2014 is the 60th Anniversary of the formation of CERN. The Duke represented The Queen on 29th September, 2014 at a ceremony marking the event. Support for British Science is a core area of The Duke’s work.
CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, CERN is on the border between France and Switzerland. Numerous experiments have been constructed at CERN following international collaborations, including the Large Hadron Collider, which assisted in the discovery of the Higgs Boson Particle. CERN is also the home of the World Wide Web, first created by British scientist, Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989.
HRH was met on arrival at CERN by Head of the Beams Department, Dr Paul Collier where he received a briefing on CERN’s activities. The Duke was then given a tour around the CMS Experimental Area. CMS is an experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and was vital in the discovery of the elusive Higgs Boson. The Duke met with young British Scientists at the event to discuss their work and contributions to science at CERN.
HRH reflected, in his speech, on the importance of CERN and the collaboration between different countries for the progress of science.
“Visionary leadership and a determination to maintain scientific excellence has been the bedrock of CERNs success.”
“You have inspired many but I know you will continue to inspire many more in the future.”
On 30th September, The Duke visited the Centre de Formation Professionelle Technique (CPFT) to understand more about Swiss Technical Training.