Opening ceremony: International Year of Light 2015

There was a large ICO presence at the ceremony, including four Past Presidents and 11 ICO Bureau Members.

More than half of the ICO Bureau and over 30 other members of the ICO family attended the opening ceremony of the International Year of Light 2015. Highlights of the ceremony were the five Nobel Laureate plenaries: Light and Life by Ahmed Zewail, Energy and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities by Steven Chu, Einstein, Light, and Time by William Phillips, Light and the Quantum by Serge Haroche, and Efficient Light Conversion and Generation by Zhores Alferov.

Some members of the ICO family attending the opening ceremony appear in the photo. Other members and collaborators attending were: John Dudley, President of the IYL 2015 and contributed editor of the ICO Newsletter; Joseph Niemela, Secretary of the IYL 2015 and VP; Zohra Ben Lakhdar, l’Oreal-UNESCO Prize Recipient for Africa & Arab world in 2005, and former ICO VP (2008–2014) was one of the invited speakers; H Philip Stahl (VP 2005–2011); Roberta Ramponi (VP); Giancarlo Righini (VP 1999–2005); Bishnu Pal (former India representative); Aram Papoyan (Armenia representative); Amalia Martínez García (Mex- ico representative); Valentin Vlad (Romania representative); Kaido Reivelt (Estonia). From Poland: Tomasz Wolin´ski, Michał Makowski, and Weronika Zaperty. From Spain: Santiago Vallmitjana, Joaquín Campos, Sara Perches, and Ana Gargallo. From Portugal: P Pombo, G Figueira. From Singapore: David Payne and Tjin Swee Chuan.

The ICO has supported the initiative of an International Year of Light since its inception, and accompanied the application process through the IUPAP and ICSU to UNESCO, and in the last stage, asked its Territorial Representatives to look for support from their ambassadors to the United Nations.

The ICO has participated and reported on preparatory meetings for the International Year of Light held annually at the ICTP on occasion of the ICTP Winter College on Optics, and the Award Ceremony for the ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award (see “An International Year of Light for 2015: UNESCO’s Executive Board supports the initiative” by John Dudley, ICO Newsletter 94 January 2013, and “10th anniversary of TSOSA and Year of Light planning at ICTP”, ICO Newsletter 95 April 2013). Last April, ICO invited its Territorial Committees to promote the creation of national commit- tees for the programming of local and regional celebration activities (ICO Newsletter 99 April 2014).

ICO has provided more than a dozen national contacts for the IYL Secretariat, and has made a call for an ICO IYL Award for the promotion of optics and photonics among young people in the ICO Territories. Proposals are to be sent to the ICO Territorial Committees. Each ICO territory is encouraged to select the best proposal, and send to the ICO Secretariat a one- page proposal (no more than one submission per territory). ICO anticipates awarding up to 20 awards of US$1000 each. The best proposal will be awarded US$5000. Some possible activities could be youth competitions, outreach using optics and photonics kits, exhibits, educational materials, pilot projects, educator days and science fairs. Please be creative! Particular emphasis will be given to activities that are sustainable beyond 2015, and that can be replicable in other territories. The awards will be certificates from the ICO.

Deadline ICO IYL Award: 30 April 2015
Awards announcement: 1 June 2015

 Next articles:

• Remembering the late Charles H Townes
• In memory of Vigen Chaltykyan
• The ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award 2015