A group of a hundred 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students from the universities of Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, and Strathclyde, visited Daresbury on Wednesday 8 October to learn about the research carried out in the laboratory as well as the opportunities offered by the Cockcroft Institute for postgraduate training.
The institute’s director, Stewart Boogert, welcomed the students to Cockcroft, while Steve Jamison, from Lancaster University, gave them an introduction to the science and engineering of particle accelerators, their applications, and the research facilities operating in Daresbury.
The students then were given a tour of Daresbury, including the CLARA test accelerator, Dune, and SuRFLab, where they could have a close look at the cutting-edge technology being developed on site and chat with the scientists and technicians running the labs.
After the tour, the students reconvened in the lecture theatre of the Cockcroft where they had the chance to ask more questions to Stewart and Steve. A lively discussion ensued where the students made inquiries about the physics of accelerators, collaborations with other facilities, and PhD opportunities.
Given the success of this visit, the Cockcroft Institute is planning to turn it into a yearly event, with the purpose of recruiting the best students from all UK universities for its PhD programmes.