Session K52: IUPAP@100: International Science in Changing Societal and Geopolitical Landscapes

100 Years of Existence of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, IUPAP

The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) is the only global International Scientific Union dedicated to physics that connects physicists from all fields and all continents. About to enter its second century of existence, IUPAP reaffirms its defining aims - to foster the development of physics research and education, and to encourage inclusiveness and cooperation between physicists in different countries - expanding them to embrace current challenges and conditions. I will review the origin of the Union, its achievements and how to leverage the Union's unique potential to make meaningful progress in the future.   

Nicholson Award Winner: Challenges and Opportunities in Physics Education for the 21st Century

In this presentation I will discuss challenges and opportunities in physics education for the 21^st Century. I will emphasize the importance of using evidence-based curricula and pedagogies. I will also discuss the importance of using technology pedagogically as well as the need to incorporate contemporary and interdisciplinary topics in physics courses. Humanizing physics is critical. I will emphasize the importance of creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment and providing access to quality physics education to those who have traditionally been marginalized in physics.

    

IUPAP and the Changing Landscape of Science Diplomacy

Upon invasion of Ukraine by Russia, CERN suspended collaborations with Russia and historically neutral Switzerland brought sanctions against them. Science diplomacy is moving to pay more attention to the implications for scientists in today's changing societal and geopolitical landscapes; distinct from its role in the 1950s and 60s. How do we navigate this while safeguarding the long-term pursuit of global science cooperation to ensure: a) broad access to large-scale facilities; b) diverse participation to further science; and c) the continued ability to build constructive international partnerships? In its pursuit to keep open channels across political and other divides, IUPAP has recently issued a position requiring Russian physicist to use IUPAP as their affiliation for IUPAP sponsored or endorsed conferences. Furthermore, IUPAP and APS have broadened their physics diplomacy to reach beyond physicists and issued statements on violence against women in Iran. I will give a short history of the thousands of year old area of diplomacy, how science diplomacy is evolving, and welcome views on how best to advise our leadership in this complex area.   

Increasing Peril from Nuclear Arms: And How Physicists Can Help Reduce the Threat

With geopolitical and technological changes mostly driven by the nuclear weapon states, we are beginning  a new nuclear arms race and deterioration of the multi-decade arms control regime. Recent years have seen the collapse of several key arms control treaties, the gradual spread of nuclear weapons to nine nations, destabilizing technological threats (such as cyber attacks on nuclear weapon systems), and an emerging nuclear arms race between superpowers.  Modernization and strengthening of nuclear weapon systems in multiple nations is preparing the world to commit to nuclear weapons for the remainder of the century. Nuclear threats accompanyhing the war in Ukraine exemplify the ever present risk of escalation of conventional  war to a nuclear conflict.  This talk will overview the basic technical and policy aspects of nuclear weapons, and describe the current critical situation.  We will also describe feasible steps to reduce the nuclear threat, and a new initiative, the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction, which was initiatied by the American Physical Society to engage physical scientists in advocacy for nuclear threat reduction. The Physicists Coalition is engaging the physics community in this issue, and establishing a national network of physicsts, as citizen scientists, to participate in the debate over nuclear weapons.

    

John Wheatley Award Winner: James E. GubernatisA portrait of physics in Africa as painted by the African Physics Newsletter

The African Physics Newsletter is a quarterly, email publication whose news articles are sourced and selected by an editorial board of African Physicists and then formatted and distributed by the American Physical Society. Its purpose is to bridge communication gaps between the countries in Africa and between those in these countries and those outside of the continent. It is now in its fifth year of publication. Over this time its contents have painted a special portrait of the breadth, dynamics, and promise of the physics in this vast, economically-challenged continent. Summarizing select articles, I will highlight several areas of significant strength, character, and growth. The emergent picture is that of a community committed to physics. In many cases, this is illustrated by stories about the journeys taken by many successful African physicists to achieve their degrees.