Prof. Geneviève Belanger, LAPTh, Annecy, France - cohead of the Organising Board of the VSOP 32. Photos ICISE

GIA LAI - The 32nd Vietnam School of Physics (VSOP 32) officially opened in Gia Lai Province, welcoming more than 30 scientists, early-career researchers, doctoral students, and undergraduate students from Việt Nam, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and the UK.

Taking place from July 14 to 23, VSOP 32 is jointly organised by the Rencontres du Vietnam, the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), and the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP).

The school features a faculty of world-renowned scientists, including: Prof. Tae Jeong Kim (Hanyang University, South Korea), Prof. Tracy Slatyer (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Prof. Leif Lönnblad (Lund University, Sweden), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Manimala Mitra (Institute of Physics, India), Dr. Heribertus Bayu Hartanto (APCTP, South Korea), Dr. Rakhi Mahbubani (Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia), and Dr. Bryan Zaldívar (Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC-CSIC), Spain).

This year, the programme focuses on particle physics and dark matter, blending both theoretical and experimental perspectives. The curriculum covers the Standard Model, experimental and statistical methods at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), quantum chromodynamics, dark matter, physics beyond the standard model, computational tools and Monte Carlo methods, and machine learning for particle physicists.

These are all highly relevant topics in current high-energy physics research, providing students with access to the field's most advanced knowledge and research methodologies.

VSOP 32 focuses on particle physics and dark matter, blending both theoretical and experimental perspectives.

VSOP was initiated by the Rencontres du Vietnam in 1994 to provide students and young researchers with a passion for physics the opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge, learn about modern research methodologies, and expand their academic exchange with the international scientific community.

The highlight of VSOP is that the programme is designed to connect the foundational knowledge at the undergraduate level with advanced research directions currently being carried out at leading universities and research centers worldwide.

Through in-depth lectures, participants not only stay updated on the latest research trends but also have the opportunity to directly exchange ideas with lecturers on pressing scientific issues. In addition to specialised knowledge, the programme also emphasises equipping students with research methodology, computational skills, simulation, and data analysis — essential competencies in modern physics research.

More than just a training programme, VSOP serves as a bridge between young Vietnamese scientists and the international scientific community, according to the organisers.

Throughout the course, numerous academic and extracurricular activities are organised to foster an open environment for exchange, strengthen connections between lecturers and students, and promote the establishment of long-term collaborative research relationships within the physics community. VNS