UPES, a university located in Dehradun, has recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Switzerland. This collaborative initiative aims to reshape the landscape of particle physics research, with UPES assuming a crucial role in the Future Circular Collider (FCC) project, the successor to CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, renowned as the world’s most potent particle accelerator, according to an official release.
The university claims that it will actively contribute to the creation of software and particle detectors for the FCC project. Distinguished UPES researchers will lead this project. The innovative FCC project is slated to be housed in a circular tunnel, situated 100-400 metres beneath the France-Switzerland border, spanning 91-kilometre distance between the two nations. The project also encompasses a comprehensive feasibility study evaluating geological, technical, environmental, and administrative aspects of both the tunnel and its surface areas, the release mentioned.
This partnership is believed to open unprecedented opportunities for students and faculty members, offering them the chance to participate in cutting-edge research, gain hands-on experience in particle physics and collaborate with the global scientific community at CERN. It further underscores the shared commitment of both institutions to push the boundaries of scientific exploration, aligning with the university’s significant contributions to other prominent particle physics projects such as ‘Belle’ and ‘Belle II,’ it mentioned.
Furthermore, UPES has also established the Belle II GRID Computing Centre on its campus. The ‘Belle II’ project is an international endeavour situated in an underground facility at KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation) in Japan. Through this initiative, the university has joined the GRID Computing Club, collaborating with institutions from the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Russia, Japan, Korea, Australia and more. This laboratory focuses on integrating and distributing GRID technology, connecting computing resources globally and fostering innovation in scientific research, as per the release.