Istinye University (ISU) has become an official collaboration member of the ATLAS Experiment, which is one of the largest particle physics experiments at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the world's largest particle physics research laboratory and scientific discovery center. As the first ‘foundation university’ from Turkiye to participate in the decision-making process for the ATLAS Experiment, ISU shared details of its contributions to the work at CERN during the launch, held on May 31st at ISU Vadi Campus. CERN’s Director for Research and Computing Joachim Mnich and ATLAS Spokesperson Andreas Hoecker attended to the event.
With the aim of strengthening and expanding Turkiye's position on the international science arena, Istinye University (ISU) has become one of the official collaboration institutions of the ATLAS Experiment. ATLAS, one of the largest experiment programs organized by CERN, shapes the future of technology as one of the most important scientific endeavors in the world.
The ISU's official membership in the ATLAS Experiment and its scientific contributions within the field of particle physics at the world's largest particle physics research laboratory CERN, were shared during an informational launch held on May 31st at Istinye University's Vadi Campus. ISU Rector Prof. Dr. Erkan İbiş, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Muharrem Usta, ATLAS Project Leader and National Contact Physicist Prof. Dr. Serkant Ali Çetin, CERN’s Director for Research and Computing Joachim Mnich, ATLAS Spokesperson Andreas Hoecker attended to the event, as well as academicians and students.
"Our work and effort aim to understand the universe by studying its smallest components"
Professor Serkant Ali Çetin, the Head of the Department of Basic Sciences at ISU, commented on the collaboration as follows:
"ISU has been accepted as a full collaboration member of the ATLAS Experiment, which is one of the two largest experiments conducted at the Large Hadron Collider, located in CERN, the world's largest international collaboration laboratory. Until now, Boğaziçi University and Ankara University represented our country at CERN. As the first foundation university, ISU is now part of this group. We set out to achieve success and this membership is our first step. ISU has established a core research team. Our work and effort focuse on understanding the smallest components, the subatomic particles, to comprehend the universe. These are not short-term projects; they require months and even years of work. In collaboration, countries come together to conduct their research. Currently, the ongoing work is fundamental research. The findings obtained are not immediately applicable in daily life, but the knowledge gained here can be utilized in various applications and technologies in the future, which we may not even be ‘aware of’ today. High-energy physics research conducted here has paved the way for many technologies, ranging from tomography devices to radiotherapy and even PET devices used in hospitals. Turkiye has been an associate member of CERN since 2015. Hopefully, we will become a full member of CERN in the nearest future, allowing for broader participation from our country."
"We support physicists as a major healthcare organization"
Highlighting that physics is one of the most important fields of ‘basic sciences’, Dr. Muharrem Usta, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ISU, stated:
"I remember discussing this with Serkant, during a phase of our academic journey: Should we admit undergraduate students to the physics department or not? On that day, we made a decision: Many universities admit undergraduate students in physics. We decided to structure our university to focus on postgraduate education, where the contribution to science is at the most serious level. We wanted to allocate our efforts and time to postgraduate programs, doctoral programs with our experienced team. We wanted ISU to progress in this direction. Of course, this requires having an excellent faculty. We talked about how the team would be, what the budget would be, and what the outcome of this team would be for the long run. We decided that there should be collaboration with public universities at CERN, and ISU became the first foundation university to establish this collaboration. Today, we are together on the occasion of the realization of this collaboration. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this achievement. We want to create something at the university that excels particularly in the field of basic sciences, especially in the field of physics, and becomes a university that makes a name for itself in physics in the future. ISU is not a university that thinks only on a national scale, and in the near future, it will be one of the most successful universities on a universal scale. I also want to emphasize that, as a major healthcare organization, we will support many possible expansions in the field of physics, both domestically and internationally. Physics is at the foundation of medicine, and we stand behind physicists."
"A source of pride for both our university and our country"
Speaking at the opening of the program held at the ISU Vadi Campus Conference Hall, Prof. Dr. Erkan İbiş, Rector of Istinye University, stated the following:
"I am aware of how important the ATLAS Experiment is, which is the result of the collaboration and experience sharing of thousands of distinguished scientists from different countries, hundreds of universities and institutions, and that houses the largest-volume detection system in the world, for humanity and the future. Of course, among the main aims of this initiative are technology, entrepreneurship and people and society. At its core, it is not only about educating future scientists but also about bringing people from different cultures and different countries together towards a common goal. Embracing the richness of diversity is also an integral part of CERN's work. Furthermore, the goals of the work go beyond exploring the universe; they also include improving society's well-being and developing new technologies for a more livable world. Prior to ISU, Boğaziçi University and Ankara University were the two universities representing Turkiye at CERN. ISU now becomes the third university representing our country in this prestigious group. This is a source of pride for both our university and our country. ISU has formed a strong research team. Our aim is to excel in fundamental sciences, particularly in the field of physics, and for ISU to become a university that gains recognition in the field of physics. ISU is not just a ‘national-level’ university; in the near future, it will be one of the most successful universities on a universal scale. I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Serkant Ali Çetin and his team."
"CERN is the world's largest particle physics laboratory"
Joachim Mnich, CERN’s Director for Research and Computing, emphasized the need for intensive technological work and stated:
"CERN is the world's largest particle physics laboratory. What we do at CERN is to construct large-scale particle accelerators and detectors to understand what the universe is and the interactions within it. For this reason, we require intensive technology from different sources. This technology includes both accelerator and detector technology, as well as computer technology for the analysis of data obtained from these sources. I also want to emphasize that we are continuously developing methods. One of the most important examples of this is the technology that is still used in medicine. We believe that ISU, which conducts important research in the field of medicine, will contribute to these studies."
Understanding new types of particles is an important scientific milestone
The ATLAS Experiment, with its large-volume detector system, is the result of the collaboration and experience sharing of thousands of respected scientists from different countries, who have come together to unravel the mysteries of the universe. It examines and interprets the data from the highest-energy proton collisions achieved at the CERN Large Hadron Collider using advanced analysis methods. Through these analyses, precise measurements of knowledge in the field of particle physics, known as the "Standard Model," are conducted, as well as tests of theories beyond the Standard Model, laying the groundwork for establishing a new paradigm. After approximately 15 years since its inception, the ATLAS Experiment is an important scientific milestone for renewing knowledge about fundamental particles at different energy levels and understanding new types of particles.