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January 26, 2022

ASFAP: Young African Physicists' Workshop— Challenges and opportunities

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Mounia Laassiri

Convener, Young Physicists Forum (YPF), ASFAP

On behalf of the ASFAP— YPF Team

Update on ASFAP— YPF

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A vision and a dream for Africa

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13-16 May 2019 - Granada, Spain, CERN Council Open Symposium on the Update of European Strategy for Particle Physics to reach a consensus on the scientific goals of the community, based on the provided input, and assess the proposed projects and technologies to achieve those goals

An opinion from two physicists attending the update of the EU strategy symposium at Granada, May 13-16, 2019

[Opinion: EU Strategy for Particle Physics]

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African Strategy for Fundamental and Applied Physics (ASFAP)

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ASFAP: YPF Workshop 2022-01-26

  • Develop a Strategy to increase African education and research capabilities;
  • Engage African scientists and the international community in the Strategy development;
  • African Strategy aims to set the foundation and framework to draw the participation of African physicists— with inputs from the international communities—in defining education and physics priorities most impactful for Africa;
  • The process will take few years, to end with the release of the strategy report which will suggest the direction, with actionable items for the next decade. To be repeated periodically, every 7-10 years for the following decades with a review of the impact of previous Strategies.

Fundamental and Applied Physics is global:

ASFAP process involves the international community and strategies/plans from other regions

Fundamental and Applied Physics is not isolated:

ASFAP process involves communities and their strategies/plans from related fields

(Accelerator, Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics & Cosmology, Particle Physics, …)

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ASFAP Steering Committee

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Steering Committee: ASFAP-SteeringCommittee@cern.ch

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Proposal and Founding Document

Code of Conduct

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Steering Committee meets weekly

Working Group Conveners meets once every 4 weeks

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Monitoring the progress to make sure that all is moving forward smoothly to achieve the goals

of the planning exercise

Kétévi Assamagan

(BNL, USA)

Prof. Simon Connell

(UJ, SA)

Prof. Farida Fassi

(UM5, MA)

Prof. Shaaban Khalil

(CFP, EG)

Dr. Fairouz Malek

(CNRS & UGA, FR)

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ASFAP Structure & Organization

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ASFAP Physics Working/ Sub-Working Groups

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16 PHYSICS WORKING GROUPS

>34 PHYSICS SUB-WORKING GROUPS

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Solar physics, Solar system, planetary sciences, astrobiology, Stellar astronomy, Galactic and extragalactic astronomy, Cosmology and gravitational astronomy, Transients and pulsars, High-energy astrophysics and astro-particle physics, Astronomical instrumentation and infrastructure, Astronomical methods and data, Ethno-archeoastronomy (cultural astronomy), Astronomy for development

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Accelerator Physics, Optical Instrumentation, Experimental Instrumentation, Sample Preparation and Data Analysis, Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography (MX), Small/Wide-angle Scattering (SAXS/WAXS), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXD), X-ray Spectroscopy (EXAFS, XANES), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), Dynamic and Time-resolved techniques (e.g. Pump-probe), X-ray Tomography, X-ray Photoemission Electron Microscopy (XPEEM), Angular Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES), Other Synchrotron Techniques

Theoretical and computational Condensed Matter Physics, Nanomaterials, Superconducting materials, Quantum Matter and topological Materials, Advanced 2D materials, Materials for optics, Magnetic Materials, Soft matter, Materials for energy, Materials for water purification, Materials for biology, Materials for quantum computing, Construction and manufacturing Materials

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Nuclear Theory, Nuclear Reactions, Nuclear Application

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ASFAP Engagement Working/ Sub-Working Groups

Mounia Laassiri (UM5), Update on ASFAP— YPF

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ASFAP: YPF Workshop 2022-01-26

6 ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUPS

8 ENGAGEMENT SUB-WORKING GROUPS

Physics Communication and Outreach, Policy, Technology transfer, e-lab & e-learning, Internet connectivity / internet startup resources, Capacity development and retention, Applications and industry, Business Development and Entrepreneurism

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to represent young African physicists members and promote their engagement in the ASFAP process; to build a long-term Fundamental & Applied Physics young community that persists after the ASFAP process.

Broad coverage/connection in physics and global community!

Please find your role and contribute to the activity!

51 PWG Conveners & 15 EWG Conveners

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ASFAP— Young Physicists Forum

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  • The ASFAP process is towards a long-term strategic plan
    • Voices of young physicists members are critically important
    • Undergrad & grad students; postdocs, young physicists faculty, engineers (<∼10 years post-PhD)

UNDERGRAD

(BSc & MSc)

PhD Student

Post-Doc

PI/ Professor

  • Encourage leadership in young researchers in physics
  • Foster physics among local communities and institutions
  • Connect young physicists in Africa

For Young African Physicists

By Young African Physicists

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ASFAP—YPF Survey

Mounia Laassiri (UM5), Update on ASFAP— YPF

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ASFAP: YPF Workshop 2022-01-26

  • Collecting opinions & experiences on careers, physics outlook, workplace culture and the impacts of COVID-19.
  • Not just for young physicists! Seeking experiences of entire fundamental & applied physics community
  • Expected to take 20-30 minutes

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AIMS OF SURVEY

  • Raise awareness and advocate for change
  • Identify specific obstacles to inform policy
  • Collect preliminary data for further research

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survey here!

This survey is now closed.

