The official opening of the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies will take place on Jan.19 and 20 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. After that, events dedicated to the science of light will take part during the whole year: conferences, symposia, exhibitions, competitions, lectures, seminars, and others. Their goal is to attract public attention, to combine the efforts of scientists, representatives of universities, industrial companies, all who are interested in new technologies development and implementation. ITMO University, as one of the leading Russian scientific and educational centers in the field of optics and lighting technology, has been actively involved in large-scale international events.
"For us it is important that we participate as organizers and equal members of the international academic community, and not just bystanders,” said Daria Kozlova, the director of the ITMO University Institute for International Development and Partnership. “There is nothing surprising in the fact that ITMO University is "in charge of" the International Year of Light events in the North-West region. After all, we have been actively developing research in photonics, optics and lighting technologies for many years. There are a lot of our partners, friends, counselors and the University International Council members among the participants of official events in Paris. So for us, this event is very important."
The International Optical Workshop (OS-2015) is the closest major event, which will be held in St. Petersburg on May 18 - 21. Its participants will discuss the main design trends of a wide class of optical and optical information systems using modern software.
The 10th International Symposium on Display Holography (ISDH-2015) will take place in our city from June 28 to July 3. For the first time the event was organized in 1982 in Lake Forest College (USA). Since then it is held every three years in different cities around the world. Symposium can be called a unique event without exaggeration, because it gathers together the experts in a variety of sciences. The Magic of Light exhibition will be held during the event by the ITMO University together with the Hellenic Institute of Holography. In addition to modern holograms, works from the personal archive of Professor Yuri Denisyuk (ITMO University), the pioneer of optical holography, will be presented. For this reason, the symposium promises to be interesting not only for the scientific community, but for all the residents and guests of St. Petersburg.
In the autumn of 2015 the ITMO University in conjunction with D. S. Rozhdestvensky Optical Society, Lomonosov Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, Vavilov State Optical Institute and several other partners, with the participation of the Optical Society of America (OSA), the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) and the International Society of Radio Engineers (IEEE Photonics Society), will held the IX Optics-2015 International Conference of Young Scientists and Specialists. The event has been held in the northern capital since 1956. Students, masters, graduate students, young scientists will be able to discuss topical issues and challenges in the field of optical and related sciences.
The XVI International Feofilov Symposium (IFS'XVI) on spectroscopy of crystals doped with rare earth and transition metal ions will be held in St. Petersburg on Nov. 9 - 13. This year it is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Peter Feofilov, the outstanding scientist, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, specialist in the field of spectroscopy, quantum optics and electronics. The event is supported by the Israel Physical Society and the Japan Society of Applied Physics. Symposium participants will discuss the problems in condensed matter physics.
In addition to scientific conferences and forums, events which will be open to residents and guests of St. Petersburg, will take part during the year. Among them: Words and Light poster and literary works competitions, master classes from the leading companies engaged in lighting technology, a series of Optical Illusions classes.
Learn more about all the events planned for the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies on the official website in Russia.