The 2018 HERCULES School @ Elettra / FERMI

On the week beginning Monday March 19th 2018 Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste is going to host a group of students from the European School "HERCULES: neutrons and synchrotron radiation for science". The school began in 1991 and has now reached its twenty-seventh edition, achieving widespread success and worldwide reputation in its field.

HERCULES, an acronym meaning High European Research Course for Users of Large Experimental Systems, aims at promoting the use of synchrotron radiation and neutrons in disciplines such as physics, chemistry and biology. The school, targeted to students and researchers who are keen to use experimental approaches based on x-rays and neutrons, provides its attendees with an extremely complete and updated training.

The teachers of the school are a team of internationally renowned experts, who will hold their lectures in some of the main European synchrotron and neutron facilities, including Grenoble and, indeed, Trieste. The courses subjects focus primarily on the methods and instrumentation available at synchrotrons and free electron lasers. Specialized sessions are also planned, covering the most relevant applications in the fields of condensed matter and biology.

As a unique feature of the training path in Trieste, the students will have the chance to stay in close contact with their teachers, who will act as real "tutors". In this respect, in addition to lectures and tutorials, the program of the school offers numerous practical sessions, to be held at the beamlines of the Elettra synchrotron and FERMI free electron laser. 

The HERCULES school is indeed a unique opportunity to highlight the excellent scientific opportunities offered by Elettra and the CERIC-ERIC research infrastructures.