JU researchers joins world’s top Physicists in Winning 2025 Breakthrough Prize

Jammu April 09: The Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, Prof. Umesh Rai, has expressed immense pride and happiness as the University’s High Energy Physics group joins the global scientific community in celebrating the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

Congratulating the team, Prof. Umesh Rai, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu in his message said, "It is a moment of immense pride for the University of Jammu to be associated with a global scientific milestone. Our researchers’ contribution to the ALICE experiment at CERN reflects the high standards of scientific inquiry and innovation we nurture at the University. This recognition not only places the University of Jammu firmly on the global research map but also inspires a new generation of students to pursue excellence in fundamental science."

The University of Jammu’s Department of Physics proudly shares in this honour, as its team has played an important role in the ALICE collaboration — one of the four experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) awarded the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, often referred to as the “Oscars of Science.”

The team members from the University of Jammu include Prof. Anju Bhasin, Prof. Sanjeev Singh Sambyal. Prof. Ramni Gupta, Er. Anik Gupta, Scientist ‘G’, Dr. Rajendra Patra, Er. Sanjay Mahajan.

Expressing her excitement on this achievement, Prof. Anju Bhasin, a member of the ALICE team, said, "It is a great honour to be part of a collaboration that has pushed the boundaries of human knowledge. This award recognises the spirit of teamwork and the relentless pursuit of discovery that defines the ALICE experiment. It is equally a proud moment for the University of Jammu, and I hope this inspires more young minds from our region to dream big and pursue careers in scientific research."

The 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics has been awarded to over 13,500 researchers from more than 70 countries who contributed to the ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb experiments at CERN. The prize celebrates their achievements based on data collected during the LHC’s Run 2, from 2015 to July 15, 2024.

The $3 million prize money will be used by CERN to offer grants to doctoral students from member institutes, enabling them to spend research time at CERN, work at the forefront of science, and bring valuable expertise back to their home countries and regions.

Through their precise and delicate experiments, the LHC collaborations have pushed the boundaries of fundamental physics to unprecedented levels, opening new frontiers in our understanding of the universe.

This recognition marks a significant milestone not just for the researchers but also for the University of Jammu, further strengthening its commitment to cutting-edge research and international collaboration.