Celebrating 20 years of JUAS

Published on 21 May 2014

oPAC Coordinator Prof. Carsten P. Welsch participated in the annual Joint Universities Accelerator School (JUAS) Advisory Board meeting and the special celebrations for the School’s 20th anniversary. Both were held between the 23^rd-25^thApril 2014 in Grenoble at the Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie (LPSC). Whilst the Advisory Board critically reviewed the 2014 schools and agreed on the structure and content of the 2015 JUAS during the first two days, the anniversary event on the Friday brought together more than 100 scientists, lecturers, students and institutional partners to share a special day dedicated to the school. It was an opportunity to look back on the past twenty years and to debate the future.

The morning session was opened by Annick Billebaud, LPSC Director, with welcoming remarks and a brief history of the Laboratory where JUAS was first conceived in the early 1990's. She was followed by Hans Hoffmann, ESI President, who presented the 3 schools organized by the Institute.

Alex Mueller, Research Director at CNRS/IN²P³, then discussed the challenges faced by today's machines and the technology paths currently explored in high energies and high powers.

In his talk, Steve Myers, former CERN Director of Accelerators, made a review of particle accelerators in the 20^th century and those foreseen for the 21^st century with many applications other than in high energy physics.

The coffee and lunch breaks were excellent opportunities to meet colleagues and exchange ideas. After the break, Luigi Palumbo, Director of the Department of Applied Sciences for Engineering at Rome's La Sapienza University, presented a detailed overview of Accelerator training around the world.

Finally, Louis Rinolfi, current JUAS Director, presented the past, present and future of the JUAS School in which he paid tribute to former JUAS Directors and all partners who have made this school such a great success over the last twenty years.

oPAC has supported JUAS during the last years and many oPAC Fellows have had the chance to profit from this first class Accelerators School. During the last year oPAC Fellow Michele Carla stood out being one of the best two students in the final exam and winning a grant to visit IPAC’14.

Next year’s JUAS Advisory Board meeting will be hosted by oPAC at the University of Liverpool/Cockcroft Institute.