The 40-year milestone of the CERN Accelerator School: A Legacy of Education, Innovation, and Community Building.

From the 11th to the 14th of September, the CERN Accelerator School (CAS) marked a significant milestone with its CAS40 Week, dedicated to the CERN community.

Nestled near the iconic Restaurant 1 at CERN, #CAS40 Week paid tribute to four decades of advancing accelerator technologies. It underscored the profound impact of knowledge sharing and camaraderie within this scientific community.

At the heart of CAS40 Week stood the CAS exhibit, a screen chronicled the remarkable journey of the CERN Accelerator School, featuring a montage of group photographs capturing the essence of its alumni. Familiar faces from the accelerator community emerged, evoking nostalgia and shared memories. To infuse an element of playfulness, CAS introduced the "magic selfie corner," a hub where attendees could capture creative selfies, fostering connections and sparking engaging conversations among like-minded individuals.

However, the true crescendo of CAS40 Week was a spectacular concert held on the 14th of September during the lunch hour, a collaborative effort with the CERN Music Club. This celebration was more than just music; it was an ambitious endeavour: CAS orchestrated a grand drone picture with the help of the participants, that spelt out "CAS40". These letters symbolized not just a moment but four decades of unwavering commitment to educational excellence and innovation at CERN, designed to unify the diverse CERN community.

Another event is expected in early 2024 to honour the dedicated lecturers and hands-on professionals who have played a vital role in the growth of CAS.

Their contributions are a commitment to nurturing the next generation of accelerator scientists.

We want to thank the CERN Music Club and the bands that performed: "Les Croque Monsieur" and "Miss Proper and the Moving Targets". We also would like to thank all departments involved with the organisation of this event and the participants who also helped with the drone picture.

You can find the pictures of the event here: https://cds.cern.ch/record/2872413?ln=en

You can find an article about it here: https://acceleratingnews.web.cern.ch/news/issue-45/communication-outreach-aco/cern-accelerator-school-turns-40-fusion-education