100 Years: The International Dimension

The 23rd General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics will convene in Atlanta, Georgia (March 17-21, 1999), just one week before the beginning of the APS Centennial Meeting. Thus, at the outset, there will be a substantial international physics presence in Atlanta, with more than 150 leaders of the academic and industrial research communities meeting to chart the future course of the Union. The new Union President, former APS President Burton Richter, will assume the IUPAP Presidency at the conclusion of the General Assembly. In addition, from 50 to 60 physical societies have indicated that they will send delegates to represent their organizations.

The Nobel luncheon and opening of the Nobel Exhibit on Saturday, March 20, will be held in honor of laureates from all over the world. It will be a fitting start to the 100 year celebration of physics as a global cultural, social and economic adventure-one that has transformed the 20th century and promises even greater contributions to our quality of life and understanding of nature in the new millennium.

In acknowledgment of the importance of the international dimensions of the physics enterprise, the opening plenary on March 20 is entitled, "International Cooperation in Physics," and will feature presentations by Cylon Concalves de Silva (Brazil), Jan S. Nilsson (Sweden and IUPAP), Predaman K. Kaw (India), Tadahiro Sekimoto (Japan) and Luciano Maiani (Italy and CERN). The session will be chaired by Jerry Friedman, incoming President of APS. After the conclusion of the plenary, a reception and dinner will be hosted by APS in honor of our sister societies around the world.

The Society will also host round-tables on a variety of international topics the following day, Sunday, March 21, prior to the opening of technical and scientific sessions. It will constitute the beginning of a global dialog on physics in the 21st century.