This year’s goal of the BrainGain initiative is to fight back the flight of Physics students out of the Venezuelan classrooms as a way of keeping alive the heart of the universities.

To reach this goal, a two-week school intended for undergraduate and master Physics students at intermediate and advanced levels will be organized. The activities will include lectures, hands-on sessions, career & opportunities sessions, virtual poster sessions by students, and colloquia. These activities will also be open to graduate students and professors. The topics to be covered are Solid State Physics, High Energy Physics, Data Science and Complex Systems.

The school has the following objectives:

• ●  Support and promote academic activities for the Physics community in Venezuela.

• ●  Attract students and offer them the opportunity to learn modern topics in an interactive environment.

• ●  Provide students with research projects.

• ●  Enlarge the scientific network of the students with researchers working

  inside and outside of the country.

• ●  Set the ground for spin-offs such as talks, tutorials and long term

  courses. All meant to strengthen the Physics programs in the country.

  When and where will it take place?

  The school will be held online from March 28 to April 8 2022.
  Detailed instructions about the connection will be provided via email to the students selected to participate in the school.

Who can participate?

Undergraduate Physics students at intermediate and advanced levels. Interested Master and PhD students, as well as professors, can also apply.

Participants from Venezuelan universities will have priority in the selection process, but students from other universities in the region are also welcome to register.

What are the courses and agenda of the school?

The topics will be:
● 1st week (28/03-01/04): Complex Systems and Solid State Physics ● 2nd week (04/04-08/04): Data Science and High Energy Physics

Daily activities from Monday to Thursday will be:

• ●  Lecture 1: 9h00-10h30

• ●  Lecture 2: 11h00-12h30

• ●  Hands-on sessions: 14h00-17h00

  Fridays will be devoted to special activities:

● ●

Friday 01/04: In the morning, there will be a session on career opportunities conducted by COF Alumni USB. Two colloquia by invited speakers are planned for the afternoon.
Friday 08/04: During the morning, there will be a colloquium followed by poster presentations by students. A guided virtual visit to the CERN ATLAS experiment is planned for the afternoon.

Financial help

Financial aid will be provided to selected participants from Venezuelan universities (currently enrolled) who commit 100% to the school for two weeks. To qualify for financial assistance, you must choose and follow a minimum of two courses during the two weeks (one for each week of the school). See the registration form for more details.

How to apply?
To make your application click here.
Deadline for applications: March 16 2022

Do you have additional questions?
Enquiries should be sent to braingainvenezuela@gmail.com

Organizing team:

Organizing committee: Gabriel Abellán (UCV), Hermann Albrecht (USB), Nelsón Bolívar (Bariloche, UCV), Mario Cosenza (Yachay), José Fermín (LUZ), Rolando Gaitán (UC), José Antonio López (UCV), Kevin Ng (Northeastern), Rafael Torrealba (UCLA), Juan Villegas (ULA).

Project coordinators: Ismardo Bonalde (ACFIMAN), Reina Camacho Toro (CNRS-LPNHE), Anamaría Font (UCV), Arturo Sánchez (Creative Commons Venezuela).

The school is co-sponsored by the Venezuelan Academy of Science.
PWF Website https://www.ictp.it/physics-without-frontiers/current-country-projects/venezuela-braingain/pwf-schools.aspx.