The European Physical Society (EPS) is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to promote physics and physicists in Europe through methods such as physics outreach, supporting physicists to engage in the design and implementation of European science policy, and advocating physics research.[3] Formally established in 1968,[4] its membership includes the national physical societies of 42 countries, and some 3200 individual members. The Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, the world's largest and oldest organisation of physicists, is a major member.[5]
History
In 1966, Gilberto Bernardini, then president of the Italian Physical Society, convened a meeting of 80 European physicists in Pisa to discuss possibly forming a Pan-European Physical Society. There was agreement in such a society existed, but disagreement about its form which led to the establishment of a Steering Committee. They would attempt to determine if a federation of national physical societies or an independent society with direct personal membership would be the preferred form for the European Physical Society. In a May 1967 meeting in London determined the European Physical Society should be a loose federation of physical societies, and that it should be a service organization, which means it would organize conferences, coordinate European physics publications, and be a communication channel rather than attempting to organize physics research in Europe. On the 26th of September 1968 in Geneva, the European Physical Society was legally incorporated.[6]
Governance
The EPS Council is held annually and reviews the activities of the EPS, discusses priorities and approves annual accounts; it has representatives from each of the 42 Member Societies as well as the 11 Divisions and seven Groups. Associate and Individual Members are represented by five delegates elected from their respective groups of members. Delegates are elected for four-year terms, and the elections typically take place between January and March.[7]
The executive committee is elected by the EPS Council for a two-year term, with a term limit of two. It is made up of a President, who is the President of the Society and Chairman of the council, a Vice-president, a member from each Member Society with an effective membership greater than or equal to 10,000, three members elected from each other Member Society, four members elected from Divisions and Groups, one member elected from Individual Members, and one member elected from the Associate Members. Additionally, a Secretary and Treasurer exists as part of the executive committee.
The President must also serve as the vice-president the year before and after their two-year term. No one may serve more than one term as president.[8]
Additionally, the EPS General Meeting occurs every three years.[7]
Europhysics News is a magazine owned by the European Physical Society, and produced in collaboration with EDP Sciences. It publishes review articles, advanced topic features, and reports to aid European Physicists.[12] The current editor-in-chief is Dr. Antigone Marino, and Ferenc Igloi is a Science Editor for the magazine.[13]
Conferences
One of its main activities is organizing international conferences.
The Historic Sites Initiative launched towards the end of 2011, and was inspired by a similar initiative launched by the American Physical Society. The initiative is meant to commemorate places in Europe with significance to the development and the history of physics such as laboratories, and universities. As of September 2018, 41 sites are inaugurated in 21 different countries.[18] Examples of recognized sites are the Blackett Laboratory (UK) in 2014,[19] and the Residencia de Estudiantes (Spain) in 2015.[20]
^DPG (in German), Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, archived from the original on 2009-03-12, retrieved 2008-12-13, European Physical Society (EPS), in der auch die DPG als nationale Gesellschaft Mitglied ist.
