DEADLINE: February 1, 2024
Nominations are invited for a speaker for the ‘Eric O. Forster Memorial Lecture’, which is the
opening plenary lecture of the IEEE International Conference on Dielectrics (ICD) to be held in
Toulouse, France, 2024, June 31 – July 4.
The lecture is organised in honour of Eric Forster, of whom a brief résumé is given below.
Nominations with at least one and a maximum of three supporting statements, should be sent to the
Chair of the International Advisory Committee, Peter Morshuis ([email protected]) by
1 February, 2024.
It is expected that the speaker should reflect the following characteristics:
- The conference is held in Europe, most of the EOF lecturers have therefore been European,
and ‘leading-lights’ from the European community may be preferred. - The speaker should be recognised as world-leading in terms of the originality, significance
and rigour of their research, which is within the scope of the conference. - It is expected that the speaker would be able to introduce her/his subject in a way that is
amenable, interesting and engaging to students as well as to experienced researchers in the
field. They should be able to present ideas well in English.
Résumé: Dr Eric O. Forster
Eric Forster was an internationally recognised father figure in Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation. He
enthusiastically promoted this area of work in two ways. First, he organised and helped to organise
many international conferences. It was difficult to imagine a conference on this subject without Eric-
wherever one went in the world to such a meeting, he was almost certain to be there. Secondly he
greatly encouraged young people. Everybody who spoke about Eric said that he had the knack of
bringing newcomers into a conversation rather than excluding them from it. He had a strong positive
influence on many students and young professionals- he took great personal interest in helping
them. Many can say he was a guiding influence in furthering their educations and careers.
He was very active within the IEEE. He was secretary, treasurer and vice-president of the Dielectrics
and Electric Insulation Society of the IEEE at various times since 1974. The IEEE have recognised him
in various ways including the 1984 Centennial medal and in renaming their Distinguished Service
Award ‘The Eric O. Forster Distinguished Service Award’. He initiated the International Conference
Series on Solid Dielectrics (ICSD), now the ‘ICD’.
Eric was born in 1918, he survived the horrors of the Holocaust and the concentration camp during
the Second World War. He passed away on 7 December 1993 and it was therefore decided to hold a
prestigious lecture at the following ICSD. Dr John Densley gave this in 1995 at Leicester.
Previous awardees:
1995 John Densley
1998 Christian Laurent
2001 Leonard A. Dissado
2004 Uno Gäfvert
2007 John Fothergill
2010 Stanislaw Gubanski
2013 Peter Morshuis
2016 Alun Vaughan
2018 Gian Carlo Montanari
2022 Jan van Turnhout
