Science-loving students see their dreams come to life at one of the world’s largest labs

When Japanese high school student Yuzuka Sasaki got to spend two weeks last year at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, commonly known as Cern, in Switzerland, it was a dream come true.

The world’s largest particle physics research facility, it is the birthplace of the World Wide Web, research that led to touchscreens and other breakthroughs.

“It was my first time out of Japan, and I was very excited to be there. It was like being a scientist for two weeks, and that is the thing I always wanted to do,” she recalls.

“We were learning many things, like measuring cosmic rays and using Cern’s data acquisition system, but also making mistakes, talking with researchers, and being allowed to play and discover.”

Yuzuka was among three teams of high school students that had won the annual Beamline for Schools competition. It is organised by the Cern & Society Foundation, Cern’s outreach centre, to encourage young people’s interest in science, and supported by Swiss watchmaker Rolex as part of its longstanding partnership with Cern.

To take part, teams of high school students propose an experiment they want to perform at a beamline, which is part of a particle accelerator. The teams with the three best proposals win a trip to Cern or the German Electron Synchrotron, also commonly known as Desy, to carry them out. Competition is tough, with 461 groups from 78 countries participating last year.

Besides Yuzuka’s team, Sakura Particles, the other two winners were Team Mavericks from Estonia; and Team Speeders from the US.

Mr Markus Joos, the Beamline for Schools programme’s technical coordinator, notes that the experience moulds young scientists: “We expose them to all the problems that professionals must solve. Also, young scientists quickly get specialised, but here, they do everything, from electronics to communication. The students grow. For me, that’s as important as scientific knowledge.”

The Beamline for Schools programme is just one way that Rolex and Cern are collaborating to inspire and groom new generations of scientific explorers. The two organisations’ connection dates back to 1956, when Cern scientists were asked to informally test a new Rolex watch, a precision piece crafted to withstand powerful magnetic forces, like those in Cern’s particle accelerators.

Since then, a shared commitment to exploration, innovation and precision has bound them for nearly 70 years. Today, Rolex is the title partner of the Cern & Society Foundation, and its Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative supports the foundation’s mission to raise awareness of the ground-breaking work being done at Cern.

Putting science in people’s hands

Rolex’s support extends to the foundation’s other educational efforts, such as scholarships, technology transfer programmes involving young scientists globally and Sparks – a project that facilitates collaborations across disciplines.

All these aim to bring youths closer to science and allow them to think, plan and work like scientists.

Moreover, Rolex supported the construction of Cern’s carbon-neutral Science Gateway centre, which opened in 2023.

The public can visit and take in interactive exhibitions; get hands-on with experiments in working laboratories; sit in on talks in a 900-person lecture hall; and join more activities designed to ignite curiosity about the world’s workings.

So far, the centre has welcomed over 400,000 people from more than 170 nations.

Ms Anastasia Tezari, a science educator at the centre, says: “The world should know what’s happening at Cern because, every day, we find out something new and get one step closer to finding out how the universe was created, and how everything around us works.

“Most people might think it’s difficult to visit Cern, but with the Science Gateway, everyone can come here and get to explore and be curious. We want to spark curiosity. One of the students who comes here to do a workshop with us might come up with a very bright new idea that changes the way we see science and the way we do things.”

What people learn at the centre could also light a fire in them to pursue science for the benefit of the planet.

Beamline for Schools winner Yuzuka shares: “Cern is very conscious about the environment. They’re not only thinking about science here, they’re thinking about the Earth, they’re thinking about our future.”

The takeaways from the centre could easily apply to other parts of life too. Ms Raudh Duggan, a science show developer for the facility, explains: “Science teaches you how to approach problems, how to gather information and evidence, and how to draw conclusions from it. This approach is really useful in any area of life.”

For Mr Joos, Cern’s wide variety of outreach initiatives, from the Beamline for Schools programme to the Science Gateway, are about opening the door for more people, especially younger generations, to enter science. He stresses: “We need people who have passion and dedication, but these people have to be given opportunities.”

Stepping stones to lives in science

To this end, Rolex’s aid has been pivotal. Ms Charlotte Lindberg Warakaulle, Cern’s director for international relations, notes: “Cern has been able to reach and educate more young people at a level that wouldn’t have been possible without Rolex. As a partner, and a longstanding partner, Rolex has had a profound impact on our ability to engage the public in our work.”

She points out that “curiosity is a fuel that drives us forward as humans”, a belief shared by Rolex too. For nearly a century, the watchmaker has been supporting pioneering explorers to push the boundaries of human endeavour, beginning from when it equipped the 1953 British expedition that saw Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay summit Mount Everest.

With climate change and other problems threatening the world’s natural ecosystems, Rolex has shifted from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet, committing for the long term to empower individuals and organisations that are using science to illuminate and address today’s environmental challenges.

It reinforced this engagement in 2019 with its Perpetual Planet Initiative, which initially focused on the Rolex Awards and longstanding partnerships with the National Geographic Society and Mission Blue. Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle, who is also a Rolex Testimonee, founded and leads the latter organisation to explore and protect oceans.

The Initiative now has a diverse and growing portfolio of over 30 partnerships, concentrating on ocean conservation, wilderness protection and the living world’s preservation, including with Rewilding Argentina and Rewilding Chile, which protect landscapes in South Africa, Under The Pole expeditions for underwater exploration, and the Rolex Awards.

Rolex also advances organisations and initiatives fostering the next generations of explorers, scientists and conservationists through scholarships and grants. These span the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and The Rolex Explorers Club Grants that nurture talented young people and enable them to gain experience in their chosen fields, and more.

In the meantime, Rolex and the Cern & Society Foundation are continuing their important work: stoking the curiosity of intrepid future scientific explorers and laying the stepping stones for lives steeped in science and exploration, to empower more people to solve the challenges of both today and tomorrow.

We The Earth