Bengaluru: CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, which serves as the biggest laboratory for scientists from 111 countries, is exploring new collaborations with Indian industries, says Dr Fabiola Gianotti, the first woman director general of one of the world’s largest and most respected centres for scientific research.
During her visit to Bengaluru to address budding scientists at ‘Vigyan Samagam’, an exhibition jointly organized by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science & Technology (DST), and the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), she told the media that India had been contributing to various programmes at CERN—computing, power supply systems, hi-tech components, and high precision mechanics to name a few—and that the organisation was currently in discussion with many more industries. “There is a lot of in-kind contribution from India, and we are now exploring new collaborations with the industries. And of course, we will be working with scientists,” she added.
She said India, an associate member at CERN since 2017, contributes 1.1per cent of the total annual budget of 12,000 million Swiss Francs of the organisation, while the number of scientists from the country constitutes 2.2 per cent of 18,000-odd people working at the facility in Geneva. India, however, could increase its contribution though 1.1 per cent of the total annual budget matches that of all associate members, she said in response to a question.
During her lecture, she remarked “There are 18,000 scientists, belonging to 111 nationalities at CERN, and 400 of them are from India. Most of these 400 are from institutes within India, while some also come through affiliations of other premier institutes from across the world, mostly the US.”
On the high school teachers training programme at CERN, she said every year about 1,000 teachers use the facilities and expertise at the organisation, but there are very few from India. “India can do a lot better in this aspect. Training of high school teachers is very important if we have to instill the spirit of science among students,” she added.
