Local Organising Committee

The mandate of the Local Organising Committee is as follows:

Contribution to local organization

  • To investigate and propose options for the school venue: hotels, lecture and exercise location if different from the hotel.
  • To collaborate with CERN in the organisation of the local services (e.g. dealing with the hotel, lecture rooms; organisation of social events, excursions, final banquet; transport issues e.g. transport of students on the days of arrival and departure, transportation of lecturers- customs clearance, etc.).

A school key of success: the LOC team

The key of the success is the formation by the LOC of a team of people, with clear responsibilities before and (for some of them) during the school. From past experience, the team is particularly efficient when it includes:

  • young engineers / scientists (social chemistry with students is facilitated)
  • people with knowledge of the local social opportunities (sport, self visits, discos, ..)

The Lecture, Exercise and Server/ Secretariat Rooms

  • The lecture room must have a minimum surface of 100 m2, if possible with a high ceiling, no pillars, and should be furnished with chairs and tables in a “classroom style”, as well as full audio an video facilities.
  • The exercise room must have a minimum surface of 150 m2 and should be furnished with enough chairs and tables for 2 students per table, working on their laptops. Network connectivity (wireless and also wired if possible) and electricity plugs are needed.
  • The secretariat room must have a minimum surface of 40 m2. This is where shool organizers and lecturers will usually be working. The room should be situated as close as possible to the lecture/exercise rooms  for efficient contact with all the participants.
  • Air conditioning: If the climate is warm, air conditioning is mandatory for all three rooms. 

European Certificates of Credits (ECTS)

  • To organize the award of a European Certificate of Credit (ECTS) to the students who successfully pass the final CSC examination.
  • The delivery of the ECTS certificates may be organized via the registration of the CSC as a course part of the regular programme of the university hosting the school. If the local organizing entity is an institute not directly affiliated to a University, it is the responsibility of that institute to seek a University to team with  for the delivery of the ECTS certificate.
  • Note: In case the county where the school takes place does not follow the European mechanisms for credit transfers, an equivalent national certificate must be provided.

Sport Programme

  • Daily sport activities
    Sport activities are proposed  every day to interested student, during day breaks, or free afternoons. In particular it is appreciated if the students can, for example, swim, play table tennis / football / volleyball / basket-ball / tennis / squash …, use athletics tracks, …on the premises of the site or nearby. The LOC is responsible for ensuring that the students have access to a sports centre.
  • Matches, tournaments
    A traditional football match is organized, usually the second Wednesday afternoon. A traditional mix0-douyble tournament (badminton or table tennis) is organized, usually the second Tuesday  afternoon. The LOC is responsible for the reservation of the sports centre or fields for these events.
  • Sport Day
    A special half day dedicated to sport is organized in week one. The LOC is responsible for the co-organization of the sport half day.
    Willing participants are proposed an choice of outdoor options (they choose one sport out of four to five options, such as hiking, biking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing,  horse back riding, …).

Other social activities

  • A welcome reception is usually given to the students on the day after their arrival (at the end of the first day of lectures). Members of the local government, civic council and/or other local bodies who have contributed to the organisation of the School are invited.
  • One full-day excursion is usually organised during the School on the Sunday. Local committees are understandably eager to show as much as possible of the region, but care should be taken to make sure that excursions do not cover too long distances.
  • Some evening entertainment are usually made available, such as disco evenings, films, a local folk-singing or dancing group or wine-tasting session.
  • It is appreciated that the hotel or the campus can offer some, if not all, of the above recreational facilities, or that such facilities are available in the immediate neighbourhood.
  • A closing banquet is usually held on the last evening of the School. This may be offered by CERN, or jointly with the host country.
     

Contribution to technical, audio/video infrastructure

  • Local organizers are expected to contribute, in collaboration with CERN, in the organisation/installation of the computing and network infrastructure needed at the school for lectures and exercises. 
  • To ensure the provision of appropriate audio/visual facilities for the lecturer and exercises – in liaison with the hotel or the institute hosting the lectures (screen and beamer –with back-up equipment, microphones, …).
  • To ensure the provision of office equipment for the secretariat (including printer/photocopier connected to the network).
  • To provide the on-site networking, including appropriate wireless facilities, and the connection of the server cluster to the Internet at the required bit rate.

On-site assistance

  • Provide bilingual (in case that the local language is different from French / English) secretarial help during the School.
  • Secretarial help from the host country may also be requested to help with on-site travel issues (in general to deal with last minute changes, delays..).  This may not be necessary if the hotel personnel is prepared to help with travel reservations or if there is a travel agency in the vicinity to whom participants may be referred.
  • If the site is isolated, a car should be made available in case of emergency visits to the doctor, dentist, etc.

Financial Contribution and sponsoring 

It is expected that the Local Organizing Committee provides the following facilities and covers (directly or through sponsoring) the possible corresponding costs (note that in several of the school models, there is no cost to the LOC for providing these facilities):

  • Provision of personal computers for students (e.g. rental if computers are not available from campus facilities), computer servers and secretarial equipment (colour printer, …).
  • Provision (e.g. rental if necessary) of on-site networking facilities necessary for the exercises (inter-connections of student computers, servers and secretariat computers).
  • Provision of other on-site networking facilities, e.g. for organizers and students (wireless access in open areas, lobbies; … wired or wireless access in rooms for organizers and if possible for students)
  • Provision of external Internet access at the required bit rate.
  • Provision of lecture and exercise rooms: the CSC may provide a limited budget for renting lecture and exercise rooms.  Beyond this budget (to be discussed on a case-by-case basis) the LOC is expected to cover possible renting costs.

In addition, a contribution to other costs is welcome. This has traditionally been achieved through sponsoring obtained by the local organizing committee from institutions (e.g. the University or Institute hosting the school) or industrial partners.

Sponsored items (partially or totally covered) may include:

  • Social events (such as welcome cocktail, special evening, band invitation, closing dinner, reception at sponsor site like city hall building, industrial partner headquarter, …).
  • Excursion.
  • Presents to meritorious students (e.g. distinctions at the CSC  examination).
  • Free or discounted access to local sport facilities (sport centres, swimming pool, …).
  • Free or discounted access to public transport facilities (city buses or trams, …).

Due acknowledgement of all sponsors is made on the school web site.  Additional recognition can be organized in case of exceptional contribution.

Visa for participants and letter of invitation

The Local Organizing Committee must be fully aware of the visa or otherwise conditions for entering their country. The Committee must provide in a timely way a letter of invitation or equivalent document to any participant needing such letter or document for obtaining a visa to enter the country where the school takes place.

Local Organising Committee composition

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) can be formed with as many members as is deemed necessary by the host country, but the following guidelines should be noted:

  • The  chair-person of the LOC should normally attend the meetings of the Advisory Committee (AC) where his/her School will be discussed (there are two AC meetings per year; usually, the LOC chair-person attends two meeting prior to the school and one meeting after it).
  • The work of the LOC (before and during the school) can be broken-down  into specific tasks. It is recommended that the LOC appoints one responsible person per tasks (though one individual may oversee several tasks).
  • If any other members of the LOC happen to be at CERN for other reasons, thus allowing them to meet from time to time with the CERN Central Management Unit,  then this is very helpful and appreciated.