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Higgs Prize for Physics winners begin week-long study at the Large Hadron Collider.

Four Scottish students are spending a week at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

Minister for Learning and Science Alasdair Allan joined the Higgs Prize for Physics winners for their first day of induction at the internationally renowned CERN research facility. The winners will attend lectures and seminars on physics as part of the summer school programme, as well as talking to Scottish researchers about their work at the facility and their careers in physics.

The prize is awarded by the Scottish Government, to the highest performing male and female Advanced Higher Physics candidates from a publicly-funded school.

The four winners are all now studying at university. Eilidh Birse, a former pupil at Boclair Academy in Bearsden, is studying medicine at the University of St Andrews. Former Perth High School pupil Raheem Beg is reading mathematics at the University of Dundee. Julie Lynch and Stuart McGibbon both attended St Ninian’s High School in Giffnock. Julie is now studying mathematics and statistics at the University of Glasgow while Stuart has continued with physics at the University of Glasgow

Dr Allan said:

“I am delighted to join Eilidh, Julie, Stuart and Raheem on this visit to CERN to meet with some of the Scottish scientists working on the research here. While our scientific legacy and heritage are recognised globally, it is vital that we continue to champion the research excellence being driven by talented Scots and Scottish laboratories today.

“We need to celebrate our role models – like Professor Higgs and the others working here at CERN as a result of his work – and show the huge range of opportunities for a career in science and the many different ways into them though colleges, universities, apprenticeships and other placements.

“This study trip is partly a reward for the dedication and hard work Raheem, Julie, Eilidh and Stuart put in, but also an opportunity for our best and brightest to get an insight into what field of career they might want to go into. The Higgs Prize is one of the ways we are supporting pupils to excel and remove any barriers that might prevent them from realising their full potential.”

The prize is named after Scottish-based Nobel Physics Prize winner Professor Peter Higgs, whose work in the field has had a significant impact on modern day particle physics, and rewards pupils who show a particular aptitude for the subject.

The winners met the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Professor Higgs himself at the beginning of the year.

Notes To Editors

Pictures of the First Minister meeting Professor Higgs and the prize winners on January 29th, 2015, are available here.