Global Engagement Funds Case Study: North America

Dr Agapi Emmanouilidou invited world leaders in attoscience to meet at UCL to initiate new long-term collaborations.

Dr Agapi Emmanouilidou

Reader, UCL Physics and Astronomy

“I used the Global Engagement Funds to invite world leaders in attoscience to meet at UCL. Delegates came from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Kansas State University, National Research and also the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich.

My goal was to initiate new long-term collaborations with theorists who are developing theoretical techniques complementary to my own, as well as to develop additional long-term experimental collaborations.

It was a very fruitful two-day informal meeting. We gave seminars and discussed the theoretical techniques used to address current challenging problems in attosecond and strong field science, as well as experimental developments.

Most of the invited speakers had never been to UCL or in contact with me before, so it was a unique opportunity to advertise our world leading research activities and grow our profile to major world players in Ultrafast Science.

The funding was essential, since it allowed me to cover hotel expenses and refreshments for the participants over the two days and, in some cases, airline tickets. 

As a result of the meeting I have started three new international collaborations, which will lead to several publications this year. My students also benefitted since they came in contact with international leaders in the field.

My intention is to continue such meetings on an annual basis, to continue to promote UCL’s strong-field science to the international community and establish strong ties with world leaders in the field.”