Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Klaus von Klitzing delivers Public Lecture on New International System of Units

Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Klaus von Klitzing, makes a point during his lecture on the topic, “From my Nobel Prize to a New International System of Units”  hosted jointly by the University of Technology, Jamaica and The University of the West Indies, Mona on Monday, October 8, 2018 at the UTech, Jamaica, Papine Campus.

Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Klaus von Klitzing, Head, Department of “Low Dimensional Electron Systems” at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany delivered a  joint  Public Lecture hosted by the University of Technology, Jamaica and The University of The West Indies on Monday, October 8, 2018 at the University’s Papine Campus.   The Nobel Laureate who holds the Nobel Prize for Physics (1985) "for the discovery of the Quantized Hall Effect (QHE)" spoke on the topic, “From my Nobel Prize to a New International System of Units.” 

The Nobel Laureate spoke of his research work and experiments on systematic measurements and the application of the QHE in metrology and in the application of international standards of electrical resistance.

Professor Von Klitzing’s lecture expounded on the impact of his many years of research work on physical constants in Physics which has formed the basis for the pending historic change to the new International System of Units (SI), planned to be implemented in 2019. The revised definitions of the SI base units proposed by the   International Committee for Weights and Measures is expected to be approved by formal vote at the 26th General Conference on Weights and Measures on November 16, 2018.

With the New International System of Units there will still be the same seven base units (second, metre, kilogram, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela). Of these, the kilogram, ampere, kelvin and mole will be redefined by choosing exact numerical values for the Planck constant, the elementary electric charge, the Boltzmann constant, and the Avogadro constant, respectively. The second, metre and candela are already defined by physical constants and it is only necessary to edit their present definitions. The new definitions will improve the SI without changing the size of any units, thus ensuring continuity with present measurements.

President, UTech, Jamaica, Professor Stephen Vasciannie in his welcome noted that the University is expanding the incorporation of Metrology into its science and engineering curricula. “ To that effect, on October 4, 2018 UTech, Jamaica signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding with the Bureau of Standards, Jamaica for the incorporation of Metrology and the introduction of the rudiments of Standards and Quality into the engineering and science curricula.”  

Professor Michael Taylor, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona in his remarks said that the historic Nobel Laureate lecture hosted jointly by both universities was “significant for the tangible out-working of our renewed efforts to bring a strong collaborative relationship between our two universities and in particular between our two faculties of Science,” 

The Lecture was ably chaired by Dr. Kamilah Hylton, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Sport, UTech, Jamaica who also spearheaded the organisation of the lecture between the two universities.

Dr. Kamilah Hylton, Dean Faculty of Science and Sport, University of Technology, Jamaica.

Students from Charlemont High School and their teacher pose with Professor Dr. von Klitzing following the Nobel Laureate’s lecture.  Student (2^nd left) shows off the Nobel Laureate’s gold medal.

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University of Technology, Jamaica
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