Chairperson's Address, March 2023

Dear Colleagues and Members,
 
Exactly one year after the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, our Czech PC held its annual conference on “Topical Problems of Fluid Mechanics”. This time, Ukrainian scientists were invited to participate free of charge and in person or via an online channel opened just for them. Both options were well received and could pave the way for more interactions with our Ukrainian colleagues. Their contributions were published in the conference proceedings. ERCOFTAC greatly appreciates this initiative of the Czech PC. Maybe more of us can follow this example?
 
A few days back, on 8th March, we celebrated International Women’s Day to remind us of the achievements of women in many fields, including their valuable and needed contributions to science, technology, and engineering. At ERCOFTAC, we are lucky to have a growing base of female leaders who we highlight in our “Spotlight on Women in ERCOFTAC”. In my daily work, I can see how having female role models can inspire more young female researchers to live up to their potential. Still, we are far from a fair share, and having the diversity we would like to have is a challenge. What are your ideas on this topic?
 
Finally, looking ahead, there are many events of ERCOFTAC upcoming, as highlighted in the March 2023 newsletter, our website, or via our social media presence. These include the ERCOFTAC Spring and Autumn Festivals in Vienna and Liège on 11th-12th May and 12th-13th October, respectively. Another key event is our flagship conference ETMM14 in Barcelona on 6th-8th September. In the same week, there will be at the European Turbulence Conference (ETC) not far away in Valencia. The ETMM and ETC organizing teams coordinated their efforts to allow for participation in both events. I’m looking forward to meeting you at our festivals or ETMM!

Prof. Dominic von Terzi,
Chairperson of ERCOFTAC