The Hands-On Research in Complex Systems Schools are designed to introduce graduate students and young faculty from developing countries to table-top scientific research on problems at the frontiers of science. Experiments on physical, chemical, and biological systems are conducted with modern yet inexpensive digital instrumentation, and the laboratory work is complemented by mathematical modeling and data analysis using Matlab.
Each day for two weeks, small groups of 4-5 participants and two instructors work closely together. The close interactions lead to subsequent exchange visits and scientific collaborations. The participants are able to introduce new tools and demonstrations into the classroom and teaching laboratories, and to use these new tools in their own research. Thus the Hands-On Schools foster the development of scientific leaders in less developed countries.