Santiago, July 19, 2023 - Today, President Gabriel Boric made a historic visit to CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland. On this occasion, leading scientists from the Saphir Institute had the honor of being present and sharing our country's scientific advances with the president.
During President Boric's visit, Saphir's Alternate Director, Francisca Garay, had the opportunity to accompany him in the control room of the ATLAS experiment and to inform him about SAPHIR's collaboration with the CERN experiments. Garay highlighted the commitment and dedication of Chilean scientists in the search for new knowledge in the field of particle physics and also valued the President's recognition of the work of Chilean researchers in the development of the world's largest experiments.
In addition to learning about SAPHIR's scientific advances, President Boric also had the opportunity to see the detectors developed by our institute specifically for the experiments carried out at CERN. These detectors represent a significant achievement in Chile's contribution to international scientific research.
In a historic announcement, President Boric expressed his support and commitment to process Chile's accession as an Associate Member State of CERN. This measure demonstrates the recognition of our country's scientific work and will further strengthen the participation of Chilean researchers in cutting-edge projects.
"Science and technology are fundamental pillars for Chile's development. Our country has renowned scientists and a great potential in the field of research. As a government, we are committed to support and enhance these efforts, always seeking progress and excellence in the scientific field," said President Boric during his visit to CERN.
Finally Gary added "The scientific community of SAPHIR celebrates this important step towards the integration of Chile in the international scientific arena and we appreciate the support provided by President Boric in promoting research and technological development in our country".