About 100 people attended the event, organised by the Secretariat of Universities and Research of the Catalan government, with the aim of paying tribute to Ramon Pascual, the physicist who promoted in the 90s the construction of the ALBA Synchrotron and president of its Executive Commission from 2003 to 2016.
The event was chaired by the minister of Business and Knowledge of the Catalan government, Jordi Baiget, who expressed his gratitude for the work and dedication of Ramon Pascual in developing the ALBA project. The secretary of state for Research, Development and Innovation of the Spanish government, Carmen Vela, highlighted the importance of the ALBA Synchrotron as a scientific infrastructure that makes progress and internationalises the Spanish science and technology system. The director of ALBA, Caterina Biscari, mentioned Ramon Pascual's perseverance, rigour and generosity in his job. Andreu Mas-Colell contextualized the history of the project and Anna Pascual, daughter of Ramon Pascual, explained what the synchrotron has meant for her family. The general director for Research of the Catalan government, Francesc Subirada, also participated in the event. Ramon Pascual was honoured with a present and thanked the organisation of the event, stressing the enormous potential of the facility and its current needs to continue giving service to more than 1.000 users per year. Between the attendees, there were several members of the scientific and academic areas, represented by universities' rectors, directors of research centres of Catalonia and Spain, members of the management board of the ALBA Synchrotron and also a selection of employees with more years of experience at the facility.
Ramon Pascual de Sans (Barcelona, 1942) studied Physics at the University of Barcelona, where he obtained his degree in 1963. In 1969 he obtained his PhD in the University of Valencia. Specialised in quantum mechanics and theory of elementary particles, he has been professor of Physics in the University of Zaragoza, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he also was rector from 1986 to 1990. He has been honoured with different awards, such as the Narcís Monturiol award in 1991, the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2011 or the Encomienda de Alfonso X El Sabio in 2016. Nowadays, he continues working at the ALBA Synchrotron and the Institute of High Energy Physics (IFAE) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he is emeritus professor, and he is also the president of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona (RACAB) since 2010.
Group photo at the stairs of the Palau de la Generalitat.
