In the context of world celebrations for the International Year of Light 2015 and the 70th anniversary of UNESCO, the „Lights of the World” conference will take place in Bucharest at the Parliament Palace during 30 October – 1 November 2015. Starting 1 July and until 15 October registrations are open to interested people, including middle- and high-school students and teachers, researchers and university professors, engineers etc.
The event aims to present the concept of “light (of the world)” from a transdisciplinary perspective, highlighting its multiple facets and symbols in science, education, space and culture as a vector of sustainable development in the 21st century society. At the same time the event will promote representative scientific and cultural Romanian values, in a creative and fruitful dialogue with similar European and universal values.
The conference is composed of four sections:
- Science – “Light in Science” will include presentations, films and photos about the impact of “light” in domains such as: Nanoscience, Lasers, Photonics, Space, Astroparticles, High Energy Physics, Biophysics. Further details are available here;
- Education – “Light in Education” will host the Scientix National Conference – The community for science education in Europe. The conference will include guest presentations about science education in Romania, demonstrative workshops for teachers, presentations of educational projects and their results and debates. Further details are available here;
- Culture – this section will include scientific sessions, presentations, artistic performances, a film gala, coffee-concerts, book releases. A special session will be scheduled in Craiova, at the University, in the opening of the Congress (27-29 October). The session will approach the light from a transdisciplinary perspective: culture, spirituality, society. Further details are available here;
- Satellite events
• Art Exhibition: the Art Science Association will present the exhibition „Light Fields”, a collection of abstract paintings by Diana Mavi, made in a new interdisciplinary approach: physics and art.
• Book fair “Light from books”: presentation of new books and book fair.
• “Sound and color” – show of music and lights.
Dr. Marius-Ioan Piso, President of the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) and Dumitru Dorin Prunariu, the first Romanian cosmonaut, ROSA Honorary President and president of the European branch of the Association of Space Explorers – ASE Europe, as well as other important personalities will deliver speeches. Among invites speakers are: Gustavo Avilés (Mexic), I. Boyd (Director of Experimental Techniques Centre – ETC, Brunel University, London), Adrian Cioroianu (Romanian Delegation to UNESCO), John Dudley (President of the steering committee of IYL2015), Maarten de Jong (NIKHEF&Leiden University, Netherlands, spokesman of the KM3NeT Consortium), Solomon Marcus (Romanian Academy), Yannick Mellier (Paris Institute of Astrophysics, spokesperson of the EUCLID consortium), Ion Morjan (INFLPR Director), Nicolae Manolescu (USR President), Basarab Nicolescu (CIRET-France), Maciej Nalecz (UNESCO, Director of Basic Science Division), J-P Nogome Abiaga (UNESCO, Secretary of IYL2015), Frederic Thevenin (Observatoire de la Cote D’Azur, Nice), V.I. Vlad (President of the Romanian Academy) – to be confirmed, M. Zamfirescu (INCDFLPR, CETAL Director).
Registration for the conference is open during 1 July-15 October 2015 by providing the required information here. The registration fee (only for Researchers and University Professors) will cover lunch and coffee breaks during the conference, as well as conference materials.
Fee waiver is granted to students and high-school teachers participating in the Education section. Press representatives can also visit the conference with a prior booking at oana.sandu@rosa.ro.
The conference is organised by the National Institute for Materials Physics (INCDFM) and UNESCO Cat. 2 International Centre for Training and Research in Physics, Magurele, the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR), the University of Craiova, the University of Bucharest, the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INCDFLPR), the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA), the Institute of Space Science (ISS), the Parliament Commission for UNESCO, Horia Hulubei Foundation, UNESCO Chair and the Romanian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO. Partners of the event are: UNESCO, the European Physical Society (EPS), the Romanian Physical Society, the Order of Architects from Romania (OAR), the National University of Theatre and Film, Bucharest (UNATC) and the Romanian Association of Theatre Artists (UNITER).
Further information are available on the official website of the „Lights of the World” Conference.
About the International Year of Light (IYL 2015)
On 20 December 2013, the UN General Assembly 68th Session proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015), recognising the importance of global awareness about how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health.
IYL 2015 programs will promote improved public and political understanding of the central role of light in the modern world while also celebrating noteworthy anniversaries in 2015—from the first studies of optics 1,000 years ago to discoveries in optical communications that power the Internet today. The event is endorsed by a number of international scientific unions and the International Council of Science and has more than 100 partners from more than 85 countries.