The Charles Haenny Prize for Physics is supported by an endowment of Prof. Charles Haenny (1906-1999), professor of Physics at the University of Lausanne from 1943 to 1972. He has made important contributions in the field of experimental particle and nuclear physics.
With his endowment, Prof. Haenny wished to promote research in Physics based on an ethic of international collaboration and sought to inhibit the use of scientific knowledge for malicious goals.
Prize history
The endowment of Prof. Haenny has been made to the Société Académique Vaudoise (SAV) who manages the funds. Initially, the Association Vaudoise des Chercheurs en Physique (AVCP) was put in charge of distinguishing deserving young physicists with a Prix Charles Haenny. Six prizes were awarded in the period 1999-2005.
The AVCP having become inactive, the Institute of Physics of EPFL has taken the organisation of the prize over to honour the will of Prof. Haenny.