21st General Assembly

Resolutions

IUPAP 21st General Assembly, Nara, Japan, 1993

Resolution from the Council on Computational Physics

Considering that:

• the existence of a community of physicists involved in computational physics as subject transcending the traditional subdivisions of physics;
• the existence of specialized international conferences in computational physics;
• the desire expressed by representatives of the community of computational physicists that the field be incorporated into the framework of IUPAP.

The Council resolves that:

A Working Group be appointed to consider how to incorporate computational physics into IUPAP and to make recommendations for further action on the part of IUPAP.

It is suggested that the General Assembly of delegates charge the Council with the task of appointing members to the working group and, if called for, acting upon the recommendations of the group pending final decisions to be taken by the next General Assembly.

Resolution from the Netherlands Liaison Committee on Communication in Physics

Considering that:

• the rapidly expanding fields of pure and applied physics and the increasing number of physicists active in research give rise to an accelerating growth in the body of knowledge valuable for the further development of the sciences human well-being;
• the efficient publication, dissemination and use of this avalanche of the knowledge is endangered because of shrinking budgets and limited storage space of university libraries and the limited access to most of the present, on-paper, material;
• new technical means to improve this situation are being introduced by both publishers and users, showing that nearly all the technical components necessary for fully electronic publication, large-scale storage, fast retrieval and selection, are available or will become available within a few years;
• the new possibilities, currently in an early phase and needing conscientious interdisciplinary attention, will enable the physics community to develop novel approaches characteristic of the electronic era, to store and retrieve scientific information;
• the advantages of the new means for the exchange of information in physics are numerous and can be made available to the whole physics community in the most efficient way if a proper world wide standardization can be agreed upon in time;
• the development and introduction of this standardization needs a continuing collaboration between, amongst others, physicists, publishers, telecommunication organizations, soft- and hardware manufacturers, and libraries, and that;
• IUPAP is the proper international physics organization to pay attention to these matters.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics resolves that:

• a task force is constituted; and be given the mandate to:
• set up a Working Group to investigate how the present world wide activities in the physics community aimed at introducing electronic means of communications in physics can be brought together;
• investigate how the means presently available, and new means expected to become available soon, can be integrated into a first version of this system of communications, to provide fully electronic submission, publishing, large scale storage, fast retrieval and selection; and
• advise the Executive Council on these matters.

Resolution from the South African Liaison Committee On “Mineral Physicists”

Noting:

• the existence for some two decades of a formal activity known as “Mineral Physics”, with which is associated an international journal of standing of equal length of time, as well as conferences and other meetings;
• the importance to IUPAP of coupling to this significant interdisciplinary activity, with the evident fundamental and applied relevance and economic dimension being potentially attractive to the aspirant physicist;
• the natural association of ‘Mineral Physics’ to ongoing IUPAP interests, similar to the many sub-fields that characterize the Commission C10.

Resolves that:

A Working Group be appointed by Council to explore the field currently codified as ‘Mineral Physics’ in relation to IUPAP current and future interests, liaising in this investigation with other Unions with related interests.

For this Working Group to recommend to Council on how to proceed in this matter. The General Assembly charge Council, if called for, to act upon the recommendations of the Working Group pending final decisions to be taken by the next General Assembly.

Resolution from the USA Liaison Committee on “Science Congress ‘2000”

Whereas the Year 2000 is the beginning of a new millennium, and the contributions of science to human well being in the previous millennium have been extensive, and the prospects for continued progress are bright.

Therefore, be it resolved that IUPAP propose to ICSU, an international congress celebrating science, to be held in the Year 2000. In this congress, ICSU member unions representing the sciences would be invited to organize sessions on the advances in the last century and prospects for the future n their respective areas.

Resolution from the General Assembly on the Future Role and Future Structure of IUPAP

• a working group be appointed to discuss the future role and future structure of IUPAP along the lines discussed at the XXI General Assembly;
• the members of this group be nominated by the Council at its next meeting during the XXI General Assembly;
• the recommendations of the working group be reported to and discussed with the Council during its 1994 and 1995 meetings for the Council to take appropriate action, if called for;
• the Council bringing its recommendations on the future role and future structure of IUPAP to the XXII General Assembly in 1996.