Manuel López, Master's student in Physics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and member of the Millennium Institute SAPHIR, was selected to participate in the prestigious Summer School on Particle Physics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Summer School on Particle Physics which will be organized by the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. This instance, recognized as one of the most outstanding in its area, will gather every year advanced doctoral students and even postdoctoral students from all over the world.
Being accepted into this school represents an important milestone for Manuel, who is academically guided by Professor Giovanna Cottin, associate researcher at the SAPHIR Millennium Institute and academic at the UC Institute of Physics. "It is a great pride and a surprise, considering the competitiveness of these applications. When I received the invitation letter, I stopped to assimilate what I was reading," she says.
Beyond the specific knowledge he will gain during school, Manuel highlighted the symbolic and motivational value that this achievement represents in his academic training: "This achievement has an intrinsic value for me: it will make me feel more prepared to face greater challenges and to propel my career into the international arena. At the same time, it is a great academic motivation for me, as I begin to see the fruits of my labor. Although, of course, this is not something individual, since it would not have been possible without the support of Prof. Giovanna Cottin and Dr. Bastián Díaz".
Regarding his expectations for this instance, Manuel says he hopes to deepen his knowledge in Theoretical Physics, the area of specialization of the ICTP: "I will be fully expecting to be able to learn or deepen in areas of physics that will be useful in my research. In addition, I hope to form links with high-level colleagues and professors, with whom collaborations could arise, particularly considering that I will already have to think about applications and what I will want to do during a PhD".
In addition, this experience marks a special moment in his personal life: "This is the first time I leave the country, and in a way, all thanks to Physics, so I want to take advantage and get to know a bit of Italy, ideally, together with the colleagues I meet in this activity".
Manuel's participation in this international school reaffirms the commitment of the Millennium Institute SAPHIR and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile to excellence in the training of new scientists, generating opportunities for its students to link with the main academic networks in the world.