020 and Science Forum 2020 and Science in the City Festival in the City Festival
From 2 to 6 September, ICTP’s home city of Trieste hosted the 2020 Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF), the largest interdisciplinary conference in Europe focused on science and its links with society. The event offered a rich selection of more than 170 events, including seminars, talks, workshops and plenary sessions; many were streamed live.
ICTP played a key role in helping to organise the event, and was visible during the week through numerous science talks and panel discussions.
ICTP also organised public outreach activities, such as the “World Science Café” , where ICTP scientists sat at the tables of the historical Caffè Tommaseo (respecting COVID social distancing), talking with the public about their research, in a multitude of languages, from Spanish to Hindi.
The Maker Faire Trieste was held during ESOF and co-organised by ICTP scientists Carlo Fonda, Enrique Canessa, and Sandro Scandolo. Unlike in past years when it was held on ICTP’s campus, this edition was held in Piazza Unità d’Italia in the centre of Trieste.
ESOF’s closing ceremony was full of talks by high profile public figures in Italy and prominent scientists. Most prominently, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte gave a speech, mentioning ICTP as a symbol of excellence in international collaboration:
Above: ICTP DIrector Atish Dabholkar (left) and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. (Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA)
ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar presents the 2020 Ramanujan Prize to Carolina Araujo at a virtual prize ceremony.
Right: New ICTP Diploma students attending a virtual welcome session with ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar and Diploma staff.
“The development of the “Trieste System” – which the birth of the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), together with the other institutes, research centers […] helped to make so significant – represents a unique model of international collaboration and “scientific diplomacy.” Yes, because diplomacy, coexistence, is also pursued through the powerful tools of scientific knowledge.
In my opinion, this peculiar trait of Trieste’s identity can still constitute an example today for a European strategy of international development cooperation, aimed at fostering solid and peaceful relations between countries, based on constant dialogue between scientific communities and on the more fruitful circularity of knowledge. […]
Every time, you see, that the meeting point is the common interest in the progress of humanity and the construction of peace, Trieste can be our model. Quoting Abdus Salam (founder of the ICTP), “scientific thought and its creation is the common and shared heritage of humanity.””
— Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte
2928
2020 Timeline
October
November
December
ICTP Unveils Permanent ICTP Unveils Permanent Exhibit at Local Exhibit at Local Science MuseumScience Museum
ICTP, along with other Trieste science institutes, designed and donated a permanent exhibit for Trieste’s science centre, Immaginario Scientifico. The ICTP exhibit includes a spiral representing a journey in the dimensions of the world that we know, from the microscopic realm of particles and matter to the cosmic distances of galaxies and beyond.
“How TinyML Could Help “How TinyML Could Help Developing Countries”Developing Countries”
ICTP Colloquium:Pete WardenGoogle Research
“A Random Walk Through “A Random Walk Through Physics To The Nobel Prize”Physics To The Nobel Prize”
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium:John Michael Kosterlitz, Brown University, USA
“Mathematical Mysteries “Mathematical Mysteries of Deep Neural Networks”of Deep Neural Networks”
ICTP Colloquium:Stéphane MallatCollège de France
“Materials and Molecules “Materials and Molecules Through In-silico Lenses”Through In-silico Lenses”
ICTP Colloquium:Giulia GalliUniversity of Chicago, USA
“Algebraic Geometry “Algebraic Geometry and Beyond”and Beyond”
ICTP Maths Colloquium:Caucher Birkar University of Cambridge, UK
Filippo Giorgi Awarded Filippo Giorgi Awarded Climate Change PrizeClimate Change Prize
ICTP scientist Filippo Giorgi, head of the Earth System Physics section, was awarded the 2020 Premio Motumundi for his contributions to the understanding of climate change and environmental issues. Giorgi is an international expert in climate modelling and climate change research. The newly established prize was awarded in the context of the first Motumundi festival, with a focus on environmental issues.
Recipients of 2020 ICTP Recipients of 2020 ICTP Prize AnnouncedPrize Announced
The 2020 ICTP Prize was awarded toDibyendu Roy of the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, India and Mehdi Kargarian of Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, for their groundbreaking work in non-equilibrium properties of mesoscopic systems and topological phases and strongly correlated electrons, respectively.
