The 2024 EPS Calendar of Inspiring Physicists has been released. Featuring EPS Members, Laureates of EPS awards and Nobel Prize Winners this initiative aims at presenting inspiring female physicists who can act as role models for the next generation of scientists. Every month, a new physicist can be discovered in the calendar with a portrait, a short description of her field of research and a sentence to inspire and encourage young people to study physics. The project was led by Gina Gunaratnam, communication coordinator at the EPS secretariat and bought to the page by Xavier de Araujo, the EPS graphic designer. The rationale behind the project is to increase the visibility of women in physics. Although in recent years women have become more visible in fields where historically they were a minority, women are still missing in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). There is therefore a need to attract more youngsters to these fields. Not only to work as researchers but also as technical staff, lab assistants, IT specialists, to name but a few. The panel of professions related to the sciences is wide and requires all talents, girls as much as boys. Society does not always send this message: girls need to be encouraged in their choice of studying science by everyone at every stage of their education: families, teachers, media and government all have a role to play. When girls show interest in sciences, they should not be diverted from their objectives, but helped and stimulated in every possible way to facilitate their aspirations. Our calendar is currently being distributed to our member societies and associate members throughout Europe. We hope that with this initiative and the help of enthusiastic teachers and scientists, it will inspire young pupils in 2024 and beyond. The January Physicist is Dr. Sara Bolognesi, staff researcher in experimental physics and laureate of the 2021 EPS Emmy Noether Distinction. Read her interview here. Stay tuned, more to come!
EPS statement: The EPS condemns the continuing attacks by the Russian Federation against Ukraine
Statement by the Executive Committee of the European Physical Society 26 February 2022 The European Physical Society (EPS) strongly condemns the continuing attacks by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, an independent and sovereign country. In clear violation of international law, the Russian government’s decision will have drastic and negative consequences that are difficult to foresee, including on the development of the scientific cooperation between Eastern and Western European nations. The values of the EPS are based on the free exchange and free expression of ideas and concepts in physics that nourish the development of our civilisation, and thereby contribute to the advance of humanity. A country that invades its peaceful neighbour and threatens the other nations clearly violates these fundamental principles. Therefore, the EPS calls on the entire scientific community and all citizens working in physics and beyond, to be uncompromising in their protest and to take active measures against the ongoing violence of the Russian army in Ukraine. Today, the EPS expresses its deepest solidarity with the suffering Ukrainian people who find themselves in an unwanted and tragic situation in which not only their basic freedoms but also their very lives are threatened by the armed intervention of a foreign army. The Ukrainian Physical Society is a Member Society of the EPS and, as such, the EPS will do everything in its power to help to ensure the continuity of its cooperation with Ukrainian physicists. Today, the EPS also sympathizes with the Russian physicists who refute the aggression of their government and suffer similarly from not being able to freely express their disagreement in their own homeland. Today, in solidarity with our Ukrainian and Russian colleagues, the EPS suspends all joint actions co-sponsored with the Russian State for the time being. Further measures to be undertaken will be considered and acted by the next EPS Council in June 2022 in Paris, as the situation dictates. Today, despite the dreadful and extremely dangerous crisis that the European continent is going through, the EPS firmly believes in a better future for tomorrow. On behalf of the Executive Committee of the European Physical Society, Luc Bergé,President Download the statement here.