Science and Sport bringing people together
ASCERI is the Association of the Sports Communities of the European Research Institutes and aims to contribute to a united Europe through regular sports meetings, bringing together members of public Research Institutes at European level. The Association's members come from over 42 Research Institutes spanning 15 countries.
The association was born from the German "Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe" (KfK) football team who had the idea to play against other teams from institutes also involved in nuclear research. Therefore, six teams from different German centres were invited to take part in a "Reaktoren Fußballturnier" in Karlsruhe on 2 July 1966.
Ever since, The Winter-ATOMIADE has taken place every three years and alternating with the Summer-ATOMIADE and a Mini Atomiade in between with numerous sports and leisure activities including football, skiing, golf, athletics, tennis, volleyball to name a few. CERN has been a regular participant in these events and even hosted the mini atomiade in 2016 (Bulletin No. 28-29/2016).
Since 1989, regular meetings have been held yearly for ASCERI delegates and this year’s annual ASCERI conference was hosted by JRC-GEEL in Antwerp. For the first time ever a female president, Anne-Françoise Maydew from ESRF Grenoble was elected along with a diverse set of board members, including Rachel Bray, delegate representing CERN.
Along with the election of a new committee and set of board members, one of the bigger topics of the 33 Annual conference was the upcoming Summer Atomiade in June, organised by JRC-ISPRA. CERN will be participating with a team of 60, participating in football, tennis, golf, table tennis, athletics, volleyball and cycling.
ASCERI delegates also gave the outgoing President, Henry Koekenberg, and his team a fine send off the final evening of the conference.
