Ian Halliday Named as Next ESF President

Strasbourg, 23 May 2005 – Professor Ian Halliday, recently Chief Executive of the UK’s Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, is set to become the next President of the European Science Foundation (ESF).

Following the recommendation of Prof. Halliday by a search committee comprising leading figures from Europe’s scientific community, the ESF’s Governing Council will recommend to the Annual Assembly of member organisations in November that Prof. Halliday be appointed President from 1 January 2006. He will take over from Dr. Reinder van Duinen who has served as President for the past six years and who will complete his extended term at the end of this year.

A fellow of the Institute of Physics in the UK and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Prof. Halliday, 65 years old, has a proven track record both as a scientist and as a leading advocate for the advancement of science at European and international levels.

His distinguished career includes leadership roles in many international scientific committees and boards. His most recent role was as Chair of the Funding Agencies for the Linear Collider (also known as the Halliday Committee) for the past three years, which created a body where  funding  agencies from  Europe, North America and Asia could meet and discuss this exciting project.

In welcoming Prof. Halliday’s nomination as the next President, Dr. van Duinen said, “I am delighted that European science will benefit from such an outstanding leader, one who has demonstrated much successful experience in leading and developing international collaborations. I look forward to working closely with Ian in the coming months as we plan a seamless transition of responsibilities.”

Subject to the Annual Assembly’s ratification, Prof. Halliday will take up his new position.

Commenting on his nomination, Prof. Halliday said, “I see a major part of my role as building on Reinder’s leadership achievements in areas such as EURYI – an outstanding concept, one that is key to the future of science and scientific achievement for Europe. More people are now seeing the real benefits of this programme as an essential investment in that future.”

Prof. Halliday continued, “But the clear and present challenge for Europe is how to tie together national funding agencies in a more cohesive way as a catalyst for greater advancement. Our competitors elsewhere are setting the science agendas and we’re no longer winning our expected share of Nobel prizes. Under Reinder’s leadership, the ESF has already proved that it can lead the advancement of science in Europe. CERN is an excellent example of what European joint action can achieve. ESF’S EUROCORES and COST are great examples of the significant possibilities for real success as we all work more closely together. Yet we must pull together all our resources, skills and innovations from across Europe far more effectively and proactively if we are to become a single powerful entity on the world stage. "

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Category: Media Centre, Press Releases 2005