International Year of Light 2015 Final Report Published - UNESCO International Day of Light Endorsed

The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 final report has been published in October 2016. According to the report, the IYOL 2015 saw over 13,000 activities of various types taking place in 147 countries, reaching a global audience estimated to exceed 100 million. Laserlab-Europe has been an official Collaborating Partner of IYOL and many Laserlab-Europe members contributed to the success of the initiative, organizing exhibitions, workshops, lectures and festivals for the broad public. Details can be found here>>

The report is available online at http://light2015.org

Following the highly successful International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015, the Executive Board of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has endorsed a proposal for an enduring follow-up in the form of an annual International Day of Light to be celebrated on 16 May every year from 2018.

The purpose of an International Day of Light will be to provide an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of the central role that light plays in the lives of the citizens of the world in areas of science, culture, education, sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy. The broad theme of light will allow many different sectors of society to participate in activities around the world that will raise awareness of science and technology, as well as art and culture and their importance in achieving the goals of UNESCO in promoting education, equality and peace. The first International Day of Light celebration is planned for 16 May 2018 following its official Proclamation at the General Conference of UNESCO in November 2017.