Top right: ICTP’s permanent exhibit at Immaginario Scientifico. Photo credit: Giovanni Panizon
Middle right: Filippo Giorgi, head of ICTP’s Earth System Physics section.
Bottom right: ICTP Prize 2020 recipients Dibyendu Roy (left) and Mehdi Kargarian.
ICTP COLLOQUIA 2017
Zoom webinar Register in advance for this webinar:
WEBINAR link
Tuesday 13 October 2020 at 16.00
Pete WardenSpeaker
How TinyML Could HelpDeveloping Countries
ICTP QLS & AP Colloquium
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Should you not be able to join the Webinar, the Colloquium is also available in live streaming at:
ictp.it/livestream
Joint ICTP-SISSA Colloquium
Advance registration at:WEBINAR link
Professor
John Michael Kosterlitz
A Random Walk Through Physics To The Nobel Prize
Nobel Laureate, Physics
Brown UniveristyUSA
Wednesday 14 October at 16:00
Professor
ICTP COLLOQUIA 2020
Professor Stéphane MallatCollège de France, Paris
Wednesday 25 November 2020 at 16.00Advance registration at:
WEBINAR link
Mathematical Mysteries ofDeep Neural Networks
Professor
Advanced registration at:
ICTP COLLOQUIA 2020
Giulia GalliUniversity of Chicago & Argonne National Laboratory,
USA
Wednesday 2 December 2020 at 16.00
WEBINAR LinkAdvanced registration at:
MATERIALS AND MOLECULES THROUGHIN-SILICO LENSES
ICTP COLLOQUIA 2017ICTP Maths Colloquium
Caucher Birkar University of Cambridge, UK
2018 Fields Medallist
Algebraic Geometry and Beyond
Professor
Wednesday 09 December 2020 at 16.30
WEBINAR LinkAdvanced registration at:
On occasion of the Ramanujan Prize Ceremony
3130
GovernanceICTP operates under a tripartite agreement between the Italian Government, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Each party has a representative on the Centre’s Steering Committee, which sets general guidelines for the Centre’s activities, determines budgeting levels, and considers proposals from the Director for the programme, work plans, financial plans, and budget.
ICTP Steering Committee
UNESCO:Shamila Nair-Bedouelle
Assistant Director-General
Natural Sciences Sector
ICTP Scientific Council
William BialekDepartment of Physics
Princeton University, USA
Edouard BrézinLaboratoire de Physique Théorique
de l’ENS, France
Ngô Bao ChâuDepartment of Mathematics
University of Chicago, USA
Elfatih A.B. EltahirDepartment of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
David GrossKavli Institute for Theoretical
Physics, UC Santa Barbara, USA
Jeffrey A. HarveyDepartment of Physics, Enrico
Fermi Institute, USA
Luciano Maiani (Chair)Dipartimento di Fisica
Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy
Marc MézardÉcole Normale Supérieure, France
ICTP also has a Scientific Council that comprises distinguished specialists in disciplines relevant to the Centre’s activities who represent a broad geographical range. The Council advises ICTP on its programmes of activities, taking into consideration major academic, scientific, educational and cultural trends relevant to the Centre’s objectives. ICTP is a UNESCO Category 1 Institute.
