CERN-Solvay student camp 5

19 Apr 2026, 14:00 → 25 Apr 2026, 17:00 Europe/Zurich

Guillaume Durey, Ruadh Duggan (Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht)

The CERN-Solvay student camps are residential camps for high school students aged 16+ who are curious about CERN and want to learn more about fundamental research in particle physics. For an entire week on site, participants will have the exciting opportunity to do hands-on experiments, visit research facilities at CERN, attend lectures and Q&A sessions, explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers, and take part in social activities. All participants will work in small groups on dedicated research projects guided by volunteers from CERN’s scientific community. The camps will be entirely in English. They will be attended by 36 high school students from all over the world. This is the agenda for the fifth camp, which will take place from 19 April - 25 April 2026. 

More information & application form: https://cern.ch/solvay-camp

Sunday 19 April

14:00 → 19:00 Welcome to CERN!

14:00 Arrive at CERN & check-in at CERN hotel

Check-in is possible as of 14:00. If you arrive earlier, you can leave your luggage at the hotel reception.

17:00 Welcome reception

Main Auditorium booked from 16.30 - 21.30

Speaker: Ruadh Duggan (Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht)

17:45 Discover CERN Treasure Hunt

19:00 → 20:00 Dinner

20:00 → 21:30 Introductory remarks

20:00 Walk

20:15 Introductory remarks

Speaker: Ruadh Duggan (Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht)

Monday 20 April

08:00 → 09:15 Registration & breakfast

All students: Bring your identity document with you.

Group 1
8:00-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-9:00 Registration

Group 2
8:00-8:30 Registration
8:30-9:00 Breakfast

09:15 → 12:45 Introduction to CERN

09:15 Walk

09:30 Lecture: Introduction to CERN

Speaker: Dr Julia Woithe

10:45 Walk

11:00 Lab Workshop: Electron Beams

Speaker: Berare Gokturk (Bogazici University (TR), CERN)

11:00 Synchrocyclotron and ATLAS Visitor Center

Group 1 - Milena Vujanovic
11:00-11:40 Synchrocyclotron
11:40-11:50 Walk to AVC
11:50-12:30 ATLAS Control Room

Group 2
11:00-11:40 ATLAS Control Room
11:40-11:50 Walk to SC
11:50-12:30 Synchrocyclotron

Speaker: Milena Vujanovic (University of Leeds)

12:30 Walk

12:45 → 13:45 Lunch break

13:45 → 17:15 Workshops & Lectures

13:45 Walk

14:00 Lab Workshop: Electron Beams

14:00 Synchrocyclotron and ATLAS Visitor Centre

Group 1 - Milena Vujanovic
14:00-14:40 Synchrocyclotron
14:40-14:50 Walk to AVC
14:50-15:30 ATLAS Control Room

Group 2
14:00-14:40 ATLAS Control Room
14:40-14:50 Walk to SC
14:50-15:30 Synchrocyclotron

Speaker: Milena Vujanovic (University of Leeds)

15:30 Break

16:00 Lecture: Introduction to Particle Accelerators

Speaker: Rende Steerenberg (CERN)

18:00 → 19:30 Dinner

19:30 → 20:30 Social activities

Tuesday 21 April

08:45 → 12:15 Workshops & Lectures

08:45 Walk

09:00 Lab Workshop: Cloud chamber

Speakers: Filippa Dalesjo (University of Copenhagen (DK)), Dr Jorge Andres Villa Velez

10:15 Break

10:30 Lecture: Introduction to Particle Detectors

Speaker: David Barney (CERN)

12:00 Walk

12:15 → 13:15 Lunch break

13:15 → 18:00 Lectures & Visits

13:15 Walk

13:30 Lecture: The Standard Model

Speaker: Silke Van Der Schueren (CERN)

