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Conferences

ETSF workshop series

Every year the ETSF organises at least one high-level conference focusing on the active research areas of the ETSF. They have emerged from the long series of Nanoquanta series of workshops (see below), that have been instrumental for the professional development of many of the current ETSF members. Each year the conference is organised in a different location in Europe.

It has grown into a five day format with more than 100 participants. Presentations are given by invited and contributed speakers from in- and outside the network and are organised in separate sessions, each one illustrating a particular aspect of the focus topic(s). The program of oral presentations is complemented by a dedicated poster session, but posters are almost always on display for the whole conference duration.

Discussions after every presentation and at the posters are usually active and lively. The most interesting or controversial aspects and possible new trends or paradigms that emerge throughout the conference are collected and channelled into more in-depth round table discussions that take place towards the end of the meeting. Since 2006 an expert on gender or society issues is invited to every meeting to give a seminar on one of the non-scientific topics that affects all of our daily lives as scientists and that forms part of the ETSF's social policy.

Forthcoming Workshop

  • Advanced Green function methods
    Seventeenth Nanoquanta-ETSF Series of Workshops on Electronic Excitations
    Coimbra (Portugal) [2-5 October 2012]

Previous workshops

Young Researchers Meeting

The idea for a Young Researchers' forum arose when a number of PhDs and post-docs stopped grumbling and actually did something about a latent dissatisfaction with the standard way conferences are held. Standard conferences are entered around keynote speakers, and the larger the conference the harder it is to actually be heard and present. In the framework of the Nanoquanta Network of Excellence, it was possible to develop our own ideas about the structure of a conference; two themes central to the NoE are the development of contacts and collaboration on one hand and of transferable skills on the other. Both of these benefit from the Young Researchers' meetings (YRM).

The basic principle is that as many people give talks as possible. Given the size of the network and the popularity of the YRM, however, some people have to make do with a poster. Another very popular feature is the introductory talks: instead of keynote speakers, one experienced (young) researcher is asked to give an introduction to each session, presenting concepts and framework for the specialized
talks which follow.

The organization itself is handled by "senior young researchers". A small team takes care of the logistics, finds accommodation and conference venues, and attributes the themes and speakers to different sessions.

Forthcoming Young Researchers' Meeting

Previous Young Researchers' Meetings