The Israeli Society for Vacuum Technology and the First Israeli Vacuum Congress, Tel-Aviv, 19-20 M ay 1969

International associations aimed at the study and development of a specified field of science and technique do their utmost to group the greatest number of persons interested in that field. In this way they can affirm their willingness to contribute efficaciously to scientific and technical progress.

When such an association is a federation of national committees, the goal is to gain the maximum number of national bodies' support. This is the case of the International Union for Vacuum Science, Technique and Applications (IUVSTA) which has pursued since 1962 the objectives of the organization constituted in 1959 under the name of International Organization for Vacuum Science and Technology and which according to its statutes must lend support to those endeavouring to establish national committees in countries where they do not exist.

In 1968 the IUVSTA comprised fifteen national committees including nine founder committees. IUVSTA did not have to assist in the establishment of the six other committees. Their foundation was due to the efforts of enthusiastic vacuum specialists in the respective countries. The Union had only to obtain the affiliation of the new committees after having made sure that they were representative of the individuals and corporate bodies interested in vacuum science, technique and applications in the relevant countries. The formation of groups of vacuum specialists was in fact progressing in 1968 in several countries, Israel in particular. These groups planned from their initial thinking to join the Union.

The secretariat of the Union was therefore pleased to receive in October 1968 an application for membership from The Israeli Society for Vacuum Technology which had been officially created a few weeks previously under the chairmanship of Mr A Roth, chief engineer of the vacuum department of the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission. A well- known author of two important books and of several papers on vacuum science and technique, Mr Roth had taken the initiative to group together the vacuum specialists in his country.

(Editor's Note • Mr Roth is a valued member of the Honorary International Editorial Advisory Board of VACUUM. He is an important contributor to the Journal and supplies many of the abstracts which appear in the Classified Abstracts section.)

The Israeli Society for Vacuum Technology was admitted in January 1969 by the executive council of the Union as the sixteenth member. As provided for by the statutes, at the next general meeting which will take place in October 1971, the admission of the Israeli committee and of those national committees set up between now and then and applying for membership will be decided upon.

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The Israeli Society for Vacuum Technology was not long in demonstrating its vitality by organizing a national vacuum meeting, "The First Israeli Vacuum Congress", at the TeI-Aviv University on 19 and 20 May 1969, together with an exhibition of vacuum equipment which was held from 19 to 21 May.

More than two hundred participants from five countries attended the Congress; three papers were delivered by foreign authors. Ten European and American companies displayed equipment in the allied exhibition.

It can therefore be said that the organizers succeeded in giving an international character to the meeting. One must be grateful to them for their contribution in developing relations among vacuum specialists from different countries. In publishing the texts of the lectures, VACUUM deserves the gratitude of all those who are interested in low pressures.

Professor E Thomas Secretary Genera/IUVSTA

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