Michele ParrinelloDepartment of Chemistry and Applied
Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Mercedes PascualDepartment of Ecology and Evolution,
University of Chicago, USA
Lisa RandallDepartment of Physics,
Harvard University, USA
Valery A. RubakovRussian Academy of Sciences
Institute For Nuclear Research,
Russian Federation
Gang TianDepartment of Mathematics
Princeton University, USA
Cumrun VafaDepartment of Physics
Harvard University, USA
Peter ZollerUniversity of Innsbruck Institute for
Theoretical Physics and IQOQI, Austrian
Academy of Sciences, Austria
IAEA:Najat Mokhtar
Deputy Director General, Department
of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Italian Government:Fabio Zwirner
Department of Physics and
Astronomy, University of Padua
Donors
+ AIKO S.r.l., Torino, Italy
+ Centro Interdipartimentale di
Ricerca sulle Digital Humanities
DHMoRe, Modena, Italy
+ Comune di Trieste, Italy
+ Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
-Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Italy
+ Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
-Istituto Officina dei Materiali, Italy
+ Consiglio Nazionale delle
Ricerche -Istituto per lo Studio dei
Materiali Nanostrutturati, Italy
+ Dept. of Science & Technology, India
+ ENEL Italia S.r.l., Italy
+ Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie,
l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico
Sostenibile (ENEA), Italy
+ European Commission
+ European Photonic Industry, France
+ European Space Agency,
The Netherlands
+ Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Italy
+ Forschungszentrum Julich
GmbH, Germany
+ Howard University, USA
+ Imperial College of London, UK
+ Indian Institute of Science, India
+ Institute for Anthropological
Research, Croatia
+ Institute of International
Education, USA
+ Institute of Physics and
Engineering in Medicine, UK
+ International Atomic Energy Agency
+ International Commission
for Optics, USA
+ International Telecommunication
Union, Switzerland
+ International Union of
Crystallography, UK
+ International Union of Pure
and Applied Physics, UK
+ Istituto Nazionale di Fisica
Nucleare (INFN), Italy
+ Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia
e Geofisica Sperimentale, Italy
+ Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca
Metrologica, Italy
+ King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
+ Kuwait Foundation for the
Advancement of Sciences (KFAS)
+ Laboratoire de Physique Theorique
et Modeles Statistiques, Univ. Paris
Sud/Paris Saclay, France
+ Middle East Federation of Organizations
of Medical Physics, Qatar
+ Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università
e della Ricerca (MIUR), Italy
+ Ministry of Science and
Technology, Pakistan
+ Monton MMS, Croatia
+ Optical Society of America (OSA), USA
+ Politecnico di Torino, Italy
+ Psi-k - Daresbury Laboratory, UK
+ Regione Autonoma Friuli
Venezia Giulia, Italy
+ Simons Foundation, USA
+ Sincrotrone Trieste Società
Consortile per Azioni, Italy
+ SISSA, Italy
+ Tampere University of
Technology, Finland
+ The Changchun Inst. of Optics, Fine
Mechanics & Physics, China
+ The International Society for
Optical Engineering (SPIE), USA
+ UNESCO
+ Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy
+ Università degli Studi di Trieste, Italy
+ Università degli Studi
Milano Bicocca, Italy
+ Université Paris Saclay, France
3332
Scientific and Administrative Staff 2020
Atish Dabholkar
Scientific Consultants:Luciano Bertocchi
Joe Niemela
Renato Padovani
Sandro Maria Radicella
Tahir Shah
Erio Tosatti
Claudio Tuniz
Director’s Office
Administrative Professional Staff
SDU CoordinatorEnrique Canessa
Technician, SDUCarlo Fonda
Human Resources Officer Svetlana Gorodetskaya
System and Network AnalystClement Onime
Head, ICTS Ulrich Singe
IT Engineer, ICTSSnezana Stantic
