UNESCO Executive Board supports International Year of Light in 2015 to celebrate photonics-driven revolution



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BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA (PRWEB) October 24, 2012

A proposal to establish 2015 as the International Year of Light and raise awareness of the vital role light-based technologies play in driving industry and enhancing life has received enthusiastic support from the UNESCO Executive Board .

The proposal was introduced to the UNESCO board last week by SPIE Fellow Paul Buah-Bassuah (Laser and Fibre Optics Centre, University of Cape Coast) of Ghana and representatives from Mexico, the Russian Federation, and New Zealand on behalf of a global partnership of more than 40 scientific societies, academies, and other institutions, in collaboration with the UNESCO International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP). SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is a member of the partnership.

The IYOL initiative has been in development since 2009 under the leadership of the European and African Physical Societies. With the UNESCO endorsement, organizers will outline activities for 2015 along with a formal request to the United Nations General Assembly.

The science and technology of light have revolutionized medicine, have opened up international communication via the Internet, and are central to linking cultural, economic and political aspects of global society, Buah-Bassuah told the board. Advances in light science and technology are crucial for sustainable development, preserving cultural heritage, and addressing climate change.

European Physical Society President-Elect John Dudley (Universit