City of Westminster College students studying A Level Physics took a trip to the Centre for European Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. CERN, which hit global headlines because of its research into the Big Bang using particle accelerators, opened its doors to a group of seven students and two tutors.
City of Westminster College Science Lecturer Anil Babu Katta, who planned and led the trip, said: “CERN is very welcoming, but it takes a long time to organise a visit because there are groups applying from around the world. I first wrote to them with a request on behalf of the College last October.”
The group spent a day touring the facility with their own personal tour guide. They had the chance to meet teams working there and see some of the super-sized equipment used for this cutting-edge research.
Maria Brancato, an A Level student who went on the trip and plans to train as an engineer, said: “It was very exciting. We had a lecture about CERN and were able to take a tour of one of the departments. We also had the chance to see an accelerator from above and life-size models of giant superconducting magnets.”
Lecturer Anil Babu Katta says: “It was a real privilege to visit – and a great way to bring Physics to life and give our students both knowledge of particle accelerator technology, and a better understanding of how the Universe is made.”
City of Westminster College runs a wide range of Science courses, including GCSEs and A Levels in the core subjects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Vocational courses range from Entry to Employment in Science to Masters Degree (MSc) in Clinical Physiology.