32
(the 7
th
Joint Vacuum Conference of Hungary,
Austria, Croatia and Slovenia); Namur,
Belgium, 31 March 2000, preceding ECM-85
which immediately followed TATF-2000 (the
7
th
International Symposium on Trends and
Applications in Thin Films – Nancy, France);
Beijing, China, 23 March 2002, following
ECM-92; Seoul, Korea, 20 September 2006,
preceding ECM-100, in conjunction with
the IUVSTA ECM-100 Special Symposium;
Champaign-Urbana, 20-21 April 2009, USA,
following ECM-106; Bratislava, Slovakia,
1 October 2012, following ECM-114; San
Jose, USA, 23 October 2015, preceding
ECM-121, in conjunction with the AVS
62
nd
International Symposium and Exhibition.
Short Courses on vacuum technology and
related topics have been organised by the
IUVSTA since 1994. However, the tradition
for some national vacuum societies to
offer such short courses within their
own country dates back well before this.
Indeed, the French Vacuum Society (SFV)
has been offering courses since 1968.
They have also established a dedicated
and well equipped Vacuum Laboratory
forTeaching, in Orsay near Paris, which is
used to include a practical component in
many of the 30 courses they offer each
year. The American Vacuum Society has
also developed an extensive range of
courses (50 courses have been proposed
in conjunction with the AVS Symposium
in 2001) on a very wide range of topics.
Other societies have their own national
programs, varying from one to a few
courses, with some presented regularly
and some offered on special occasions.
A decision was taken within the Education
Committee to support the presentation
of Short Courses in various countries
in association with major international
conferences. Thereupon, the IUVSTA
prepared a list of teachers from all over of
the world who were prepared to present
specialist courses. The sponsorship is now
arranged between any grouping of the
conference organisers, the IUVSTA and
the local or other national vacuum society,
with these bodies sharing the financial gain
or loss as arranged. However, the prime
purpose is to make available courses on
topics that would not normally be available
at the chosen location. In particular, care
is exercised not to usurp the opportunity
for the local society to run these courses
independently, where the society relies upon
such courses for part of its annual income.
Short Courses are now regularly offered in
association with conferences organised or
co-organised by IUVSTA, such as IVC/ICSS,
EVC, ICTF, VASSCAA, ECOSS…
During the 2001-2004 triennium, the Scien
tific Director, M. Sancrotti (I), put forward a
new initiative designed to establish and/or
improve relations between IUVSTA scientists
and industries that support fields of interest to
the Union. It was decided that a new kind of
workshop, devoted to Technology Transfer,
will be held in the form of a special session
at the next International Vacuum Congress
which was to be the IVC-16, in Venice, Italy.
It will be sponsored by the STD and the
organisers will be the Scientific Director, the
Scientific Secretary and the Division Chairs.
The session, named the STD Initiative on
Technology Transfer, was held on 1 July but
this initiative has not been pursued.
ECM-93, Dubrovnik, September 19-21, 2003:
Exchange of gifts at ECM93 dinner between the
IUVSTA President M-G. Barthés-Labrousse and the
President of the Croatian Vacuum Society, N. Radi