Science and engineering students to benefit from enhanced ties with CERN

The University has been named as the UK’s first affiliate member of the Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) group at CERN, which operates cutting-edge facilities including the Large Hardon Collider and Open Quantum Institute.

The agreement builds on a relationship between the two institutions spanning almost a decade, allowing Dundee students to participate in placements at CERN. It also includes funding to support students from the University’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Business in undertaking long-term placements at CERN, providing practical learning experiences in research environments.

Professor Robert Keatch is the lead academic for the University’s partnership with CERN, having secured funding for more than 20 student placements in the past four years.

He said, “Affiliate membership status is a huge honour for the University. Not only does it reflect on the high quality of students that have undertaken placements at CERN since 2017, but the high esteem in which our Faculty of Science, Engineering and Business is held.

“Working with the Large Hadron Collider and other CERN programmes provides Dundee students with research experience in international scientific projects. These placements contribute to the students’ academic and professional development. 

“Strengthening our relationship with CERN will allow many more students to advance their learning at the vanguard of modern science.

The University’s involvement with CERN goes back to 2017, when it joined as an Associate University Partner of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the Large Hadron Collider.

 The relationship has allowed the partners to run a series of educational initiatives, including joint PhDs, undergraduate research projects and fully funded student placements, which began in 2021. To date, more than 20 Dundee students from Dundee’s Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Maths, and Physics programmes have enjoyed placements with CERN, before returning to the University to complete their studies.

This new initiative with the RPC group means that, as an affiliate member, the University will establish a formal relationship with one of the main detector groups at CERN, which will provide funding for placements for Dundee students. 

The relationship between the University and CERN will strengthen further, with a remote test facility to be established at Dundee. This will assist with other research projects directly linked to the RPC’s which SSEN students have been involved with manufacturing and testing.