Today, Friday, March 21, authorities from the French Embassy, headed by its Ambassador, Mr. Cyrille Rogeau, and the French Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Action, Mr. Patrick Flot, visited part of the SAPHIR laboratories, located at the Faculty of Exact Sciences of the Universidad Andrés Bello, Casona Las Condes campus.
The representatives of the European country were received by the Dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences UNAB, Dr. Pierre Romagnoli, the Alternate Director of SAPHIR and academic of the PUC, Dr. Francisca Garay, and the Associate Researcher of the institute and academic of the UNAB, Dr. Jilberto Zamora. Also present were members of the project's executive team: Mr. Felipe Olivares, Executive Director, and Mr. Jack Brady, in charge of International Affairs.
The visit of the French ambassador to Chile to our institute of scientific research in particle physics represents a key opportunity to strengthen strategic alliances between both countries in the scientific field. This meeting not only reaffirms the commitment to collaboration in cutting-edge research, but also opens new doors for future joint initiatives, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and resources. The presence of the ambassador symbolizes an important step towards the consolidation of international links that will boost the development of innovative projects, positioning our institute as a global reference in the study of subatomic particles and their applications.
France, as a founding member of CERN and one of the two Host States, has played a key role in the development of particle physics. With a tradition dating back to the Curies and Becquerels, French scientists have made key contributions to major experiments. In addition, the country has been crucial in the advancement of CERN's accelerators, with developments such as the linear injector for LEP and the quadrupoles for the LHC.
