Centre International de Formation et de Recherche Avancées en Physique

Report

on the CIFRA’s Opening ceremony event

September 20 – 21, 2018, Măgurele, Romania   

               On September 20^th  and 21^st , the official opening of the International Center for Advanced Training and Research in Physics (CIFRA) took place in Magurele-Bucharest, Romania.

CIFRA is a Category 2 center under the auspicies of UNESCO, the only such center in fundamental sciences, in Eastern Europe. It was created in 2016 on the basis of an Agreement between the Government of Romania and UNESCO, as a subsidiary with legal independence of the National Institute of Materials Physics, on the Platform of physics in Magurele, Romania.

CIFRA’s objectives include i) providing opportunities for advanced training and research for scientists from Central and Eastern Europe countries and from developing countries, particularly for African countries; ii) the conduct and coordination of advanced research studies in physics and related interdisciplinary topics; iii) providing expertise of the decision factors; iv) carrying out promotional activities that would provide an international forum of discussion and encourage the formation of regional networks of collaboration between scientists from different countries.

The official opening of CIFRA was a significant event to which outstanding guests for UNESCO-Paris, Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste (ICTP), The World Academy of Science (TWAS) and from Romania, have participated. The list of guests include: Sandro Scandolo, ICTP-Trieste representing  UNESCO ADG for the basic sector, Martiale Zebaze Kana, chief of the Capacity Building in Science and Engineering division of UNESCO, and member of the CIFRA’s International Governing Board, (IGB),  George Thompson, ICTP, member of the directorate and member of the CIFRA’s IGB, Joseph Niemela, ICTP, adviser of the UNESCO ADG for Natural sciences, Romain Murenzi, executive director of TWAS, Ionel Palar, president of the parliamentary commission for UNESCO(PC-UNESCO), Ligia Deca, state adviser for education and research, Presidential Administration (Pres.Adm.), Ciprian Preda, secretary of state, Ministry of Research and Innovation, Matei Viorel ARDELEANU, General Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Adrian Curaj, General Director UEFISCDI, Viorel Vulturescu, Director, Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI),  Ionut Enculescu, General Director of the National Institute of Materials Physics, Constantin Ionescu, General Director of the National Institute of Earth Physics, Florin Buzatu, General Director of the Institute of Atomic Physics, Sorin Zgura, Director of the Institute of Space Sciences (ISS), Eugen Gheorghiu, Director, International Center of Biodynamics (ICB), etc.  

The Agenda of the meeting was the following:     

Thursday,   September  20, 2018

09:00 – 09:30  Registration

09:30 – 10:00   Welcome speeches (S. Stoica, CIFRA, V. Vulturescu, MRI)

                         Guests presentation, messages from the institutions representatives (moderator S. Stoica)

List of speakers form the institutions included: S. Scandolo (ICTP-UNESCO), Ligia Deca (Pres.Adm.), M. Zebaze Kana (UNESCO), I. Palar (PC-UNESCO),  R. Murenzi (TWAS), G. Thomson (ICTP), J. Niemela (ICTP), M.V. Ardeleanu (MFA), A. Curaj (UEFISCDI), F. Buzatu (IAP), I. Enculescu (NIMP), Iris Constantin (CNR-UNESCO), S. Zgura (ISS), E. Gheorghiu (ICB).

10:00 – 10:30   CIFRA’s presentation (S. Stoica, director CIFRA)

10:30 – 11:00   Discussions

11:00 – 11:20    Coffee break

11:20 – 13:00  Short presentations of the research and education activities in Măgurele;

                         Presentations made by the General Directors of the following research  institutes

– National Institute for Materials Physics (I. Enculescu, General Director)

– National Institute for Laser Plasma and Radiation Physics (F. Sima, Scientific Secretary)

– National Institute of Earth Physics (C. Ionescu, General Director)

– National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics (R. Radvan, Head of department)

– Institute of Space Science (S. Zgura, Director).

