Date and place
The first CSC in Latin America 2026 is organized by CERN in collaboration with the SAPHIR Millenium Institute and will be hosted by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile at the Lo Contador Campus. The school will take place from 11-24th of January 2026 in Santiago, Chile!
Students should aim to arrive in Santiago by afternoon or early evening of Sunday 11th of January 2026 and leave on Saturday 24th of January morning. The tuition (lectures, exercises, and other part of the official programme) will take place from Monday 12th of January and will end by a closing dinner on Friday 23 January.
We will be accommodated at the RQ Hotel Santa Magdalena, Providencia, a 15 min walk from the Lo Contador Campus.
All lectures and exercises will take place at the Lo Contador Campus.
Applications and selection
The School is intended for postgraduate students (i.e., those with at least a Bachelor's degree or equivalent), as well as engineers and scientists with a few years of experience in particle physics, computing, or related fields.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and engaging learning environment, and we encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Applications are welcomed regardless of nationality, gender, age, ethnic background, beliefs, sexual orientation, or disability.
We particularly welcome applications from scientists and engineers affiliated with CERN or institutions involved in CERN experiments, as well as those working in related research areas. Selection is based on merit and the potential benefit to each applicant.
For this edition of the School, a larger number of spots will be reserved for students from Latin American institutes, in the event that applications exceed available spaces. Our goal is to maintain a diverse and balanced group of participants, as building international connections within the high-energy physics (HEP) community is one of the key benefits of the program.
Students who have previously attended Thematic CERN Schools of Computing and wish to deepen their understanding of the topics covered in this School are also encouraged to apply.
The deadline for application is October 1st 2025.
To apply, please fill in the application form and provide the requested information. We encourage applicants to submit their application as early as possible as we have limited places we might be forced to close the registration if we are getting too many applications.
In order to login, you may use a CERN account, an EduGAIN-enabled account, or a public service account (GitHub, Google, Facebook or LinkedIn account). Alternatively, you can create a CERN lightweight account, and then login with your email ("Guess access"). You will also need to create an Indico account during the application process, if you do not already have one.
Applicants should ensure that they have:
- completed the application form online, and
- uploaded a signed formal letter of reference (on formal headed paper from the applicant's institute/organization) from their professor or supervisor. (If you are a CERN employee, we accept a mail from your supervisor, sent to the CSC team, not later than the last day of application).
- If your professor or supervisor does not wish to provide you with a letter directly, s/he can email us your letter of reference instead. This should be sent directly to Computing.School@cern.ch, with the subject: Reference CSC Latin America 2026: [name of applicant]
The letter of reference needs to be received by the school (whether uploaded or emailed) by Wednesday 1st of October at the latest.
This reference letter is a crucial part of your application for the School. It is your responsibility to ensure we receive it in due time.
The number of participants is limited to 60. As we usually receive many more applications than places available, only selected applicants are invited to attend the school.
Participant selection is done by members of the CSC Advisory + Programme Committee, and is based on the profile and the motivation of the applicants. The goal of this competitive process is to select participants who have enough education and work experience to profit fully from the school, and for whom the academic programme of the school is relevant to their work or research.
Applicants will be informed of the selection decision no later than Wednesday 15th of October.
Selected applicants will receive an invitation letter from the school via Indico. Payment of the registration fee will confirm your place, at which point you will be considered a participant.
Insurance
Participants must have health and accident cover that includes adequate protection (including emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation in case of illness or accident), and against disability or death resulting from illnesses and accidents, for the country in which the School takes place.
Participants shall hold CERN free and harmless from any cost or expense resulting from the situation where adequate insurance cover is not in place.
Travel
Santiago, also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of 7 million, representing 40% of Chile's total population. (Wikipedia)
The closest international airport to Santiago is Santiago International Airport, Chile. From here, you can easily reach the hotel by Taxi or bus within 20-30 min.
More information about how to reach the hotel will be posted closed to the event.
You should arrive at the SQ Hotel Santa Magdalena for registration during the afternoon or early evening of Sunday 11 January 2026.
You are responsible for organising your own travel to and from the School location. The School does not organize travel tickets for participants. The travel cost to and from the School is not included in the school fee.
Once your application is accepted and you get an invitation letter, we strongly encourage you to make your travel arrangements without delay.
It is your responsibility to obtain any visa that may be required in order for you to travel to the host country and participate in the school. The cost of a visa is not included in the school fee.
If you require a visa to enter the Chile, please contact the organisers of the school without delay at Computing.School@cern.ch, so that a Letter of Invitation may be organised by the host institute. Without such a letter, you may not be able to apply for a visa successfully.
Accommodation and meals
Participants will be housed in the SQ Hotel Santa Magdalena in twin rooms.
If you have any accessibility requirements, please e-mail us at Computing.School@cern.ch and we will be in touch to discuss options.
Accommodation from 11 January until 24th of January is included in the School fee. Check in at the hotel starts at 15.00 and Check out is at 10.
All meals are included in the School fee. The first meal will be the dinner on Sunday 11 January, and the last meal will be breakfast on Saturday 24 of January.
Dinners will mostly be served at the restaurant Nicolas of the SQ Santa Magdalena Hotel, lunches will be served at the Lo Contador Campus Cafeteria, vegetarian options will be available. Social dinners will be taking place at local restaurants.
We will ask you in your acceptance form about any specific dietary requirements you may have, and do our best to accommodate accordingly, given the local catering options available.
