AMN-2
2nd International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology
 
AMN-1 Highlights
 

The Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN-1) Conference held in Wellington from 9 -14 February 2003 marked a coming of age for materials science and nanotechnology in New Zealand. The conference attracted approximately 270 participants, larger than any previous conference in these areas. Approximately 120 of the participants were from overseas, headed by three Nobel prizewinners: New Zealand's Alan MacDiarmid and his former colleagues Alan Heeger and Hideki Shirakawa.

Many other distinguished speakers from overseas gave plenary talks;  besides the 117 talks, 99 posters were on display. After three days of plenary talks at Te Papa, the conference moved to Victoria University for more specialised Symposia on many topics ranging from Superconductors and Semiconductors to Active Surfaces and Nanotubes.

New Zealand speakers and poster authors amply demonstrated the burgeoning strength of these fields in this country, enhanced by the creation of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology as a Centre of Research Excellence that was the main inspiration for the conference. The conference also incorporated the Korea-New Zealand Bilateral Symposium on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, consolidating the developing scientific relationship between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea.

Members of the Korean delegation with Hon Pete Hodgson, Minister for Research Science and Technology and the 3 Nobel laureates Korean delegation with the minister and laureates  

One of the most pleasing features was the large number of graduate students attending and presenting posters, mostly from New Zealand but with others from Australia and further afield.

A public event entitled "Where is Science Taking Us?" was held in conjunction with the conference. Three pupils from Hutt Valley High School, the school attended by young Alan MacDiarmid, joined three students from Victoria University to pose questions to the Nobel laureates.

Where is Science Taking Us?
Standing left to right
Prof Stuart McCutcheon, Daniel Fung, Shivali Gulab, Miriam Boniface, David Herman, Simon Rogers, Vivian Cheng, Ray Henwood.
Seated left to right
Professor Alan MacDiarmid, Professor Hideki Shirakawa, Professor Alan Heeger.


Wellington turned on fine weather for the conference and many participants commented on how much they had enjoyed the occasion.