Atish Dabholkar (left), ICTP Director, and Alexander Rudloff (right), IUGG Secretary General, signing the MoU between ICTP and IUGG (Photo credit: ICTP)

IUGG and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) have been cooperating in geoscience education since 2011. On 21 May 2024, ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar and IUGG Secretary General Alexander Rudloff signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote educational programs related to geodesy and geophysics for 2024-2027. The agreement encourages collaboration in the organisation of advanced schools/workshops in geodesy and geophysics at ICTP in Trieste, Italy, at ICTP-EAIFR in Kigali, Rwanda, and other low- and middle-income countries.

Founded in 1964 by the late Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam and co-sponsored by UNESCO, IAEA, and the Italian government, the ICTP seeks to accomplish its mandate by providing scientists from developing countries with the continuing education and skills that they need to enjoy long and productive careers. ICTP has been a major force in stemming the scientific brain drain from the Global South. The impact of ICTP extends well beyond the Centre’s facilities to virtually every corner of the Earth. The Earth System Physics (ESP) Section of ICTP studies a wide spectrum of the Earth-system, from its fluid components (oceans and the atmosphere) to the planet’s interior. In 2011, IUGG and ICTP agreed to enhance geophysical and geodetic education and science collaboration and signed the first MoU to promote educational programs related to geodesy and geophysics for 2012-2015. In 2015, 2019, and 2024 further MoU were signed to extend the cooperation between IUGG and ICTP. More information about the IUGG sponsored activities can be found here.

ICTP Director F. Quevedo (right) and IUGG Secretary General A. Ismail-Zadeh

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) have taken steps to enhance geophysical and geodetic education and science collaboration. 

On 6 October 2011, ICTP Director Fernando Quevedo and IUGG Secretary General Alik Ismail-Zadeh signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote educational programs related to geodesy and geophysics for the next quadrennium (2012-2015). Among other points, the agreement encourages collaboration in organization of advanced schools/workshops in geodesy and geophysics in ICTP or in economically less developed countries; in development of diploma courses related to Earth and space sciences; and in dissemination of information on educational and scientific meetings.

ICTP Director F. Quevedo (right) and IUGG President M. Sideris

On 6 November 2015, ICTP Director Fernando Quevedo and IUGG President Michael Sideris signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to extend the previous agreement on the educational program related to geodesy and geophysics for 2016-2019.

ICTP Director F. Quevedo (left) and A. Ismail-Zadeh (right) after the MoU signing

Founded in 1964 by the late Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, ICTP seeks to accomplish its mandate by providing scientists from developing countries with the continuing education and skills that they need to enjoy long and productive careers. ICTP has been a major force in stemming the scientific brain drain from the developing world. The impact of ICTP extends well beyond the Centre’s facilities to virtually every corner of the Earth. The Earth System Physics (ESP) Section of ICTP studies a wide spectrum of the Earth system, from its fluid components (oceans and the atmosphere) to the planet’s interior.