Greek Professor Konstantinos Fundas has been elected chairman of the Council of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the largest high-energy physics laboratory in the world, announced the Greek Foreign Ministry.
Fundas was elected for 2025-2027 as a result of a competitive selection, during which he was opposed by two other candidates. “His selection is particularly significant as Fundas - Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Ioannina and Scientific Representative of Greece at CERN - is the first Greek to take over the management of this largest European research laboratory for nuclear and particle physics , based in Geneva", the MFA emphasizes. According to the department, the success of the elections is due to a “targeted and strategically organized diplomatic campaign, as well as the scientific prestige of the Greek candidate”.
The Foreign Office noted that CERN, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary, currently includes 24 member states (Greece is one of the founders). It employs approximately 2,600 people and provides services to more than 600 research institutes and universities worldwide.