First Asia-Pacific IUPAP event on IUPAP 100 anniversary

Asia/Tokyo
Description

In 1922, Japan was the sole founding member of the IUPAP from the Asia-Pacific region. Today, IUPAP is represented by 17 members from this region. The Asia-Pacific region containing over 70% of global population is incredibly diverse in terms of culture, economic development, educational and scientific infrastructure etc. This is accompanied by very different levels of development in terms of socio-economic and educational indices. These challenges have meant that the movement of people, and scientific collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region has been significantly lower than other regions of the world. However, better scientific communication and exchange in the Asia-Pacific region within the framework of IUPAP-100 has the potential to stimulate growth of physics, which in turn can promote scientific interaction and enhance mutual understanding for the transformation of this region. The celebration of IUPAP-100 offers a perfect platform to build on the existing strong physics infrastructure of many of the countries in this region for reaching out to lesser developed countries by first starting a dialog and then helping out through an understanding of the problems faced by specific regions and then together searching for solutions. Thus, the present meeting could become a nucleating centre to address the problems of development and gender diversity in the
Asia-Pacific region.

       

 

Zoom link: https://kek-jp.zoom.us/j/99763024386?pwd=RUNXUzlza1diME91SndYVUlNWVRvUT09

Meeting ID: 997 6302 4386.                        Passcode: 264294

Registration
Participants
    • 13:00 13:40
      Connecting Asia-Pacific
      • 13:00
        Introduction 10m

        When IUPAP was founded in 1922, Japan was the only country from the Asia-Pacific region to participate. Today, many countries and regions from Asia participate in IUPAP, but communication in the Asia-Pacific region has not been organized within IUPAP. Many countries do not participate in IUPAP, so they cannot fully contribute to exchanges in the area. The situation in each country is very different, and stimulating the discussion in the Asia-Pacific would help promote mutual understanding and human interaction and hopefully improve the physics research in the area.

        Bio: Mihoko Nojiri is a professor of the theory center in KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization in Japan). She got PhD from Kyoto University. Her main research area is theoretical particle physics, especially collider phenomenology and dark matter. Currently, she is a member of Science Council of Japan, where she serves as the chair of the physics committee. She was former vice chair of C11 of IUPAP (particles and fields).

        Speakers: Mihoko Nojiri (Theory Center, IPNS, KEK), Sunil Gupta
      • 13:10
        Enhancing IUPAP’s Presence in the Asia Pacific 10m

        There has been rapid economic growth in Asian (and the Pacific) countries and regions in the last decade. Moreover, many countries in the Asia Pacific region have steadily contributed increasingly to global scientific outputs. Yet, IUPAP membership in Asia Pacific remains low. How can we increase the visibility of Asia Pacific countries in IUPAP.

        Bio: LC Kwek is currently a Principal Investigator (PI) at the Center for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore. He is currently a co-Director of the Quantum Science and Engineering Centre at the Nanyang Technological University. He is also the current Deputy Secretary General of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). His main research interests are quantum information science and atomtronics.

        Speaker: Leong Chuan Kwek
      • 13:20
        Introduction of the upcoming APPC15 events and aim 15m

        The Korean Physical Society (KPS) is celebrating 70th birthday this year. As one of activities, the KPS is organizing the 15th Asia Pacific Physics Conference (APPC-15) together with the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS). APPC is the series of triennial conferences of AAPPS, covering all areas of physics. Due to the pandemic, APPC-15 will be held on-line during August 21-26, 2022. It will provide a forum to share and discuss physics researches and educations, promoting collaborations and friendship in Asia Pacific regions. As a satellite program, there will be the Global Physics Summit, where the leaders of IUPAP, AAPPS, American Physical Society, and European Physical Societies were invited. In this presentation, I will introduce the APPC-15 events.

        Bio: Dr. Tae Won Noh is currently working as IUPAP C10 Chair and one of Vice Presidents. He is the President of the Korean Physical Society (KPS). With the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS), the KPS is organizing the 15th Asia Pacific Physics Conference (APPC-15), which will be held during August 21-26, 2022. He has served as organizing committee members for many international conferences and activities. He is also working as a board member of trustees at Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), which is a hub-institute of theoretical physics in the Asia-Pacific region.

        He received his B.S. from Seoul National University in 1982 and Ph.D. in physics from the Ohio State University in 1986. His research has been dedicated to physics of strongly correlated electron systems, especially transition metal oxides. Much of his research focuses on searching for newly emerging phenomena and novel phases, such as metal-insulator transitions, atomic ferroelectricity and correlated topological phases. Due to his excellent research activities, he has been working as the Director of the IBS Center for Correlated System (CCES) since 2012. And he was selected as the University Endowed Chair Professor of Seoul National University.

        Speaker: Tae Won Noh (Seoul National University)
      • 13:35
        Questions 5m
    • 13:40 14:35
      Exchanging views from different regions
      • 13:40
        Education and research in Pacific 15m

        IUPAP members in the Pacific are limited to Japan, New Zealand and Pacific Rim nations, plus French territorial interests, without representation across the developing island nations. For these nations science in general and physics in particular is an important tool for development both socially and economically, especially in light of accelerating climate change. In this talk, I will highlight physics strengths across the Pacific. I will also discuss particular needs and how these might be addressed. Primarily I will try to highlight how IUPAP may further engage in the Pacific through substantive and meaningful partnership.

