Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics

The center was established in 1996 with the ten member countries of the Asia-Pacific region with the first president, Prof. C. N. Yang. The primary aim of the founding members was to build a hub-institute of theoretical physics in the Asia-Pacific region to facilitate collaboration and exchange of scientists of the Asia-Pacific region, and to provide a platform for scientists of less advanced region. Of course, this mission can only be fulfilled with close collaboration with the broader international community. As of today, our member countries have grown to become 16 from the original 10 countries. After 20 some years, the Center now runs strong in-house research programs: Junior Research Group(JRG), which promotes young independent researchers to leadership roles; Young Scientist Training, which provides post-doctoral fellows ample opportunities to work with scientists of the center as well as of POSTECH. In particular, the JRG program, introduced by Prof. Peter Fulde, our former President(2007-2013), with support from the Max Planck Society in 2007, has been very successful so that other institutes in Korea have launched similar programs. The Center also supports various scientific activities all year round: Conferences and Workshops, Focus programs, External/Joint activities in collaboration with the member countries and partner institutes. Every year about 3,000 scientists are participating in these activities.