Public Information OfficerMary Ann Williams
In addition, ICTP employed 114
General Service staff in 2020
Director
Section Head: Paolo Creminelli
Bobby Acharya
Mehrdad Mirbabayi
Joan Elias Miro
Kyriakos Papadodimas
Pavel Putrov
George Thompson
Giovanni Villadoro
Emeritus Scientists:Kumar S. Narain
Seifallah Randjbar-Daemi
Goran Senjanovic
Alexei Smirnov
Post-doctoral Fellows:Jian Peng Ang
Marco Celoria
Francesca Ferrari
Nayara Fonseca
James Ingoldby
Oliver Janssen
Olga Papadoulaki
Arnab Rudra
Arturo R. Sanchez Pineda
Leonid Serkin
Jiahua Tian
Ida Zadeh
Long-term Visiting Scientists:Marina Cobal
Yasaman Farzan
Kaniba Mady Keita
Giancarlo Panizzo
Michele Pinamonti
Kate Shaw
Mohammad Sheikh-Jabbari
Vladimir Tello
Oscar Zapata Norena
Research Staff Associates: Leopoldo Pando Zayas
Ravi Sheth
Scientific Consultants:Francesco Benini
Edi Gava
Andrea Romanino
High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Section Head: Rosario Fazio
Nadia Binggeli
Marcello Dalmonte
Ralph Gebauer
Ali Hassanali
Mikhail Kiselev
Sandro Scandolo
Antonello Scardicchio
Nicola Seriani
Emeritus Scientist:Vladimir E. Kravtsov
Distinguished Staff Associate:Boris Altshuler
Research Staff Associate:Alexander Nersesyan
Long-term Visiting Scientists/Boltzman Senior Fellows:Alejandro Rodriguez Garcia
Natasa Stojic
Post-doctoral Fellows: Adriano Angelone
Khatereh Azizi
Giuliano Chiriaco
Ricardo Franklin Mergarejo
Pierre Martin Fromholz
Sukanya Ghosh
Paule Gonzalo Manzano
Ana Laura Gramajo
Karen Hovhannisyan
Tiago Mendes Santos
Elham Moharramzadeh Goliaei
Uriel Nicolas Morzan
Victor Naden Robinson
Andrei Pavlov
Samare Rostami
Shraddha Sharma
Piotr Sierant
Scott Richard Taylor
Nandhakumar Velankanni
Long-term Visiting Scientists:Stefano Chesi
Wenbin He
Pengfei Liang
Elisabetta Paladino
Nawaz Qaisrani
Sayed Reza Safdari
Yingdan Wang
Scientific Consultants:Pasquale Calabrese
Asja Jelic
Alessandro Laio
Giuseppe Santoro
Erio Tosatti
Scientific Collaborators:Giuseppe Mussardo
Mauro Sellitto
Alessandro Silva
Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics
34
Mathematics
Section Head:Claudio Arezzo
Emanuel Carneiro
Lothar Göttsche
Stefano Luzzatto
Pavel Putrov
Fernando Rodriguez Villegas
Distinguished Staff Associate:Don B. Zagier
Post-doctoral Fellows:Tarig Abdelgadir
Jian Peng Ang
Andrea Olivo
Alejandra Rincón Hidalgo
Zakarias Jon Sjöström Dyrefelt
Long-term Visiting Scientists:Gonzalez Riquelme
Oscar Emilio Quesada Herrera
Scientific Consultants:Giovanni Bellettini
Francesco Pappalardi
Earth System Physics
Section Head: Filippo Giorgi
Abdelkrim Aoudia
Erika Coppola
Riccardo Farneti
Graziano Giuliani
Fred Kucharski
Andrea Pozzer
Adrian Tompkins
Staff Associates:In Sik Kang
F. Molteni
J. Shukla
Post-doctoral Fellows: S. Abba Omar
M. A. Abid
J. Ciarlo
Sushant Das
Laetitia Foundotos
M. Garcia-Valdecasa Ojeda
Russell Glazer
S. K. Mueller
Rita Nogherotto
Emanuela Pichelli
Francesca Raffaele
Marco Reale
Susanna Strada
Jose Abraham Torres Alavez
Blaž Vicic
Scientific Consultants:Anna Pirani
C. Solidoro
S. Saeed
Applied Physics
Maria Liz Crespo
Yenca Olivia Migoya Orué
Bruno Nava
Marco Zennaro
Long-term Visiting Scientists:Katy Alazo Cuartas
Federico Bernardini
Werner Florian Samayoa
Moez Altayeb Alhag
Seid Salahadin
Giacomo Vinci
Scientific Consultants: Humberto Cabrera Morales
Ermanno Pietrosemoli
Sandro Radicella
Marco Rainone
Claudio Tuniz
Technical Assistant:Andres Cicuttin
Postdoctoral Fellow:Mary-Jane Sule
Quantitative Life Sciences
Section Head:Matteo Marsili
Jean Barbier
Antonio Celani
Jacopo Grilli
Édgar Roldán Estebanez
Research Staff Associates:Mahesh Bandi
Fakteh Ghanbarnejad
Rami Pugatch
Massimo Vergassola
Yasser Roudi Rashtabadi
Riccardo Zecchina
Consultants:Chris Mathys
Fernanda de Castro Reis
Post-doctoral Fellows:Roman Belousov
Alessandro Ingrosso
Andrea Mazzolini
Manuel Saenz
Anjan Roy
Silvia Zaoli
Scientific and Administrative Staff 2020
