Actions and schemes of support towards developing countries

This talk will highlight actions aimed at fostering advanced studies and research in the physical and mathematical sciences in developing countries. An overarching concern is the recurrent problem of scientific isolation that has remained a serious impediment to scientific career growth for those scientists who choose to remain in their home countries. The emphasis will be on programs of the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), a category 1 institute of UNESCO that uniquely provides an international forum for the basic sciences for scientists from all UNESCO member states. A wide spectrum of programs has evolved, often with the collaboration of partner institutions and organizations, especially in the case of applied sciences and/or education outreach: A few examples will be drawn from collaborations with the European Physical Society (EPS), through its Physics for Development Group, the International Society of Optics and Photonics (SPIE), and Centro Fermi in Rome. The list of international partners is much longer than this, of course, and working together has proved to be very beneficial, and in some cases crucial, in achieving shared goals.