Theoretical physicist Eric Laenen of Nikhef has been appointed vice-president of the CERN-council, the highest governing body of the European particle lab.
This was announced in Geneva. Laenen is a professor at Utrecht University and University of Amsterdam and is a representative for the Netherlands in the CERN-council.
Previously, Eric Laenen was program leader of the theory department at Nikhef. In 2020, he was also closely involved in drawing up the new strategy for particle physics in Europe, which decided on research into a new accelerator at CERN.
In the council, the currently 23 CERN member states determine the policy of the accelerator lab founded in 1954. The council also appoints the lab’s director general, presently the Italian physicist Fabiola Gianotti.
