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physics and astronomy 3
P H Y S I C S A N D A S T R O N O M Y
to about 60 members, which then included The theoretical physics community was able
staff and students from all universities. The to respond quickly, and in July 2004 a work-
first success of the OTP was in 1976 when ing committee was elected to draft a formal
the CSIR president, C van der Merwe Brink, proposal in response to this recommenda-
agreed to sponsor a regular summer school tion. In consultation with the broad com-
series through which theoretical physicists munity of stakeholders in theoretical phy-
and university students could become ac- sics, consensus was reached that the model
quainted with important developing ar- of a geographically distributed National
eas in modern physics. After the death of Institute for Theoretical Physics (‘hub-and-
Engelbrecht in 1991, the OTP felt that it was spokes’ model) would best serve the needs
appropriate to name this summer school and interests of the physics community. In
series after him as initiator of this initia- a proposal to DST and NRF in November
tive. The Chris Engelbrecht Summer School 2004, and formally endorsed by the SAIP
series, later sponsored by the NRF, has council, it was accordingly recommended
become known internationally, and has that NITheP (the National Institute for
attracted numerous high-profile lecturers, Theoretical Physics) be established with its
including a number of Nobel laureates. main centre at the Stellenbosch Institute for
(A list of previous summer schools can be Advanced Study (STIAS), and with regional
found at http://www.nithep.ac.za.) centres at Wits and UKZN. This proposal was
formally approved by the DST and NRF in
Another initiative of the OTP was a series of February 2006. Finally, in April 2008, after
theoretical physics seminars. From the in- an interim phase in which progress was
ception of the OTP in 1974 until 1980, this monitored by a management committee,
annual series became the major organised the first full-time director, FG Scholtz, five
activity of the OTP. It obtained official status full-time researchers and a number of post-
within the SAIP, and in the annual SAIP con- doctoral fellows were appointed.
ference programme a dedicated session
was established for these OTP seminars. The inauguration of NITheP at STIAS took
place on 13 May 2008 with Minister M
The April 2004 report on ‘Shaping the Fu- Mangena of the DST delivering the open-
ture of Physics in South Africa’ contained ing speech. The inauguration was attended
among its recommendations the following: by Stephen Hawking, who gave a personal
“The state of theoretical physics is characte- message of support, as well as by Nobel
rised as internationally competitive in some laureates David Gross and George Smoot.
areas, but there is fragmentation and a co-
herent policy is needed. We recommend NITheP is now firmly established and is
the establishment of a national theoretical earmarked to become a national facility in
physics facility (either real or virtual); the the near future. It supports around 90 post-
theoretical physics community will then be graduate students in theoretical physics
able to respond nimbly to national science and closely related fields, and has around
policy initiatives.” 30 associate members from all South Af-
101
TWAS book_Chap1-6.indd 101 2009/10/07 12:00:11 AM
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