The 25th International Winterschool
From the middle of the last century, a new field in condensed-matter physics and condensed matter chemistry has been fascinating the world of science. Nowadays, this field is often seen as part of soft-matter science. Conducting organic crystals, conducting polymers, and the new carbon nanophases such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene originally led the field which has, very rightly, come to include high-temperature superconductors. It was the wish to provide a platform for fast information transfer among scientists working worldwide in this field, and to address young colleagues in particular, that gave rise to International Winterschools on Electronic Properties of Novel Materials. The first Winterschool was organized in Kirchberg/Tyrol, Austria, in March 1985, by Hans Kuzmany of the University of Vienna. At that time, it was a small event with only 85 participants. However, even then the school attracted top-level international lecturers. By now the Kirchberg Winterschools are well established events of international renown. The fact that we are now organizing the 25th Winterschool, to be held in March 2011, with a considerably increased number of participants, is testimony to the acceptance of the Winterschools by the scientific community.
Initially, the Winterschool dealt with subjects from the field of conducting organic materials, with particular emphasis on conducting polymers. Another set of winterschools was dedicated to the new oxidic superconductors. Following the discovery of fullerenes, carbon nanophases became a major focus of interest as a new class of materials. Most recently, carbon nanotubes and graphene have become the dominant subjects. Sumio Iijima sensei, of Meijo and Nagoya Univiersities, Steven Louie of Stanford University; and many other leading scientists in the field are now regularly contributing highlight lectures at Kirchberg. The "Rise of Graphene", started in 2004 by 2010 Nobel Physics Laureates Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim of Manchester University, and also by Philip Kim of Columbia University, has been the most recent hot topic treated in Kirchberg lectures.
The Winterschools are designed to provide a scientific programme of lectures and discussions, while leaving plenty of time and fostering the right mood for informal gettogethers and networking. The Winterschool venue - the Sonnalp Hotel - rented for the duration of the event, provides the necessary facilities for scientific communication, socialising, and recreation. All the participants dine together at the hotel, while accommodation is at the hotel or in nearby private houses. For the exchange of information several instruments are provided such as lectures by invited scientists, large and well-attended poster sessions, and "mini-workshops". These workshops are a specific Kirchberg Winterschool feature of either ad-hoc or well planned scientific gettogethers that may happen anytime anywhere - favourite times and places being evenings at the bar, shared dinners, or excursions to the Kirchberg-Kitzbühel ski slopes. All these things combined the often called "Kirchberg experience"
Lecturing at the Kichberg Winterschools is by invitation from the organizers. The world wide best scientists in the field are asked to report. The selection of speakers and the design of the definitive program are based upon suggestions from an international advisory committee and discussions among the co-organizers. Over the past 25 years, the following have been, at varying times, involved in the organization of the Winterschools: Michael Mehring (Universität Stuttgart), Siegmar Roth (Max Planck Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart), Jörg Fink (Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung, Dresden), Peter Dinse (Freie Universität Berlin), and Stephanie Reich (Freie Universität Berlin). We owe them a debt of gratitude: Without their input and advice, it would have been impossible to devise the attractive programs that are a hallmark of the Winterschools.
Invited lecturers come from all over the world; almost 50% are from overseas. This is hardly surprising, seeing that the Winterschool is an international event. The graph below documents the steady rise in the number of participants - until space constraints at the venue, and the emphasis on a fairly intimate meeting of scientists, suggested that a saturation level had been reached. The white squares inside the bars (scale on the right-hand side) show the proportion of speakers from overseas, mainly the United States and Japan. We like to point out that the Winterschools are not intended to be mass affairs; the focus is not on increasing participation but on strengthening the international reputation and on growth in depth, without losing the informal character of these events.
As from the 22nd Winterschool in March 2008, full responsibility for the organization of the events was transferred to Christian Thomsen and his team at the Technische Universität Berlin. They have successfully continued the events in the spirit of the earlier Winterschools, and further improved their organization.
So - what about the future? Undoubtedly, science will continue to be the mainspring of progress in the welfare and wellbeing of mankind. Much of this progress will come from molecular nanostructures and the development of structures with sizes at or below the nano level. Equally certainly, the international community of scientists, and in particular the dynamic younger generation of researchers, will want to have a venue where they can meet colleagues from other countries in a relaxed atmosphere and surrounded by a beautiful scenery. Kirchberg has the scenery, Sonnalp has the atmosphere, and we have the tried and tested format of the Winterschools. As organizers, we will continue to serve the international scientific community by providing what they need and want.
And so, to our colleagues here and abroad, we extend a cordial invitation to come and be with us at 2011 and the following Winterschools, and to support these ventures with lectures, posters, and discussion contributions.
Hans Kuzmany
Wien, Berlin, November 2010