CERN Accelerating science

Training and experimenting with the innovators of the future

Education is one of the principal methods by which we can have an impact both within CERN and among the wider society. Sharing know-how brings tangible results, with the opportunity to reach people from multiple backgrounds and specialisations, bringing them together for collaborative learning using a spectrum of teaching formats that have sustainability at their core. Whether it’s early-stage tinkering, encouraging the use of science in other fields or advancing open innovation in unexpected places, the facilities at IdeaSquare empower every kind of student, young  or experienced, scientific or not, that comes our way.

​​IdeaSquare’s student programmes differ from other academic courses thanks to their strong connection to CERN. Indeed, students perceive CERN as a “highly inspiring and motivating place”, and their discussions with CERN scientists and engineers “a special experience”. The fact that they can access CERN technologies in their project application phases —such as in ATTRACT projects— confirms IdeaSquare’s motto, “a licence to dream”, as a true declaration of intent. Because thinking exponentially instead of incrementally is one of the main goals of our educational programmes, the IdeaSquare team has developed its own curriculum entitled Design the Future.

Our decade of educational programmes would not have been possible without 50+ collaborating institutions from 17 countries: