About Asian Forum for Accelerators and Detectors (AFAD)

Objective of AFAD

To ensure constant and sustainable discussions and collaborative activities among Asian laboratories, the Asian Forum for Accelerators and Detectors (AFAD) was launched with an additional category, Network and Computing, in February 2012.

AFAD provides a good platform to discuss the collaboration among Asian laboratories. It has established a standing body of contacts from the member countries/region. The main objectives of this body are maintaining an uninterrupted exchange among researchers from various countries/region as well as holding annual meetings.

Progress from JAAWS toward AFAD

The idea for AFAD germinated from the Joint Asian Accelerator Work Shop (JAAWS).

JAAWS was launched in 2009 as a new initiative to to enhance collaborative activities among Asian accelerator-based laboratories in the field of accelerator-related technology development and its application. The idea of JAAWS was originally proposed by the directors of several labs in 5 Asian countries; China, India, Japan, Korea and Russia (Novosibirsk), in common recognition on greater importance of cooperation in the region.

JAAWS consisted of 5 categories as follows, 1) Accelerator and its related technologies for photon science, 2) Accelerator and its related technologies for hadron (neutron) science, 3) Detector Technology Development, 4) Accelerator and its related technologies for other fields, 5) R&D for innovative accelerators.

At the 2nd JAAWS held in December 2010, participants agreed that JAAWS should progress to the next stage and become a forum that plays a central role in collaborations on accelerator- and detector-related technology development and applications of those technologies, changing its name to Asian Forum for Accelerators and Detectors (AFAD).

AFAD was launched with an additional category, Network and Computing.