On Thursday, May 9th, TRIUMF and EuroFestBC Society —yes, the same EuroFestBC society who bring you the European Festival in Burnaby year after year, partnered to bring a diverse crowd of international consuls, European Studies scholars, and research scientists altogether in observance of Europe Day.
As part of a local twist on Europe Day – a widely celebrated day in Europe- key speakers were invited to a symposium held at UBC campus to discuss Canadian and European cultural and economic ties through the lens of science and history. The symposium illustrated how peace and unity between European countries is rewriting the course of a history filled with conflict, as a trend of collaboration and support allows for advances in policy, economics, and science.
Keynote speakers Andrea Neusser, UBC Institute of European Studies doctoral candidate and Rob McPherson, ATLAS-Canada spokesperson and University of Victoria professor, spoke of this cooperation. Trade agreements and scientific collaborations, they said, have proven how international diplomacy can advance both economic and academic communities towards success.
Specifically, Andrea highlighted CETA, the Canadian-European Trade Agreement while Rob spoke of the ATLAS project at CERN –primarily the Higgs boson discovery. The Higgs discovery has been well documented and has garnered a lot of worldwide media attention, but we still don't know much about what the discovery means. Rob pointed out, "The Higgs is paramount to our understanding of the relationship between energy and mass, and new theories are necessary to comprehend the data. We need to work together to face the unknown." To view the video connection to ATLAS, visit the VirtualVisit room. A special panel discussion, moderated by Tim Meyer, Head of Strategic Planning and Communications at TRIUMF, included: Nigel Lockyer, TRIUMF Director; Rob McPherson; Conrad King, doctoral candidate at UBC Institute of European Studies; and Celso Boscariol, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce. Joining direct from the ATLAS control room at CERN through live videoconference were SFU/TRIUMF Professor Mike Vetterli and UVic graduate student Claire David. |
Panelists Celso Boscariol, Conrad King, Nigel Lockyer, and Rob McPherson (Photo Credit: S. Law) |
The symposium created an ideal platform to discuss the unique and discernable relationships between history, economics, and scientific cooperation. The collision of these themes in the presence of unique delegates generated a fresh discussion not only at the symposium but afterward around the lunch tables as well. Following the symposium, delegates enjoyed an afternoon at TRIUMF. In addition to tours of the experimental facilities, guests enjoyed a specialty German-style lunch provided by Black Forest Meat and Sausages of North Vancouver and the Hot Spot Cafe. Delegates and TRIUMF staff enjoyed a barbecue of sausages and sauerkraut from the European Festival starred vendor over continued discussion –conducted in multiple European languages. TRIUMF would like to extend a big thank you to the tour guides, who seamlessly guided and satiated curious minds through the site, the EuroFestBC organizers for their efforts, and Sharon & Hot Spot Café for breakfast and superb service at the specialty lunch. Be sure to join the 16th Annual European Festival at Swangard Stadium this weekend! -Melissa Baluk, Communications Assistant |
From Right: Bart Schobben, Trade Commissioner; Carlos Amaro, Consulate General of Portugal; Nigel Lockyer, TRIUMF Director; Ilias Kremmydas, Consul General of Greece |
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