The University of Bath's Chancellor, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, visited CERN in Geneva this week to learn more about the pioneering research taking place at the world's leading particle physics laboratory. During the visit, he met members of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) collaboration, including researchers and students from the University of Bath, which became a full member of the experiment earlier this year.

His Royal Highness also met the Director-General of CERN, Professor Mark Thomson, along with members of the international CMS collaboration to hear about the pioneering research taking place at the facility. He travelled underground to visit the CMS detector and tunnel complex, gaining a first-hand insight into the scale of the experiment and the work being undertaken by University of Bath researchers and engineers.

The CMS experiment is one of the world’s largest and longest-running scientific experiments, bringing together scientists and engineers from around the world to investigate the fundamental particles of the universe.

The Duke also met members of the University's CERN community, including researchers and students working on CMS-related projects to learn about the innovations they are helping to advance.

Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, said:

"Becoming a full member of the CMS collaboration marks a significant step forward for the University. Our academics and students are contributing to discoveries at the frontiers of science, and we were delighted to see that work recognised through The Duke of Edinburgh's visit."

Dr Alexander Lunt, CMS and CERN Affiliation Lead at the University of Bath, said:

"It was a pleasure to share with The Duke of Edinburgh the work our teams are carrying out at CERN. Our involvement in CMS reflects the dedication and expertise of our researchers, engineers and students, and creates exciting opportunities to contribute to discoveries at the forefront of particle physics. The Duke's visit was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the University's impact within the international scientific community."

The visit formed part of The Duke of Edinburgh's ongoing engagement with the University's research community and recognised Bath's contribution to international research.