Passing on knowledge, and stimulating and encouraging the next generation to think creatively in key technical areas that underpin our society are key objectives for the EFONGA (European Forum on New …
Passing on knowledge, and stimulating and encouraging the next generation to think creatively in key technical areas that underpin our society are key objectives for the EFONGA (European Forum on New Glass Applications) project. At the same time, a project that is run with European framework 6 funding has an obligation to share the results that have been achieved over the course of the project. Both objectives were met during a workshop that was held from 4-5 May 2009, in Montpellier, France. Fifty-five young research workers from 12 different European countries and the US gathered to listen to nine selected academics and two industry representatives. The workshop was held at the CNRS laboratory in Montpellier and was entitled Glass structure-property relationships. The attendees, mainly research students but with two from industry, were taught by 11 staff members who presented 16 lectures. The presenters also came from several European countries, as well as one lecturer from the US. The opening sessions on day one focused on the spectroscopic and diffraction techniques that allow glass structures to be characterized on various scales from the atomic upwards. Later, the speakers moved on to address the subject of properties in relation to composition and properties, including: thermodynamics; crystallization; phase separation; viscosity; transformation range behaviour; optical properties; mechanical behaviour and the effect of surfaces in particular; and electrical and transport properties such as chemical durability. Two final presentations covered the production of high quality glasses for research and the wide range of road-mapping techniques available to identify technology gaps and corresponding future research directions. The PowerPoint slides of all these presentations are available as downloadable PDF files from the EFONGA web site at www.efonga.eu. Following this successful event, the ICG plans to develop appropriate teaching activities and hopes to offer students an annual summer school (starting 2010), as well as lectures on specific topics, in addition to glass conferences. In addition, the ICG offers TC23 on Glass Education and Training in Glass Science and Engineering as a forum for glass educators. More information can be found on the ICG website at www.icglass.org.