About us

A Brief History of the Institutes

Following the legendary 1911 Conseil Solvay on Radiation and the Quanta chaired by Lorentz, the International Solvay Institute for Physics was founded by Ernest Solvay in 1912. As stated in its governing rules, its first mission was to "promote research, the purpose of which is to enlarge and deepen the understanding of natural phenomena". The main goal of the Institute was thus the development of physics, "without excluding problems belonging to other areas of science provided that these are connected with physics".

The International Solvay Institute for Chemistry was founded by Ernest Solvay in 1913, with the similar goal of promoting the advancement of chemistry. The first Conseil Solvay de Chimie on Five Topical Questions in Chemistry took place only after the First World War, in 1922.

The support to science of both Institutes took the form of grants to Belgian researchers, fellowships to exceptional students, "extraordinary grants" to outstanding (Belgian or foreign) researchers and organization of the celebrated "Conseils Solvay" (Solvay Conferences). It is this last activity that has contributed most to the international fame of both Institutes.

In 1970, the International Solvay Institute for Physics and the International Solvay Institute for Chemistry merged into the "International Institutes for Physics and Chemistry, founded by Ernest Solvay". The goals of promoting the advancement of physics, chemistry and related areas through international cooperation and the organization of international conferences were re-asserted. Ilya Prigogine, Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and 1977 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, was their first director until his death in 2003.

A total of 23 Solvay Conferences in Physics and 20 Solvay Conferences in Chemistry have taken place, most of them in Brussels , according to the tradition initiated by Lorentz.

In 2004, it was decided to extend the activities of the Institutes through the organization of Solvay Chairs, workshops, focused meetings and colloquia.