Campus Notes

Young researchers to benefit from new partnership with German accelerator facility

Participants in a Zoom meeting

Saint Mary’s University and GSI recently signed a new mobility program agreement to promote research collaborations.

Promoting exchanges and training opportunities for students and early-stage researchers is at the heart of a new mobility program agreement recently signed by the university. The agreement promotes academic and research collaborations between the two signees, Saint Mary's University (SMU) and GSI/FAIR, an accelerator facility in Darmstadt, Germany.

Researchers working at FAIR/GSI use radioactive ion beams for exploring fundamentals of nuclei to understand nature's strong force, creation of elements and conditions in exotic cosmic environments such as neutron stars and supernovae. Some of the methods also give information for nuclear medicine applications.

Their work is on experiments using the accelerator facility, which involves working on a variety of state-of-the-art radiation detectors and electronics. They also will be developing and working on software for data analysis and simulations. The GET_INvolved Programme at GSI provides international students and early stage researchers with opportunities to perform internships, traineeships and early-stage research experience in order to get involved in the international FAIR accelerator project while receiving scientific and technical training.

This agreement between the Canadian university and the German accelerator facility is exciting news to researchers and undergraduate and graduate students who will have the opportunity to further their education and research by collaborating at this world-class facility.

“This new partnership between Saint Mary’s University and our colleagues at GSI/FAIR represents our shared commitment to international research and collaboration,” says Saint Mary’s University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “As scholars, we are linked by our desire to create knowledge, to explore frontiers and to demonstrate the significance of discovery and innovation to civil society.”

“Our partnership is built around these shared values and our acknowledgement of the importance of providing opportunities for early-career researchers,” adds President Summerby-Murray. “Together, we are investing not only in advancing scientific inquiry but in the success of future scholars. I offer my congratulations to everyone involved in the launch of this important collaboration.”

About GSI/FAIR

The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe (FAIR) project is under development. (Image copyright ion42/FAIR)

The GSI Helmholtz Centre in Darmstadt, Germany is a research centre operating a world-leading accelerator facility for research purposes. About 1,600 employees work at GSI and in addition approximately 1,000 researchers from universities and other research institutes around the world come to GSI every year to use the facility for experiments. The centre provides unique opportunities in the fields of hadronic and nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, atomic, laser and plasma physics, as well as material science, biophysics and nuclear medicine.

At GSI, FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe) is currently being built. An international accelerator research facility with antiprotons and ions, it is being developed and constructed in cooperation with international partners. It is one of the world’s largest construction projects for international cutting-edge research. The FAIR project was initiated by the scientific community and researchers of GSI. The GSI accelerators will become part of the future FAIR facility and serve as the first acceleration stage.

For more information on the the GET_INvolved-Programme, contact:

Professor Rituparna Kanungo, Saint Mary’s Astronomy and Physics Department:
Rituparna.Kanungo@smu.ca

Dr. Pradeep Ghosh, GSI/FAIR:
Pradeep.Ghosh@fair-center.eu


Sowing the Seeds of Peace: Northern Ireland Peace Education Program

A group of 16 Saint Mary's students are building on a longstanding legacy of peace education in Northern Ireland this week.

The students—representing diverse areas of studies in Arts, Science and Commerce—are taking part in the Northern Ireland / North of Ireland Peace Education Program, facilitated by Peaceful Schools International and the Faculty of Education at Saint Mary's.

Now in its 18th year, the unique experiential program prepares the participants to conduct peace education workshops for elementary school children in Belfast. The students have a full itinerary including workshops, outreach and meetings with community partners involved in peacebuilding, as well understanding the history and cultural perspectives of Northern Ireland.

The group returns to Halifax on May 9. Check @smuhalifax for updates on their experiences, and stay tuned for a future story upon their return!

Faculty of Arts Update: Department and program name changes

With registration starting this week for the Fall and Winter terms, the Faculty of Arts would like to update students and staff on several program and department name changes.

Two programs have new names that will officially take effect on September 1, 2022. These new names are reflected in the 2022-2023 Academic Calendar and on Banner for Fall and Winter course selection. Both programs have new course acronyms as well:

  • Ancient Studies (ANCS), formerly known as Classics (CLAS); and

  • Global Development Studies (GDST), formerly known as International Development Studies (IDST).

Please note that program requirements will not change in either of these programs. For students who have already declared a major, minor, honours or concentration in Classics or International Development Studies, those program names will remain the same on your transcript. The new program names will apply for students who declare majors or minors from September 1 onward.  

We are also pleased to announce a new department, plus two department name changes within the Faculty of Arts:

The Ancient Studies program continues to reside within the Department of Languages and Cultures.

Contact the departments directly if you have questions about the new names. If students have any questions about program requirements or course selection, please feel free to reach out anytime to the BA Advising Office