        Bio: David Hutchinson is a Professor of Physics at the University of Otago in New Zealand and a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University Singapore. He is also Director of the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies in New Zealand which is a national Centre of Research Excellence. As well as his academic roles, he is also Departmental Science Advisor to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the largest ministry within the New Zealand Government. Furthermore, he is Chair of the Board of the Otago Museum, one of New Zealand’s largest metropolitan museums.

        As well as research interests in theoretical quantum physics, Hutchinson has had a long interest in physics outreach and education and physics for development. He was a founding member and executive officer of the Global Young Academy and has been involved with IUPAP for a number of years, in particular as the New Zealand delegate to the General Assembly. Through education outreach activities with the Dodd-Walls Centre he has been involved in work across the Pacific region and, previously, in Southeast Asia through the Global Young Academy and other agencies.

        Speaker: David Hutchinson
      • 13:55
        Physics in Pakistan 15m
        Speaker: Hassan Shah
      • 14:10
        Science in Nepal 15m

        This study assesses the state of higher education in Science and Technology of Nepal. It evaluates statistically the number of students studying Physics as their major and compares it to that of the overall Science and Technology fields. Findings reveal the years 2002 through 2019 A.D. saw yearly increase in the student population, signifying the growing interest in Science and Technology fields. However, this growth is limited in part due to lack of modern facilities, attractive scholarships, and research opportunities in the existing Universities of Nepal. For this reason, an increasing number of youths go abroad in search of quality education, resulting in extensive brain-drain of talent from Nepal. There is thus a pressing need to improve core-curriculum and modernize the teaching methods. There is also a need to expand funding for laboratories, equipments, and research centers across universities to attract and retain top professors of their field. This could help strengthen our academic institutions and contribute towards economic growth of the nation. `

        Bio: Nilam Shrestha Pradhan, the first female Professor of Physics, is the faculty of Department of Physics, Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University. She has almost three decades of teaching and research experience. She specializes in Solid State Physics with a focus on Atomic and Molecular Physics, and holds a PhD degree in Multiphoton Ionization of Hydrogen Atom from Tribhuvan University (TU). She has authored more than 2 dozen of publications in national and international journals. She has supervised many Bachelor level projects and Master level theses. She has chaired and organized International (Regional) Conference on Women in Physics (RCWIP-2019) in Nepal. She has held governing positions in the following institutions:
        • President - Nepal Physical Society (NPS), Nepal.
        • Founder President - Nepalese Society for Women in Physics (NSWIP), Nepal.
        • Member - Advisory Committee Board of Nuclear Radiation at Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Nepal.
        • Member - Physical Sciences subcommittee, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Kathmandu, Nepal.
        • Founder Member - Women Science Forum, Nepal (WSFN), Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Kathmandu, Nepal.
        • Member - Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Trieste, Italy.
        • Team leader - International Conferences on Women in Physics (ICWIP), IUPAP, USA.

        Speaker: Nilam Shrestha
      • 14:25
        Questions 10m
    • 14:35 15:10
      Gender gap in Asia-Pacific
      • 14:35
        Introduction of WIP events in Taipei 15m

        To respond the action from IUPAP, the Working Group for the Women in Physics (WGWIP) in Taiwan was registered in 1999 under the Physical Society of Republic of China (renamed as Physical Society of Taiwan in 2017). In addition, the WGWIP in Taiwan became a formal committee in 2001. Since then, the committee has worked on promoting women in Physics, including principal investigators as well as students, and annually monitoring the related status of statistical data.

        The talk will cover the promotive events by the WGWIP in Taiwan. In addition, the status of the statistical data in recent five years, involving the percentage of women graduated from the physics and astronomy departments in Bachelor, in Master, and in PhD programs, and the approved science project granted by Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in Taiwan for female faculty members will also be present. Finally, the directions for our future steps for improving the status of women in Physics in Taiwan is also discussed. 

        Bio :Ya-Ping Chiu is a full professor at Department of Physics in National Taiwan University since 2016. She was the former convener of the Working Group for the Women in Physics (WGWIP) in Taiwan. The WGWIP in Taiwan was registered in 1999 under the Physical Society of Republic of China (renamed as Physical Society of Taiwan in 2017). The WGWIP in Taiwan became a formal committee in 2001 and has worked on promoting women in Physics, including principal investigators as well as students for more than 20 years. For example, the Wu Chien-Shiung Award which is annually awarded the female student who has the excellent academic performance in her PhD study in Taiwan. Prof. Chiu was the 1th student who got the award from the WGWIP in Taiwan in 2003.

        Speaker: Ya-Ping Chiu
      • 14:50
        Diversity in Asia-Pacific 20m

        Chair: Youngah Park

        Youngah Park has been a professor of Statistical Mechanics at the Department of Physics at Myongji University since 1989. She has been the chair of the Women in Physics working group of Association of the Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) since 2006 and chaired the local organizing committee of the 3rd International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP) in 2008. Youngah Park was as a member of the National Assembly of Republic of Korea from 2008 to 2012 and served as a member of the Committee on Education, Science and Technology at the National Assembly.
        She served as the President of Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP) from 2013 to 2016. Dr. Youngah Park completed her undergraduate study at the Seoul National University majoring in Physics and received her Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Pennsylvania in 1987. Her research areas include critical phenomena, biological physics, role of innovation in science and technology, education, and women in science.