Project Objectives
Introduction
The SCAT project for Scientific Computing Advanced Training is funded primarily by the ALFA Programme of EuropeAid. The first goal of any ALFA project is the development of a systematic and lasting partnership between higher education institutions in Latin America and Europe, contributing to national and regional economic and social development in Latin America.
The SCAT project falls under "Sub-programme B" of ALFA, aimed at scientific and technical training, and thus has an important mobility component. This involves the mobility of students in their last year of degree (thesis), post-graduates (MSc and PhD) during an important period of their study, and post-doctoral researchers. It also includes the mobility of researchers for short periods, for the acquisition of specific advanced skills, and of professors for the purposes of teaching short courses.
The thematic focus of SCAT is in the field of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE). This is understood as a fundamentally inter-disciplinary field, that should incorporate mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists, engineers, and even biologists, and other experts. The particular topics of training activities for the SCAT project will revolve around Scientific Computing in applied sciences and engineering. Modern, high-performance, scientific computing must be understood as one element of scientific enquiry, comparable to experiments and analysis. In this project, we will maintain a vision of the necessary balance between computation + experiments + mathematics that makes for high-quality research.
Why a cooperation project on this subject?
Developing the capacity for advanced computational research in Latin America is not only desirable but necessary, as the discipline of computational science and engineering (CSE) will most likely play a dominant role in the future of the processes of scientific discovery and engineering design.
The basic need in the region is the training of highly capable individuals who can pursue initiatives, attract funding and deliver high-quality results. This project is aimed at providing exactly that, and at providing a vision for CSE in the future of the region.
Overall Objectives
- To consolidate a partnership of institutions of higher education and research that provokes accelerated knowledge-transfer in scientific computing technology and applications in science and engineering.
- Provide hands-on training to advanced students and post-doctoral researchers in the methods and applications of advanced computational research.
- Bring together research groups in the network partners, to develop a synergy and a common vision in the use of scientific computing in balance with analysis and experiments, for the production of high-quality research.
- Trigger initiatives for furthering advanced computational research in Latin American institutions of higher-education, and promote future student exchanges with Europe.
