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http://www.ictp.it — home > organization
Organization of ICTP
ICTP is a complex institution that has evolved over time, and there is thus no unique way of describing its organization. The complexity is a result of the many functions it has assumed in addition to its main function, which is to do world-class research and disseminate science to those in need. For instance, ICTP serves as a bridge between scientific communities in a fragmented world, as it successfully did between the East and West during the cold war. Now the scientific community faces challenges that sometimes have a similar slant: most notably, the inability of scientific communities to interact because of political and diplomatic circumstances beyond their control.
On another front, when ICTP was created some 40 years ago, the state of science throughout the developing world was not advanced. Today the situation is different. Some countries have a few scientific institutions that rank among the best in the world. Yet, the quality of basic science in these same countries is still far from uniform, and has actually declined in some instances. Some other countries have done worse. As a result, today, there is no single strategy for promoting science in the South, and ICTP has to devise different innovative policies for different countries.
ICTP has provided a unique forum for the training of young scientists from developing countries. About two thousand ICTP Associates, who enjoy a particularly privileged relationship with the Centre, have helped nurture the birth and development of numerous scientific communities throughout the Third World.
Today, ICTP continues its mission and strengthens its ties with other international scientific institutions in Trieste and throughout the world. New groups on the physics of weather and climate and earth system physics are formed. Courses, conferences and workshops in emerging physics and math-related fields are organized. National and international press clippings describe new avenues of research at ICTP.
If history is any guide, the Centre can make a tremendous difference.