Participants of BALKAN WORKSHOP BW2003 “Mathematical, Theoretical and Phenomenological Challenges Beyond Standard Model: Perspectives of Balkans Collaboration” (Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia, August 29 – September 2, 2003.) from Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Romania and Serbia and Montenegro, initiate the mobility-teaching-research “NETWORK IN THEORETICAL AND MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS” of Southeast part of Europe.

Our goal is to establish closer relations between science faculties and research institutes and individual scientists in the region of Southeastern Europe.

We are going to improve the teaching in mathematical and theoretical physics on undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as, joint scientifical work.

The initiators propose establishing a few different working groups of particular interest in selected topics (quantum field theory, gravity, statistical physics, dynamical systems etc, …).

This initiative is and will be open to all institutions and individual scientists from the region who share the ideas of the Network. We expect that scientists and scientific institutions from the region (of Southeast Europe, in particular: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, … ) will join this initiative in near future. Scientists from all over the world are welcome to join the Network activities.

The proposed collaboration will be realized in the following ways:

  • through the exchange of professors with maximal duration of one semester (3 months);
  • exchange of students (preferably PhD students, or for preparation of a diploma work/thesis, or Master degree);
  • joint organization of various meetings (workshops, conferences and schools). The main joint event could be the “Summer Institute in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics”. We are expecting to organize it every year in different countries, based on the rotational scheme. The duration of the Institute could be 2-4 weeks. The Institute should consist of different events (seminars, workshops, schools and so on);
  • short visits: from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, including seminars and research;
  • support of the publications of proceedings, books and other issues and other means for the exchange of scientific information.

The participants agree to support the foundation of the Initiative Committee to oversee the establishment and initial development of the Network with the following composition: Boyka Aneva (INRNE and University of Sofia, Bulgaria), Goran Djordjevic (University of Nis, SCG), Argyris Nicolaidis (University of Thessaloniki, Greece), Corneliu Sochichiu (IAP, Chisinau, Moldova, INFN Frascati, Italy), Mihai Visinescu (Bucharest, Romania). The membership of the Committee will be extended to assure the participation of all countries which join the Network. One of the prime objectives of this Committee will be the elaboration of the terms of the reference of the Network. The meeting of the Initiative Committee will be held during next twelve months. It was agreed that for this initial period, the Faculty of Science and Mathematics of the University of Nis would take responsibility for the coordination the Network activities.

A Steering Committee consisting of outstanding and internationally leading researchers from the region and from all over the world is to be established.

Based on previous contacts it is expected that financial support will be provided by:

  • local institutions, ministries and other foundations from our countries;
  • European Union, different European foundations, large national foundations in Western Europe;
  • international Institutions, like UNESCO, ICTP, CERN, IAE, JINR, Central European Initiative…;
  • private foundations.

Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia and Montenegro,
September 2, 2003.