Robert Eisenstein to head Santa Fe Institute
Robert Eisenstein, who until recently was assistant director for mathematical and physical sciences at the US National Science Foundation (NSF), is to become president of the Santa Fe Institute from 1 June 2003. This appointment follows a year at CERN, where he worked with the ATLAS collaboration.
Founded in 1984, the Santa Fe Institute is a private, not-for-profit centre for research and education. Although rooted in mathematics, physics and computer science, over the past few years the Institute has broadened its agenda to include research in the life sciences, economics and, more recently, social sciences. It operates as a visiting institution to catalyse new collaborative, multidisciplinary research; to break down the barriers between the traditional disciplines; to spread its ideas and methodologies to other institutions; and to encourage the practical application of its results. Since 1984 it has grown from a small group of dedicated scientists to an affiliated network of scientists and researchers from the best academic and research institutions around the world.
"I have followed the progress of the Santa Fe Institute for a long time and I think its reputation for excellence in scientific research is very well deserved," Eisenstein said on the announcement of his appointment. "We will not rest on our laurels, but will continue to press on in terms of involving the very best and brightest scientists currently working in the field of complexity science. What was once a nascent thought of a few academics bold enough to begin this experiment called the Santa Fe Institute, has become an important part of the academic tableau in universities and research institutions around the world."
Egypt seeks ways to stem the brain drain
A workshop on high-energy particle physics was recently held in Cairo at the initiative of the high-energy particle-physics community in Egypt. Its aim was to seek ways to reverse the current brain drain towards more developed nations, by developing attractive international collaborations, for example via CEA/Saclay, the National Centre of Physics in Pakistan, and CERN. Egyptian participants presented their work on emulsion experiments, nuclear and theoretical physics, while the external participants presented the physics of the LHC, the CMS experiment and experience in developing high-energy physics in Pakistan.