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ASFAP Communication

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  • Wiki (https://africanphysicsstrategy.org/)
    • One-stop shop
      • Organization
      • Physics /Engagement Group activities
      • Calendars
      • News and Announcements
      • ….
  • Email (anyone can join)
    • ASFAP-SteeringCommittee@cern.ch
    • ASFAP-YoungPhysicists@cern.ch
    • Physics Working &/ | Sub-Working Group mailing lists
    • Engagement Working &/ | Sub-Working Group mailing lists

ASFAP Calendar (Dec. 2021)

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ASFAP Timeline

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Letters of Interest

Co-founding

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Launch of SC

ASFAP Prep.

ASAP Community Town Hall Jul. 12-15, 2021

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Official Launch of ASFAP

Nov. 18, 2020

Pan-African Roadmap— Community Discussion

Oct. 19, 2021

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Letters of Interest

We are here!

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ASFAP Letters of Interest

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  • Letters of Interest (submission : July 21, 2021 – February 28, 2022): https://indico.cern.ch/event/1061921/
    • Informal documents intended to be useful in the first stages of the ASFAP study.
    • Help conveners to prepare the ASFAP Community Planning Meeting
    • Include opinions, interests and proposals that could further be studied.

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Primary WG

Facilitate discussions w/in the YPF members

YPF LOI Database

    • Constructed database of LoI with YPF participation
    • Main goal is to help track the impact of YPF members
    • Currently ~6 identified

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http://ASFAP-YPF/LoI

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~36 LOIs

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ASFAP— YPF Upcoming Events

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ASFAP— Physics Working Group Introductions Series

  • A series of meetings will be held during February which will include short introductory talks about each ASFAP Physics Working Group
  • Aim: help YPF members better understand fields outside their own and better engage with ASFAP process.

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ASFAP Timeline: Next Steps

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5/21

6/21

7/21

8/21

9/21

10/21

11/21

12/21

Letters of Interest

Co-founding

&

Launch of SC

ASFAP Prep.

ASAP Community Town Hall Jul. 12-15, 2021

12/19

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2/20

3/20

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Official Launch of ASFAP

Nov. 18, 2020

Pan-African Roadmap— Community Discussion

Oct. 19, 2021

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Letters of Interest

Contributed ("white") Papers

We are here!

Community Planning Meeting (CPM)

Mar. 7-11, 2022

Consultation with IAC & Stakeholders

Apr.-Jun., 2022

ASFAP symposium community feedback Oct.-Dec., 2022

ASFAP Report

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Get engaged with ASFAP!

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  • How to get started as Young Physicists members?
    • What physics are you involved in? What physics do you want to be involved in?
    • YPF members can engage directly with Physics Working &/ | Sub-Working Groups
    • All YPF meetings and minutes on indico: https://indico.cern.ch/category/13972/

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  • ASFAP has many options and ways to engage:
    • Submit LOIs and White papers.
    • Participate in White Paper study groups
    • Participate in Working &/ | Sub-Working Group meetings
      • Go to workshops, conferences, and meetings through ASFAP
      • Find topics beyond your current scope--find your future collaborators
    • Encourage your research groups to get involved
    • Encourage institutional credits for those working on this Strategy
      • For people in leadership roles as (sub)conveners and liaisons
      • White papers aim to be published
      • White paper finding reviewed and referenced in the Strategy report
  • Register and attend the 2nd African Conference on Fundamental and Applied Physics (ACP2021), March 7-11, 2022. Hybrid event in Marrakesh, Morocco https://indico.cern.ch/event/1060503/
    • Conference proceedings to be published as Special Issue in a peer-reviewed journal
    • Certificate of participation

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Connect with ASFAP

ASFAP-SteeringCommittee@cern.ch

www.africanphysicsstrategy.org/

ASFAP-LinkedIn

@StrategyAsfap

ASFAP-TWiki

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Backup

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ASFAP Strategy Process

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  • Letters-of-Interest (LOIs)

Letters of Interest (LoIs) are informal documents intended to be useful in the first stages of the ASFAP study. They will help ASFAP conveners to prepare the ASFAP Community Planning Meeting that will take place on March 2022. LoIs could include opinions, interests and proposals that could further be studied. They should contain a maximum of 2 pages of text, plus relevant bibliography. LoIs are submitted to ASFAP by any physicist or group of physicists.

  • White papers

White papers may include documents on specific scientific areas, technical articles presenting new results on relevant physics topics, and reasoned expressions of physics priorities, including those related to community

involvement. White papers will remain part of the permanent record of ASFAP. The deadline for the white paper final

study is expected fall 2022. Part of all of the white papers will be published.

  • Intermediate and final reports
    • Intermediate term report should summarize the working group activities.
    • An annual report on the working group activities as well as the outcome of the reflection on the Strategy should be delivered.
    • The final report is compulsory at the end of the process.

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ASFAP Community Town Hall, July 2021

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  • ASFAP kickoff meeting (virtual): https://indico.cern.ch/event/1039315
    • ∼ 147 people participated
    • International speakers (15)
    • Community voices (22 speakers)

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The purpose of this meeting was to initiate a broad and community-driven discussion and action programme, leading to a final strategy document in two to three years' time.

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Pan-African Physics Roadmap—Community Discussion

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  • Oct. 19, 2021 @ASP Seminar Series: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1085475/
    • ∼ > 170 registrations & 68-95 active Zoom connections
    • Panelists (6)

The objective was discuss the purpose and culture of physics strategy, with the examples of the Latin American strategy & European one