After two years of online courses, CERN Accelerator School (CAS) students finally went back off-screen to learn more about the basics of general accelerator physics and technology. From 9th to 13th May 2022, 80 people from 20 different nationalities gathered in Appart’City in Ferney-Voltaire (FR) to attend CAS Basics of Accelerator Physics and Technology, which was the first non-residential CAS course held in presence since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This five-day course, once dedicated to CERN employees only, is now open to anyone with a strong interest in the accelerator field. This year, it attracted a large number of people from a variety of foreign institutes, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The course gives the opportunity to review the core topics of accelerator physics with a special emphasis on CERN machines and CERN application to all those who have not yet attended one of the regular CAS courses, and it allows to create a stimulating environment where students and lecturers can exchange ideas and connect with each other. “The students were particularly attentive, curious, and enthusiastic, which created the perfect conditions for discussion and exchange” added Frank Tecker, the new Director of the CERN Accelerator School.

This edition also marked the start of recordings for CASopedia, the new video encyclopaedia project that aims to record and catalogue all CAS lectures to help the future students.

Next stop on the CAS journey is the Introduction to Accelerator Physics from 18th September to 1st October 2022 in Kaunas (LT), that was chosen as European Capital of Culture 2022 and is home to one of the most important technology institutes in the Baltic area.

You can find more information on CAS courses and how to apply on the CERN Accelerator School’s official websiteand LinkedIn profile.