13:00 – 14:30   Lunch

14:30 – 17:00   Visits to the research institutes in Măgurele

·       National Institute for Materials Physics – Research Innovation and Technology – Center for New Materials

·       National Institute for Optoelectronics- Laboratory – Optoelectronic Methods and Techniques to Restore Conservation Cultural Goods

·       National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics – Center for Advanced Laser Technologies

17:00 – 17:30   Coffee break

17:30 – 18:30   Round table Discussions (moderated by  S. Stoica)

19:00 – 21:00   Official dinner (restaurant “Hanul berarilor”, in Bucharest)

Friday, September 21, 2018

10:00 – 11:15   International Governing Board meeting (moderated by Ciprian Preda, Secretary of State,

                          Ministry of Research and Innovation)

Agenda IGB

• presentation of members: Ciprian Preda, representative of Romanian government in the CIFRA’s International Governing Board, chair of the Board; Martiale Zebaze Kana, representative of UNESCO head quarters; George Thompson, representative of UNESCO-ICTP-Trieste; invite: Sabin Stoica, Director CIFRA.
• discussions and adopting of rules of procedure
• appointment of the CIFRA’s Director
• presentation of the CIFRA’s report of activity and the plan of activities and budget for 2019
• endorsement of the members of International Scientific Committee of CIFRA
• approval of the CIFRA’s report of activity and the plan of activities and budget for 2019

11:15 – 11:30   Coffee break

11:30 – 12:15    International Scientific Committee meeting   

 Agenda

• presentation of the members (10 members out of maximum of 20). They are presented by the CIFRA’s Director and were proposed by him after consultation with UNESCO
• CIFRA’s director propose to Sandro Scandolo, ICTP to serve as president of the ISC of CIFRA. The proposal was accepted by prof. Scandolo and vote by unanimity.
• setting the rules of procedure

12:15 – 12:45   Discussions, Closing 

12:45 – 13:45   Lunch

14:00               Departure to the airport

During the meeting several conclusions have resulted:

• outstanding personalities have participated in the meeting, relevant for the CIFRA, its present and future activities and relationships with national and international institutions.

ADG UNESCO for Natural Sciences was represented by Sandro Scandolo, mister Martiale Zebaze Kana, in his capacity of chief of the Capacity Building in Science and Engineering division of UNESCO (which is the focal point for the UNESCO cat 2 centers), and the member of the CIFRA’s IGB, ICTP-Trieste was represented by George Thompson, member of ICTP directorate and member of the CIFRA’s IGB and Joseph Niemela, member of staff. The Parliament Commission for the relation with UNESCO was represented by Ionel Palar, president, The Presidential Administration was represented by Ligia Deca, state adviser for education and research, the Ministry of Research and Innovation was represented by Ciprian Preda, secretary of state and Viorel Vulturescu, director of Direction for external affairs, the Romanian funding agencies UEFISCDI was represented by Adrian Curaj, General Director, former ministry of education and research, Romanian Commission for UNESCO was represented by Iris Constantin, adviser of the general secretary. Also, General Directors and directors of several important Romanian national institutes of research were present.

     –     Presentation of the research institutes from the Magurele platform of physics and visits to them have produced a very good impression to the guest from abroad.

     –    CIFRA had a good start and its planned activities, particularly the building of a Training and Research in Romanian Laboratories (TRROL), has attract interest both from the Romanian side (the directors of the research institutes) and representatives from UNESCO and ICTP.

     –      Discussions were started on how this program, combined with the program Training and Research in Italian Laboratories (TRIL) can be implemented by CIFRA.

     –     Discussions with Romanian officials were opened on the possible ways of funding CIFRA, such that CIFRA can become a more efficient and sustainable project.

–     It was agreed upon that a closer collaboration between ICTP and CIFRA would be beneficial for implementing particular joint projects, for example a jointly organization of Schools of physics.