Punjab University, CERN to work jointly on research projects

LAHORE : Punjab University and European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) will work jointly on various research projects as the CERN task force expressed its enthusiasm to involve PhD students of PU in ongoing high energy physics experiments.

European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) is one of the world's largest and most respected centres for scientific research which probes the fundamental structure of the particles that make up everything using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments.

European Council for Nuclear Research investigates what is the nature of our universe and what is it made of.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan became the first non-European country to become Associate Member of CERN in 2015 while India at that time could not become its member, which speaks the level of advancement and expertise of Pakistani scientists in the relevant fields despite India’s heavy investment in the relevant fields. Later, India became its Associate Member in 2017.

To establish research collaboration with CERN, an online meeting was arranged in the office of the PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad with the five-member task force of European Council for Nuclear Research, Geneva, Switzerland for five-year review of Associate Membership of Pakistan.

The meeting was arranged in collaboration with European Council for Nuclear Research Secretariat and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Islamabad.

The members of the task force included Ms Charlotte Warakaulle, CERN Director for International Relations, Prof Dr Dirk Rychbosch, European Council for Nuclear Research Council Delegate for Belgium, Prof Dr Joachim Mnich European Council for Nuclear Research Director for Research and Computing, Prof Dr Emmanuel Tsesmelis, CERN head of relations for non-member states and Mr Andrzej Charkiewicz, European Council for Nuclear Research Experimental Physics Department. From Punjab University, Dean Faculty of Science Prof Dr Muhammad Sharif, Chairman Physics Department Prof Dr Mahmood-ul-Hassan, Director Centre for High Energy Physics Prof Dr Bilal Masud and Director Centre for Solid State Physics Prof Dr Saira Riaz were present.

Prof Dr Mahmood-ul-Hassan made a short presentation on the introduction to the university, its science and technology programmes.

The meeting also discussed various areas of mutual collaboration in the fields of theoretical and experimental high energy physics.

They also emphasised a larger participation of Pakistani universities in research activities of European Council for Nuclear Research . The meeting also discussed possibilities of a long-term collaboration of Punjab University with CERN as part of Pakistan’s Associate Membership of European Council for Nuclear Research.

It is also pertinent to mention that a delegation of scientists from Punjab University consisting of Prof Dr Muhammad Sharif, Dr Mahmood-ul-Hassan and Dr Bilal Masud visited European Council for Nuclear Research in 2019 to discuss various possibilities of mutual collaboration and training of students.