The largest international research centre for particle physics, the construction of which the Czech scientific community played a very important role, is celebrating the 60th year since its foundation in September 1954. It operates the 17-mile long Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest accelerator in the world. Its official name is the “European Organization for Nuclear Research”, but it is known internationally known by the acronym CERN (from the French, Conseil Européen pour la recherche nucléaire). A noteworthy interactive exhibition took place at ASCR headquarters from September 2 to October 12, 2014 was open to the public without charge. In an “interactive tunnel,” ASCR President Prof. Jiří Drahoš opened the exhibition with a ceremonial “kick-off of the protons.” CERN is the prototype of programmes for European cooperation through which a number of European projects have been built,” Professor Drahoš said. He cited the Czech scientific community for its involvement in experimental and scientific work there. Membership in CERN is important for the Czech Republic not only in terms of participation in top experiments, but significantly in providing young scientists and engineers an invaluable opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills for application in their nations. This issue of Academic bulletin features an interview with dr. Daniel Krasnický from CERN and Universitá di Genova and interview with dr. Jan Blaha from Stanford University who cooperates with CERN. and Jiří Chýla.
In 1955, the work started in the Institute for Theoretical Radio Engineering of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, the predecessor of today’s Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. In the year 2015, proclaimed as the International Year of Light by the UNESCO, let us recall selection of the milestones of the past 60 years of scientific research in our institution, particularly those related to photonics and light. and V roce 1955 zahájil svou činnost Ústav teoretické radiotechniky Československé akademie věd, předchůdce dnešního Ústavu fotoniky a elektroniky Akademie věd České republiky. V roce 2015, vyhlášeným UNESCO za Mezinárodní rok světla, si připomeňme výběr z některých milníků už 60 leté historie vědeckého bádání v našem ústavu, zejména těch se vztahem k fotonice a světlu.