14:45 Break

15:00 Visit: CMS

18:00 → 19:30 Dinner

19:30 → 21:30 Movie night: Particle Fever

Wednesday 22 April

08:45 → 12:00 Lectures

08:45 Walk

09:00 Lecture: The ATLAS Particle Detector (Part 1)

Speaker: Clara Nellist (University of Amsterdam and Nikhef (NL))

10:15 Break

10:30 Lecture: The ATLAS Particle Detector (Part 2)

Speaker: Clara Nellist (University of Amsterdam and Nikhef (NL))

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch break

13:00 → 13:45 CERN people bingo

13:45 → 17:20 Visits

13:45 Walk

14:00 Visit: 1.Low Energy Ion Ring (LEIR/LINAC2)

Group 1
14:00-15.00 LEIR/LINAC
15:00-15:10 Walk to AD
15:10-16:00 Antimatter Factory
16:00-16:10 Walk to Data Centre
16:10-17:00 Data Centre Visitor Point

Group 2
14:00-15.00 Antimatter Factory
15:00-15:10 Walk to Data Centre
15:10-16:00 Data Centre Visitor Point
16:00-16:10 Walk to LEIR/LINAC
16:10-17:00 LEIR/LINAC

14:00 Visit: 2.Antimatter Factory

Group 2
14:00-15.00 Antimatter Factory
15:00-15:10 Walk to Data Centre
15:10-16:00 Data Centre Visitor Point
16:00-16:10 Walk to LEIR/LINAC
16:10-17:00 LEIR/LINAC

Speakers: Julia Ines Jaeger (MPIK, Heidelberg University (DE)), Milena Vujanovic (University of Leeds)

15:00 Walk

15:10 Visit: 1.Antimatter Factory

Speakers: Julia Ines Jaeger (MPIK, Heidelberg University (DE)), Milena Vujanovic (University of Leeds)

15:10 Visit: 2.Data Centre Visitor Point

16:00 Walk

16:10 Visit: 1.Data Centre Visitor Point

16:10 Visit: 2.Low Energy Ion Ring

18:30 → 20:00 Dinner

Thursday 23 April

08:30 → 12:30 Project Day: Morning Session

08:30 ELISA

Bring a laptop

Speaker: Berare Gokturk (Bogazici University (TR), CERN)

09:00 Data Acquisition

Speaker: Markus Joos (CERN)

09:00 Polymer Lab

Prévessin site – pack your lunch in R1 before you go
Take shuttle bus #5 which departs at 8:53 in front of the Hotel
Get off in front of Building 927 and meet your supervisors there

Speakers: Roland Piccin (CERN), Sebastien Clement (CERN)

09:00 Theory workshop

Speaker: Silke Van Der Schueren (CERN)

13:30 → 17:00 Project Day: Afternoon Session

13:30 Data Acquisition

Speaker: Markus Joos (CERN)

13:30 ELISA

Speaker: Berare Gokturk (Bogazici University (TR), CERN)

13:30 Polymer Lab

Speakers: Roland Piccin (CERN), Sebastien Clement (CERN)

13:30 Theory Workshop

Speaker: Silke Van Der Schueren (CERN)

18:00 → 19:00 Dinner

19:00 → 20:30 Edit your videos

Friday 24 April

09:00 → 12:45 Workshop & Lecture

09:00 Lab Workshop: Superconductivity

10:30 Walk

10:45 Solvay Lectures

12:30 Walk

12:45 → 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 → 18:00 Final Session

14:00 Walk

14:15 Q&A: Big science questions

15:15 Break

15:30 International gift swapping game

16:30 Break

16:45 Review of project day videos and closing ceremony

18:30 → 21:30 Bowling & Pizza

18:30 Tram to Balexert

19:00 Bowling & Pizza

Saturday 25 April

09:00 → 11:00 Breakfast & departures

09:00 → 17:00 Science Gateway Exhibitions

You are invited to visit the Science Gateway Exhibitons on your own, at any time throughout the day, as you wait to depart for the airport :)

11:00 → 12:00 Latest possible hotel check-out