9 Report on the 33rd General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) by Li Lu and Leong Chuan Kwek

The 33rd General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) was organized from Oct. 11, 2024 to October 13, 2024 in conjunction with the Annual Fall Meeting of the Chinese Physical Society (CPS), at the beautiful idyllic island of Hainan, China. This is the first time in the last 100 years that IUPAP General Assembly is held in China. The meeting was originally scheduled for Oct 2020 but, due to Covid19, the previous meeting was postponed. Both Jie Zhang (President, CPS) and Zhong Fang (Vice President, CPS) warmly welcomed the delegates to the meeting. Figure 16 Group photograph of all delegates at the IUPAP General Assembly.

Michel Spiro, President of IUPAP, reiterated that IUPAP is the only global organization in physics, contributing with physics to a better global understanding. As I said yesterday, the missions of IUPAP is to assist in the worldwide participation in and the worldwide development of physics, to foster applications of physics which could help to solve problems of concern to humanity (in particular today, global equitable well-being on a healthy lively planet).

Malik Maaza received the inaugural Kenndy Reed medal for outstanding contributions to the enhancement of physics in developing countries. In his award speech, Professor Maaza profusely thanked Abdul Salaam and Kennedy Reed for their inspiration and dedication to promotion of physics in the African continent.

9.1 Women in physics forum: 25th anniversary of IUPAP Working Group 5

Working Group 5 (WG5), Women in Physics (WiP), was created by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics in 1999 as a resolution of the Atlanta, Georgia, USA, General Assembly to survey the present situation and report to the Council and the Liaison Committees, and to suggest means to improve the situation for women in physics. The International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP) is held every three years, bringing together men and women from around the world to report on the situation of women in physics in their country, to share good practice, to suggest and implement means of improvement and to network. Over 92 different countries and over 1300 delegates have attended the ICWIPs, and many new national bodies on women in physics have been created and regional meetings have taken place (Fig. 17). The Conference Proceedings, available online, are a source of statistics and good practice across the world. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the International Conference for Women in Physics.

Fig. 17
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Women in Physics Forum at IUPAP General Assembly


9.2 Public lectures by Nobel laureates

Three Nobel prize winners in physics gave wonderful stimulating talks at a special evening session jointly organized by IUPAP and CPS: Barry Barish gave a talk on “Gravitational waves: Unraveling the mysteries of our Universe,” Takaaki Kajita delivered a talk on “Neutrinos: Key particles for understanding the smallest particles and the largest Universe” and Samuel Ting gave an online talk on “Fifty years since the November Revolution in physics and unearthing the secrets of the cosmos” (Fig. 18) This public lecture session attracted an audience of 1700 young physicists.

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Enthusiastic audience at the talks by Nobel Prize winners in physics


9.3 Inter-Commission Symposium: physics research for a sustainable planet

Humankind faces major challenges that endanger the sustainable development in the future. The UN has declared 2024–2033 to be the International Decade for Science for Sustainable Development. During this General Assembly, an inter-commission symposium focusing on “Physics Research for a Sustainable Planet” was co-organized by IUPAP working group 21 (Physics for Climate Change Action and Sustainable Development) and commission 19 (Astrophysics), in conjunction with other commissions and working groups (Fig. 19). Ten talks were delivered by Nobel laureate Giorgio Parisi and other top experts in the fields, covering the topics of global warming, the shortage of energy and natural resources, pollution and the lack of clean water, nuclear threat, the uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence, etc.

Fig. 19
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Delegates at the symposium of physics research for a sustainable planet


There were several other important issues deliberated at the meeting including a panel discussion on physics outside academia (Cyrus Walther, Stefano Fantoni, Sunil Gupta, Young Dong Kim); and, a discussion led by Shoni Ghose on how IUPAP commissions can contribute to the International Year of Quantum, to the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development.

The 33rd General Assembly was closed on October 13, 2024, with addresses delivered by the new president designate Sunil Gupta, followed by the new president Silvina Ponce-Dawson, and finally the new past president Michel Spiro. IUPAP evaluates this General Assembly as a rich, lively, and dense meeting.