Pictured in 2018 - Professor Gert Aarts (front right) and students during the Doctoral Training Programme he co-organised at ECT*.
Professor Gert Aarts FLSW, of Swansea University's Physics Department, has been appointed as Interim-Director of the European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas (ECT*).
ECT* was founded in 1993 to be a centre of frontline research in theoretical nuclear physics, to promote active contacts between theory, experiments and related areas of research, and to further the training of young researchers.
Located in the Villa Tambosi in Trento, Italy, ECT* is renowned for its intensive schedule of international workshops, collaboration meetings, and doctoral training programmes. In addition it offers visiting fellowships for junior and senior researchers and maintains a vigorous local research programme involving permanent and temporary researchers.
Professor Aarts, who has also served as Chair of the ECT* Scientific Board for the past three years, said: "It is an honour to take on the role of Interim-director. As everything else, the programme in the past year has been affected by COVID and hence one of the main tasks is to maintain and enhance the international scientific activities. In addition, we are working hard to strengthen the connection with the research community, which will lead to additional interdisciplinary research activities in Trento, for example, connecting nuclear physics and quantum technology."
As a transnational facility endorsed by the Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee (NuPECC), the ECT* is supported by funding from European Research Councils, including the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) in the UK, as well as EU programmes. Since 2008, it operates as an autonomous centre under the administrative umbrella of the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK).