Geilo Advanced Study Institute 2009. “The Geilo School”

This will be the 20th Geilo School held every two years since 1971 at Geilo, Norway. See list of previous Geilo schools

Objective of this Advanced Study Institute:

Interdisciplinary scientific collaboration offers an effective method to develop new paradigms to address major societal challenges.  One particularly urgent challenge involves analyzing, understanding and responding to the inherent competition between order, robustness and instabilities in complex systems involving many interdependent human, biological or inanimate components. Many societal problems and their solutions are complex and evolve over time as the global and local environments change.  The goal is to achieve predictable and robust responses while understanding the nature of instability and breakdown within the complex systems.  Many leading scientists believe that these problems can be addressed by “learning from nature”. In the course of the evolutionary process, nature has - over millions of years - developed numerous solutions for robustness and adaptability, including sophisticated mobility and self-healing mechanisms, highly selective sensors, and complex information storage and communication systems. This ASI will bring together physicists, biophysicists, biologists and social scientists with related interests and background in the fields of complexity, networks, and social dynamics. This will provide a scientific forum for discussion and learning of the interdisciplinary material and underpin successful development of an understanding of how various threats (such as pandemic diseases, disruption of energy/water distribution and communications and networks) evolve in time. Such an understanding is a prerequisite for designing counter measures.

Topics of lectures

Topics will cover both experiments and theory. In addition to about 40 hours of invited lectures and seminars, there will be sessions of discussions and summary. Participants are encouraged to submit abstracts for a poster session.

Lecturers
Baas, N. -  NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Bouchaud, E.- CEA-SACLAY, France
Dosi, G. - School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
Goldstein, R. - Univ. of Cambridge, GB
Hansen, A. - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Hoegh Jensen, M. - Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark
Kaski, K. - Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
McCauley, J. - University of Houston, USA
Procaccia, I. -The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Rosvall, M. - Univ. of Washington, Seattle, USA
Stavans, J. -  Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Tolic-Norrelykke, I. - Max-Planck-Institute, Dresden, Germany

Programme Committee
Skjeltorp, A.T. - Institute for Energy Technology, Norway (Director)
Jensen, M.H. - Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark
McCauley, J. - University of Houston, USA
Pynn, R. - Indiana University and Oak Ridge National Lab, USA
Rowat, A.C. – Harvard University, USA
Stavans, J. - Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Thomas, H. – University of Basel, Switzerland

Participants
The Advanced Study Institute is intended for postgraduates and researchers in the field of soft condensed matter, statistical physics and biological physics.
The number of participants will be limited to about 75.

Proceedings
The proceedings of the School will be published.

Grants
Limited funds are available to defray parts of the expenses of deserving participants. Travel expenses should be based on the most economical fares and means of transport.

Accomodation and transport
Bardøla Høyfjellshotel is located at Geilo, a very attractive ski resort, about 250 km from Oslo. Sunday and the early afternoons of the weekdays will be partly free for skiing and other activities. The cost of hotel (cost per person per day, all meals included) will be: Single room: NOK 1150; double room: NOK 950, and cabin 6 persons: NOK 620. (4 persons` cabin may be available for NOK 820). Some hotel rooms will be booked in Oslo before and after the meeting for participants requiring these. On Monday 23 March  there will be buses leaving Oslo Airport (Gardermoen) at about 12 (via Oslo S station) and at about 15 p.m. On 2 April a return bus will arrive at Oslo Airport at about 2 p.m.

Fee
There is no tuition fee, but a nominal registration fee of ca  NOK 1000 will be charged for refreshment costs.

Enrollment
Deadline is 9 January 2009: Application form

For information or questions, contact the administration of the Institute:
Trine Løkseth
Institute for Energy Technology
P.O. Box 40, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
e-mail: fysikk@ife.no

Important note
All participants (lecturers and ASI students) are expected to remain for the full duration of the meeting.