Rationale
The field of astroparticle physics and cosmology has been growing dramatically during the last decade. Major theoretical and phenomenological progress resulted from the joint work of formerly distinct scientific communities (notably particle physicists, high-energy astrophysicists, cosmologists). Further progress and potential breakthrough are expected in the next decades, following the varied, intense and ongoing experimental efforts. Important investments are being consented by the European Union and the relevant national institutions for ground-based experiments, space missions and diverse R&D programmes in relation with this field. Research and R&D are now efficiently structured and organised at the European level, through various networks and programmes (APPEC, ASPERA, HEAP-NET, ILIAS...).
It appears important to complement these actions with a similar effort on the side of higher education. The CAP Master is intended to help with the emergence of an integrated European community of students in this field of research and the associated technology. It will dedicate to the formation of high-level scientists and engineers, favouring student's contacts with international working environments and facilitating academic and professional mobility.
Aims and strategy
Some aims of the CAP Master (unordered and non-exhaustive):
- to provide students with a broad formation in theoretical and experimental physics, with specialization in astroparticle physics and cosmology
- to familiarize students with tools commonly used in a wide range of technical and scientific activities, both inside and outside the academic world
- to help integrating European research and scientific education in this field, at the Master level
- to ensure ongoing formation of high-level students in a field subject to significant investment of European funds for research and R&D programmes, thereby maximizing the chance of important scientific returns
- to promote academic mobility within Europe
- to attract high-level students from outside Europe by offering them a genuine European formation, with a broader experience and larger career prospects than would be provided within a single European university
The global strategy will be decided through discussions between the different partners, matching our collective goals with local technical and administrative constraints. The pedagogical strategy will include:
- a coherent two-year Master program with general physics lectures on the first year (M1) and more specialized classes on the second year (M2)
- classes in English in all participating universities
- students will be encouraged to spend 2 of the 4 semesters of the Master curriculum in a university different from its university of origin
- classes will be associated as much as possible with laboratory work and participative research experience, notably through a system of tutors
- funding will be available to facilitate the mobility of students (and possibly professors), through various local programmes (university, city, region...), European programmes and other special grants: this implies notably accomodation opportunities
- training in research laboratories related to partner universities and institutions
The above points will be discussed among the CAP partners and adapted or changed whenever appropriate.
Implementation and agenda
The CAP Master will be starting in Fall 2009, welcoming its first students both at the M1 and M2 level [or possibly only at the M1 level on the first year... to be discussed with partners].
Students will be encouraged to take classes along the 2 years of the CAP Master, but it will be possible to leave or join at the M2 level (thanks to the usual system of ECTS – European Credit Transfer System).
French agenda:
- 15th of January 2007: A letter of intention (with a first coherent draft of the programme and definition of the partnership) must be provided to the Paris 7 University Pedagogical Council (CEVU) for approval, in order to be included in the next 4-year programme for Higher Education in France
- 29 of February 2007: A working document must be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research for approval, in order to be included in the next 4-year programme for Higher Education in France.
[NB: Amendments, or even substantial revision of the terms of the Letter of Intent can be proposed and adopted afterwards. The first CAP Master class will not be given until Fall 2009, so that there will be much more time to finalize the programme and the modalities of its technical and administrative implementation. But we should indeed aim at meeting this deadline, not to miss this one-in-four-years opportunity...]
German agenda: any specific constraint? ...
Italian agenda: any specific constraint? ...
Funding and support
Since mobility will be encouraged all along the Master curriculum (for both classes and research training), financial aspects must be considered as an important part of the project.
Each partner will seek financial and/or technical support from its local institution(s). As an example, the Paris 7 University is setting up programmes for student accomodation, with priority to foreign students participating in European masters. The city of Paris will also provide special grants for European students. In general, a joint European project likely to increase the international visibility of the participating universities and the attractivity of the associated research laboratories should receive strong political support from the local Institutions (at least, this is the case in France/Paris 7).
A number of European programmes exist to support such initiatives and facilitate individual's mobility in a training and education framework. National programmes (such as ANR contracts as well as P2I grants in France) can also be solicited.
Direct European funding will be sought.
The new call for the Erasmus Mundus programme for academic year 2008-2009 can be seen here. It is set up to improve cooperation between higher education institutions and promote exchanges of students and researchers between member countries of the European Union and third party countries. See the official announcement here and the actual call for proposal. The deadline for this call is 15th of February 2008!
There is also a call for proposal within the Lifelong Learning Program (LLP), where we can apply for a support (for mobility): see the details here. The Erasmus programme within LLP is the one that could apply to us, with a deadline of 14th of March 2008.
The European Astroparticle network (of agencies) ASPERA is also naturally interested by the proposed joint higher education action. Substantial involvement should be expected. [NB: "ASPERA is a network of national government agencies responsible for coordinating and funding national research efforts in Astroparticle Physics"]
[...]
Managment of global funds and individual commitments of the participating institutions to be discussed...
Curriculum
The detail of the formation offer will be fixed through joint reflexions with the European partners, and the distribution of the different classes among the different universities will depend on local expertise and involvement.
Some (rather basic) classes will be available at every node of the network of CAP universities. Others will be “site-specific”. The detailed implementation of the curriculum will be adjusted as a function of the number of students following the CAP Master, which may be somewhat limited in the first years of activity (co-location of all the students at any time can be envisaged in that case, say with 6 months spent all together on each site, one after the other).
As a tentative overview, the two-year formation could be based on the following items (unordered list), distributed within three categories: “theoretical foundations” (common to many disciplines related to theoretical physics), “core disciplines” (specifically associated with the main objectives of the CAP Master), and “techniques and know-how” (useful for many scientific activities inside or outside academic research). NB: not all these items may be proposed, and some may be proposed as options (to be chosen among a several ones).
Theoretical foundations:
- Electromagnetism
- Quantum mechanics
- Special and general relativity
- Statistical Physics
- Quantum field theory
- Standard Model of particle physics
- Nuclear physics and astrophysics
- Roads towards beyond the standard model
- Plasma physics
- Mathematics for physicists
- Information theory
Core disciplines:
- Cosmology:
- Theory
- Observational cosmology
- Structure formation
- High-energy astrophysics:
- Radiation and high-energy processes in the Universe
- High-energy astrophysical sources (multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy)
- Detection technique (gamma-rays, neutrinos…)
- Astroparticle physics:
- Cosmic rays physics
- Gravitational waves
- Fundamental astrophysics (constraining the laws of Physics through astrophysical observations): beyond the standard model
Techniques and know-how:
- Informatics
- Statistics for data analysis
- Data, signal and image analysis
- Detection techniques
- Networks and telecommunication
- Spatial activities
- Language and communication skills