Background
The Edwards Symposium Series reaches its eighth year in 2024. The Symposium will be an in-person event, but with some virtual elements, and we look forward to welcoming participants to the Centre of Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge.
Sir Sam Edwards FRS, in whose name this series was set up, was one of the great scientific minds of the 20th century. This series pays tribute to Sir Sam, recognising the pivotal role he played in bringing advances in the physical sciences to bear on major industrial problems. His fundamental contributions to the field of soft matter ranged from polymer melts, through gels, colloids, granular materials and glasses to optimisation problems.
Each year the Symposium highlights the fast evolving and diverse nature of soft matter science and related areas of statistical physics. These fields relate to many industrial and biological systems and can involve a wide range of disciplines. The science area has led to many materials and processes for industry and commerce while also posing new fundamental problems. The Symposium continues to build on Sir Sam’s realization that broad classes of system are governed by unifying physical principles, arising from the geometry, topology or other qualitative behaviour of their underlying constituents.
The Edwards Symposium Series continues to recognise the fast evolving and diverse nature of the field and each year focuses on different areas of new and emerging science related, but not limited, to the statistical physics of soft matter.
Aims & Objectives
The Edwards Symposium Series continues to highlight the latest developments in soft matter and statistical physics with a particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on theoretical and mathematical models. There is a focus on how the research inform industrial processes, materials, and design and on how it can help address societal priorities and problems. Leading academic speakers convey their latest scientific work, aiming to foster collaboration and discussions across the boundaries between academic disciplines and industrial and commercial sectors.
In 2024, the workshop will focus on the following soft matter areas:
- Statistical Mechanics of Multi-component Species
- Ionic Systems
- Micro-Robotics
- Soft Interface Engineering
Elevator Pitch Session
Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are encouraged to register their interest to present a short elevator pitch presentation during a dedicated Elevator Pitch Session between 16:05 – 17:00 on Thursday 14th September. These short 5 minute pitches will highlight work you are currently carrying out as an early career researcher. Please indicate on the registration form if you are interested in presenting along with a title and abstract.
Posters
Attendees are encouraged to present a poster during dedicated poster sessions during breaks and Lunches throughout the symposium. You will be asked to indicate on the registration form if you are interested in presenting a poster, along with a title and abstract.
Sponsorship
The Edwards Symposium Series is funded in part by the generous sponsorship of CFM (Capital Fund Management) . We express our gratitude to CFM for their support.
Organisation
The Edwards Symposia is organised jointly by the Newton Gateway to Mathematics and the Edwards Centre for Soft Matter. The latter is a virtual laboratory, encompassing staff from six Cambridge University Departments, whose role is to promote academic collaborations in Soft Matter Science across the University. Scientific consultation is undertaken by five academic organisers – please see the Organisers tab above for further information.
Registration
The eighth Edwards Symposium will take place at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge on 11th – 13th September 2023. A Provisional Programme can be found here.
To express your interest please follow the link here.
Full costing details will be available soon.
