The International Organization of Chinese Physicists and Astronomers (OCPA) initiated in 1998 under the auspices of the OCPA, has been held biennially (except for a cancellation in 2004 due to SARS). Its location rotates, with past schools hosted five times in Mainland China, twice in Taiwan, and once in Singapore. The program covers core topics in accelerator physics and engineering, following a rigorous one-semester university-style curriculum with homework and a final exam. Each session admits 60–80 competitively selected students, and over the years, more than 500 graduates have gone on to contribute to accelerator projects across Asia, the US, and Europe.
To meet the growing depth of student research, the OCPA Accelerator Topical School was launched in 2009. Held in alternating years with the General School, this program focuses on specialized topics and admits around 35 students. It includes advanced lectures and student presentations. So far, four topical schools have been held—three in Mainland China and one in Taiwan—serving about 140 students in total.
The success of both school series is due to strong community support from funding agencies, faculty, staff, and students. As accelerator science continues to thrive in Taiwan and China, the OCPA schools remain a vital platform for training the next generation of accelerator scientists. Continued support from the broader scientific community, especially through OCPA, is essential to sustain this impact.
The 12th OCPA Accelerator School (OCPA-2025) in Thailand is jointly organized by Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Synchrotron Light Research Institute (SLRI).
Important Dates:
- Application Period: 29 May - 30 June 2025
- Application Decision date: 7 July 2025
- Payment Deadline: 15 July 2025
