Four University of Malta students spent two months this summer conducting research at CERN - the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland. Faculty of Science student Denise DeGaetano, IT student Alessio Magro, Faculty of Engineering student Daniel Micallef and Alan Tua, a maths and physics student in the Faculty of Science, joined the CERN Summer Student Programme after being jointly funded by CERN and the university. Nicholas Sammut was instrumental in setting up the studentships.

CERN is the leading particle physics laboratory in the world with 10,000 specialists in physics, engineering and IT visiting each year, representing more than 580 institutions and over 85 nationalities. The organisation recently constructed the largest and most powerful scientific instrument ever constructed by mankind - the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and is conducting 10 years of experiments exploring the very foundations of science by recreating the conditions a few split seconds after the Big Bang.

Tua described the summer programme at CERN as "an absolutely fantastic at what is possibly the world's top research institution.

I worked with a group of scientists performing what is cutting-edge physics at possibly one of the most exciting times for this discipline, and succeeded in giving a tiny contribution to this monumental effort."

Micallef formed part of a team of engineers and operators in the CERN control centre. "Working on state-of-the-art technology is a really amazing experience.

Apart from my own satisfaction, I really do hope that I contributed in a small way to someday make Malta a member state of CERN, as this would open up new frontiers to our professionals," he said.

Magro found his stay at CERN just as enriching: "Taking part in the programme was one of the most satisfying, rewarding and enjoyable experiences of my life. The lectures, the project, the other students, the atmosphere, the place itself, all contributed to making these past two months unforgettable. Personally, the best part of this was the opportunity to mingle with students from all around the world and work in an interesting, high-tech project."

DeGaetano was involved in designing the safety patrol in the CMS experimental cavern and interacting with scientists working on the project to evaluate safety procedures.

She also attended lectures and trips to the other caverns. "This was an unforgettable experience which I was fortunate to share with CERN staff and students from all over the world," she remarked.

For more information on CERN, visit www.cern.ch.