Editorial
In
this year end, I want to thank you all for participating and
contributing to the MaNEP Switzerland Network. In this issue, you will
read about successful projects and research collaborations in the
Network. You will also read about the inauguration of the Laboratoire de Technologie Avancée,
a new joint venture between the University of Geneva and the HES-SO
Genève to support innovation and connect research and industry.
Several
members of the Network have been honoured by their peers. I would like
especially to congratulate Dirk van der Marel who has been awarded the
2016 Frank Isakson Prize of the American Physical Society for his
insightful optical spectroscopy studies of quantum solids.
During
the last annual Forum meeting in Geneva, the presidency and treasurer
of the steering committee have been renewed for a second two-year term:
Alberto Morpurgo – vice-president, Christian Rüegg – treasurer, and the
undersigned as president. Many thanks for your trust. I would also like
to warmly thank my colleagues of the steering committee and the
supporting team in Geneva – Adriana Bonito Aleman, Natacha Triscone,
Pascal Cugni and Christophe Schwarz – for their work. Many thanks also
to Thierry Giamarchi and Thorsten Schmitt who have accepted to chair the
2016 MaNEP Workshop in Les Diablerets and the 2017 Winter School in
Saas Fee programme committees, respectively. Note the next Forum meeting will be during the SWM 2016 in les Diablerets.
This last Forum meeting took place during the M2S Conference
in Geneva. Some 700 scientists from 42 countries participated in this
event which was a great success. Thank you to Dirk van Der Marel and
Manfred Sigrist, both MaNEP Network members, for their perfect
organisation.
I
look forward to another great year for the MaNEP Network in 2016. Send
us your ideas and suggestions. You are also welcome to apply for support
for short notice topical meetings and workshops.
I
will be very delighted to meet all of you again during the next SWM
Workshop which will take place in Les Diablerets from July 6-8, 2016.
Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Christoph Renner
