The African School of Fundamental Physics and Application (ASP) is a biennial physics school aimed at improving the quality of higher education in Africa. Started in 2010, the school has the goals of increasing the number of students that pursue higher education and building an international collaborative network consisting of African and international researchers.
The three-week term school is hosted every two years by a different African country and supports students from all over Africa. The Local Organizing Committee in the host country coordinates school activities with the International Organizing Committee. Over time, ASP has added more activities in parallel with the school.
The emphasis of ASP is tailored to the host country, and subjects include astrophysics and cosmology; nuclear and particle physics; accelerator, medical and radiation physics; high performance computing; physics education and communication; and more.
Historic success of the program is largely due to international lecturers and participants who volunteer their time to give talks and teach courses. Many organizers or lecturers at ASP serve on thesis committees and as external examiners and reviewers.
More information on ASP can be found at Home – African School of Fundamental Physics and Applications.
Dr. Ketevi Assamagan (Brookhaven National Laboratory) presented the latest information on ASP to Fermilab S&T professionals on May 23, 2022. Slides are available here.
Latest news:
3rd biennial African Conference on Fundamental Physics and Applications, ACP2023: September 25-29, 2023, at Nelson Mandela University, George Campus, in George, South Africa
Fermilab lends support to African School of Fundamental Physics, Inside Fermilab, February 28, 2022
Kétévi Assamagan pays it forward, Symmetry, February 28, 2023
Mentorship opportunities
The ASP Mentorship Program was finalized after ASP2016, and through this program, ASP alumni are placed in high education programs in South Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America
Mentors ensure student growth and progress with:
- Active contact
- Concern with student progress
- Pointing student to resources
- Ensuring all activities are for the student’s benefit
- Minimal coaching
How to participate
Fermilab scientists and engineers are encouraged to participate by:
- Teaching a course at ASP: Three-week intensive school for third-year university to Ph.D. students. Cohort of 70-80 mostly African students are selected from more than 500 applicants by a committee of lecturers.
- Attending and submitting abstracts for oral presentation at the ASP Conference: One-week international conference for ASP alumni and participating research facilities for networking and fostering new research collaborations.
- Giving online lectures: Supplemental presentations by lecturers willing to share their experiences with African students and supplement the term schools.
- Mentoring graduate students: ASP Structured Mentorship runs continuously even when there is no school and is open to ASP student alumni in Ph.D. programs. This is an ongoing opportunity for students to connect with researchers, be placed at laboratories, and address their academic needs.
Why participate?
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Help support, motivate and provide opportunities for ASP graduate students
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Continue to network/build the international physics community
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Share Fermilab’s work/expertise
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Join other labs/institutions (BNL, CERN, several universities in Europe/Asia) in ASP involvement
Mentorship of ASP students is an impactful way to engage students and begin their relationship with Fermilab. Some common areas of interest among registered students are experimental physics, physics applications, theoretical physics, accelerator science, and modeling.
Dr. Silvia Zorzetti, QIS Ecosystem Leader at the DOE SQMS Research Center, presented at the 3rd African Conference on Fundamental & Applied Physics on “QIS at Fermilab and Workforce development efforts.”
Register to participate