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http://www.ictp.it — home > mission and legacy > message from the director
Welcome Message from the Director
Welcome to ICTP! We are the world's first and leading global scientific institution for fundamental research and development. Under the vision and leadership of Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, this institution was founded in 1964. Over the 45 of years of its existence, the ICTP has played the crucial role of being a bridge between North and South and East and West, the latter during the Cold War. Through the adoption of the universal language of science, ICTP has demonstrated the importance of a global approach to address the problems of our time. Its primordial mission is to bring together scientists from all over the world in order to facilitate the dissemination of scientific know-how in the poorer parts of the world.
ICTP functions under the umbrella of a tripartite agreement between the Italian government, UNESCO and IAEA. It hosts leading international scientists to perform top quality research in high energy, astroparticle, condensed matter and statistical physics, pure and applied mathematics and some areas of earth system physics such as physics of weather and climate change. Highly talented young students from Africa and other parts of the developing world are trained here to tackle a large variety of problems enabling them to adapt to the challenges of our rapidly evolving world.
Each year ICTP runs more than 60 conferences, workshops and schools in many areas of basic and applied sciences, ranging from its main research subjects to medical physics, soil physics, nuclear physics, electronics, communications, environment, energy, computation, biophysics, nanotechnology, etc. Furthermore, ICTP has contributed to the advancement of basic sciences in the developing world, organizing many regional activities in these countries and providing excellent research conditions for their scientists through programmed long-term visits to our site. In this way, ICTP has helped these scientists to keep active in research, and contribute more efficiently to capacity building and development of their native land.
In line with the dramatic geo-economic changes taking place, we are now entering a new phase in which ICTP should take a leading role in promoting better working conditions for scientists in the developing world. We aspire to assist science policy makers and scientists of these countries in the creation of local centres of excellence and active scientific networks. In order to confront these new challenges, the ICTP will collaborate with scientists in emerging countries, assisting in this way the poorest regions in Africa, Latin America and Asia whilst, simultaneously, strengthening and broadening the research activities of our Centre.
During its 45 years, ICTP has benefited over one hundred thousand scientists although the real impact goes beyond any measurable quantity. Today, we are facing new exciting challenges since the mission of our Centre is as important, if not more, than it was at the time of its inception: to foster top quality scientific research and knowledge in all corners of the world to achieve cultural richness, sustained development and the survival of humankind.
With best wishes,
Fernando Quevedo
ICTP Director