The African laser Atomic, Molecular and Optical Science Network( LAM Network), was Launched  in 1991  In Dakar Senegal with a participation of more than 20 African countries as founding members with the  support   of  Prof. Abdus Salam, the late Nobel Laureate in Physics and Founding Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)  in Trieste Italy, and strong commitment of  Prof. Gallieno Denardo  head of  the office of external activities of ICTP . Since this period the LAM is closely working with ICTP for the development of Optical and Laser Sciences In Africa.

This International conference is an on going series of LAM network international workshops and conferences in Africa . The First workshop took place in Senegal in 1991, the second in Zimbabwe in 1993, the 3rd in Ghana in 1994, the 4th in Sudan in 1996, the 5th in Botswana in 1998, the 6th in Tunisia in 2002, the 7th in Cameroun in 2004, the 8th in Ghana in 2007.

The particularity of this LAM 9 Workshop, is that it is a Join meeting with  the Edward Bouchet Abdus Salam Institute ( EBASI  ) 7th international conference, The National Society of Black Physicists Meeting with the Launch of the African Physical society. 

The EBASI was created in1988 by Professor Abdus Salam in honor of Edward A. Bouchet, who became in 1876 (Yale) the first African American and the first known person of African descent to earn the Ph.D. degree in Physics. African physicists affiliated with ICTP and the National Society of Black Physicists (USA) organized the Edward A. Bouchet-ICTP Institute. The Council is currently composed of  African members and  American members, together with an  Administrative Officer and an ICTP Representative. It was in 1998 that the name of the Institute was changed from its original name to its current name EBASI, in order to honor the late Professor Abdus Salam.One Of the pillar missions of  EBASI, is to provide a mechanism for synergistic scientific and technical collaborations between African and American physical scientists, engineers, and technologists and to enhance the impact of science and technology on the sustainable development of the countries on the African continent. 

The Society of Black Physicists was inaugurated on Thursday, April 28, 1977 at Morgan State University with Drs. Walter Massey and James Davenport serving respectively as interim president and secretary-treasurer. In 1978 at Morehouse College the Society formally elected its first officers, and later the society was renamed the National Society of Black Physicists..The organization seeks to develop and support efforts to increase opportunities for African Americans in physics and to increase their numbers and visibility of their scientific work. It also seeks to develop activities and programs that highlight and enhance the benefits of the scientific contributions that African American physicists provide for the international community. The society seeks to raise the general knowledge and appreciation of physics in the African American community.Throughout its history NSBP has had an active interest in physics related activities outside of the United States. Twenty years ago under the leadership of the late Nobel Laureate, Abdus Salaam,  several NSBP members and African Mathematicians and physicists present at ICTP,  organized the Edward Bouchet-Abdus Salaam Institute (EBASI) to    increases the technical manpower pool working in Africa today by facilitating the training of Ph.D. students from African universities. More recently NSBP have invited many African scientists at his annual conference held in February 2008 in Nasville and in addition  through a program funded by the Kellogg Foundation NSBP will assist South Africa in its efforts to increase the number of Black astronomers and astrophysicists and to build capacity in the field.

So the LAM , the EBASI and the NSBP  together for a join meeting is a sign showing the awareness of these  organizations in joining their efforts for the development of sciences in Africa.

Main objectives of the Conference

§  To serve as the interface within the framework of establishing South-South and North-South cooperation ties and to encourage them ;

§  To put in place common research projects between several African research centres and groups and their partners from Europe, America and Asia ;

§  Encourage training and education policies in optical and laser  sciences in Africa ;

§  Encourage any initiative aimed at promoting the blossoming of science both at the national, regional and continental levels

§To Launch the African Physical Society by gathering during the meeting all the physical societies of the Continent together with all the main international physical societies in the World