IONS-8 was hosted by the International OSA Network of Students (IONS) in Moscow, Russia. The event was held at the International Laser Center of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and N.E. Bauman Moscow State Technical University from June 21 to 25. Co-sponsored by the Optical Society of America (OSA), the event delivered professional and technical development programs for students who seek to specialize in the optics and photonics field. The event was arranged by the student members of OSA at the Bauman State Technical University and the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Scientific sessions with the keynote speakers James C. Wyant, the 2010 OSA President, and Vladimir Shalaev, Professor in Purdue University, took place. Poster sessions and student technical talks were also held. Various development programs with speeches from Dmitry Y. Rogozhin, Eurasian Patent Office, Russia, on “intellectual patenting” and Jean-luc Doumont, Principiae, Belgium, on "Making the most of your presentation” also took place.
IONS was first founded in 2006 by several student members during the Frontiers in Optics (FiO), which is the annual meeting of OSA. Until now, 11 IONS meetings have been held since 2006.
Chief Executive Officer of OSA, Elizabeth Rogan, said that OSA's student chapter members have been dedicated in providing valuable learning experiences for its peers.