AMU has hosted 14th annual conference on ‘Role of Physics in Science Advancement and Innovative Technologies’ at New Auditorium, Main Campus, from 7th to 8th February, 2020. This conference is first of its kind for AMU and 14th in series for Ethiopian Physical Society that promotes physics as overarching science indispensable in its nature in creating scientific advancements and innovative technologies. Click here to see the pictures
This conference has had 23 paper presentations focusing role of physics in various disciplines of which AMU has 3 and 6 poster presentations. The program started off with College of Natural Sciences’ Physics Department Head, Mr Wondimagegn Anjulo, giving an overview reiterated that his department is committed in creating competent graduates and pursuing research engagement in basic and applied physics and inter-disciplinary areas.
For Ethiopian Space Society’s patron, Mr Tafera Waluwa, space science & technology are an imperative for development and the human race that developed today due to curiosity which leads to imagination that fires technologies and innovations that satisfy our needs accentuating global development. And history reveals scientific revolution comes in waves often stimulated by advances in physics that lead all sciences to imaginations that helped us to invent most powerful telescope 400 years ago to see myths of dogma of past evaporating like the morning mist.
He adds quoting revered scientist who claims that Milky Way has 400 billion stars in our galaxy that might has 20 billion earth-sized planets orbiting a sun-like star; there are 100 billion galaxies that can be seen with our instruments and we can estimate how many earth-sized planets there are in the visible universe, probably a staggering 2 billion trillion!
Stressing profound contribution of physics, AMU President, Dr Damtew Darza, said, it’s an alchemy that helps develop myriad technological advancements like space sciences, medical technologies, innovation in high-profile manufacturing industry, combustible and non-combustible energy, finance, etc. This is very crucial moment where physicists and researchers from across Ethiopia gather to mull over scientific ideas in diverse field of studies that have physics at the core in creating cutting-edge technologies.
Welcoming the august gathering, Research and Community Service Vice President, Dr Simon Shibru, said, significant technological advances like the satellite and rocket technologies have been developed through curiosity-driven physics research that plays crucial role in generating fundamental knowledge needed for the future technological advances that will continue to propel economic engines of the world. This potential forum will strengthen a dialogue between scholars in generating palatable synergy that will give rise to tangible scientific solutions making life pretty better in this highly unpredictable scenario.
One of the presenters from Assosa University, in his findings on solar activity and geomagnetic storm effects on GPS ionospheric TEC over Ethiopia, said, that seasonal variation showed that TEC maximizes during the equinoctial months and least in summer over two stations. In all seasons, the maximum value of TEC in Addis Ababa is higher. And the effects of geomagnetic storms on TEC values have been found negative and positive output.
AMU’s three presenters spoke on topics such as ‘Space and astronomical observatory site investigation at Gamo highlands’, ‘Studies of Cerium doped lithium lanthanum titrate’ and ‘Investigation of structural and magnetic properties of mixed ferrite materials’.
Scholars and researchers from Entoto Observatory and Research Centre, Addis Ababa Institute of Technology; Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa Science & Technology, Adama Science & Technology, Bahir Dar, Wolkite, Debre Markos, Haramaya, Assosa and Dilla Universities; other stakeholders were also in attendance.
(Corporate Communication Directorate)