For more than 30 years, the ICTP and Abdus Salam were one and the same. After 21 November 1997, the Centre will bear the name of its late founder.

A Dedication...

It's hard to believe that we are approaching the first-year anniversary of the death of Abdus Salam. But, as many of you know, Salam died on 21 November 1996, after a long and difficult illness.

Those of us fortunate enough to have been touched by his life will never forget him. He was an imposing figure, who was as comfortable discussing global diplomacy with heads of state as he was debating gauge theory with his fellow physicists. His scientific prowess-he received the Nobel Prize in 1979-did not undermine his deep religious convictions. And his worldly excursions only strengthened his commitment to his native land of Pakistan.

Salam may be gone but his spirit remains ever-present within the ICTP. Thousands of researchers, largely from the developing world, have benefited from studying at the Centre that Salam created and then guided throughout his enormously productive career. In a life marked by many successes, Salam cherished the success of the ICTP perhaps more than any of his other achievements.

These are some of the reasons why we have decided to rename the ICTP The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics. The memorial meeting at which the official renaming ceremony will take place, will be held at the ICTP headquarters in Trieste, Italy, between 19 and 22 November 1997.

Salam often said that "scientific thought and its creation is the common and shared heritage of mankind." Thanks in part to his efforts, that observation is truer today than at any time in the 20th century. When Salam first suggested the idea of a research centre dedicated to the needs and aspirations of scientists in developing countries, many scoffed at the idea. As one critic sarcastically noted, "a centre for underdeveloped countries...will remain an underdeveloped centre."

Yet, today, some of the most sophisticated scientific research in the world is taking place in nations that critics said were incapable of such pursuits: Argentina, Brazil, China, India and Korea now have facilities and scientists that rival those of Europe and North America.

That's not to say problems don't persist. Indeed if Salam were alive today he would be diligently searching for ways to advance the cause of science in the Third World and improve the plight of the billions of impoverished people in developing countries who have yet to share in the world's growing material wealth.

How can we ensure that the next generation of scientists in the Third World enjoy the same opportunities as their predecessors? How can we increase public understanding and appreciation for science in the developing world? How can we narrow the gap between those nations in the Third World that have made significant progress in establishing viable research agendas and those that have witnessed a deterioration in their scientific expertise?

These are critical issues that demand our attention. But on the occasion of the first-year anniversary of the death of Abdus Salam, let us celebrate the accomplishments of this extraordinary man and let us honour his memory by renaming the institution to which he devoted so much of his intelligence and energy, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics. It's the right thing to do for both the man and the institution.

Miguel Virasoro
Director, ICTP

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