The Joint Universities Accelerator School (JUAS), which has trained over 1,400 students since it opened, celebrated its 30th anniversary recently with an event at CERN’s Science Gateway.
JUAS is an international educational programme established in 1994 and has been attended by many students who have gone on to hold top positions in leading laboratories, companies and in academia.
The school’s participants benefit from lectures, tutorials, practical sessions, and visits to research facilities, gaining hands-on experience and insights from leading particle accelerator specialists.
The 30th anniversary celebrations, held in November 2024, were opened by the current JUAS director and JUAS alumnus Elias Métral, a senior accelerator physicist in CERN's Beams Department.
“I myself attended JUAS as part of my postgraduate studies and the school was an outstanding springboard for my career in particle accelerators,” Métral said. “I owe JUAS a lot and I took on the role of director in 2021 with pride and a firm commitment to ensuring JUAS offers young physicists and engineers a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the discipline.”
“I encourage all those wishing to embark on a career in the fascinating field of particle accelerators to apply to JUAS,” he added.
A key highlight of the event was the launch of the JUAS book, which is aimed at beginners starting out in particle accelerator physics. Over 60 authors contributed their expertise to the book, which is freely available online.
“I am very happy with the book,” Métral said. “With its 2,371 pages, including many exercises and solutions, it should be a valuable resource for future students.”
Métral’s introductory talk was followed by a welcome from the CERN Director of Accelerators and Technology, Mike Lamont, a talk about the origins and history of the accelerator school by former JUAS director (2011-2016) Louis Rinolfi, and contributions by representatives from local authorities, partner universities and sponsors.
In the audience were many JUAS alumni and members of the faculty, as well as representatives from industry.
Carsten P Welsch, head of accelerator science at the University of Liverpool, UK, has been a member of the JUAS Advisory Board since 2011 and has contributed significantly to the school's strategic direction and growth.
He spoke at the event about accelerator science education in the UK and explained how training provided at the Cockcroft Institute – an international centre for accelerator science and technology based just outside Liverpool – applies in an international context.
"Being part of JUAS has been an incredible journey," Welsch said. "Our collaboration has opened doors for our students to engage with world-class experts and cutting-edge research. We are proud to contribute to JUAS's legacy of fostering innovation and international collaboration."
The JUAS school takes place annually at the European Scientific Institute (ESI) in Archamps, near Geneva, and is held in collaboration with CERN, 13 European universities and the LASCALA Erasmus Mundus joint master’s degree, offering a comprehensive curriculum for graduate students and early-career professionals.
The full programme covers essential topics over 10 weeks from January to March, comprising two consecutive courses, which can be taken together or separately. Each course lasts five weeks with approximately 100 hours of lectures backed up by live tutorials, computer sessions and group work. Written examinations enable students to earn European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits from their home university.
A video showcasing 30 years of memories through photos was created for the anniversary and presented at the event.