Old Members’ Trust Graduate Conference and Academic Travel Fund report – Ethan Carragher (2022, DPhil in Theoretical Physics)

Sometimes research takes you to the library, sometimes to the lab, and every once in a while, if you are very lucky, it takes you to a sunlit village on the coast of Corsica.

This unlikely academic venue traces its origins back to an offhand remark in 1957, when French physicist Maurice Lévy, tired of the endless rain while teaching at an Alpine summer school, quipped “Next year there will be a summer school in the Mediterranean.” His students embraced the idea and cobbled together a school the following year in the seaside town of Cargèse, where lectures were given in a shed on the beach to aspiring young physicists. Over time, this improvised venture grew into the Institut d’Études Scientifiques de Cargèse (IESC), today a centre for world-class conferences, workshops, and summer schools across many scientific fields. I recently had the privilege of attending BSM (Beyond the Standard Model) Odyssey: Twists and Turns in Particle Theory, a school offering modern perspectives on a wide range of topics in theoretical particle physics, in that remarkable setting.

My journey there got off to a dramatic start; due to a series of unfortunate events (including my plane being struck by lightning during boarding!), I missed the entire first day of lectures. Thankfully, I arrived just in time to join 80 fellow students from around the world at the evening welcome event. The next two weeks were then a whirlwind experience of lectures, discussions, and exploration that more than made up for the rocky start. The lectures, delivered by leading researchers, covered recent developments in the field that haven’t yet made their way into textbooks. Several of the lecturers were already names I admired from my DPhil work, so learning from them first-hand was especially inspiring for me. The courses on BSM theories and effective field theory, in particular, offered new perspectives on physics that will no doubt shape my research going forward.

The format of the school fostered a constant exchange of ideas. During breaks, students and lecturers alike would often gather around blackboards to share thoughts and work through problems together, while dedicated discussion sessions gave us the chance to ask anything ranging from technical clarifications to broader philosophical questions. I especially valued how these exchanges offered rare insights into the different ways senior researchers approach physics. Each day ended with short student presentations, where I shared some of my work on the breaking of metastable strings. The talks were a great way to learn about current research directions, connect with others working on related problems, and spark new conversations.

View from the institute (unedited!)

What made the school especially memorable was the community that formed outside the lecture hall. It didn’t take long for students to realise that afternoons were best spent on the beach together, where friendships formed as physics discussions gave way to more casual conversation. Evenings took us into the village for dinner, where the food was always excellent and our attempts at ordering in French were always questionable.

The Tower of Omigna

We also had some time to appreciate the unique location. One particularly hot afternoon we hiked to the Tower of Omigna, a 17th-century coastal tower overlooking breathtaking stretches of sea and rock. Another highlight was a boat trip along the coast, complete with a swim in the clearest water I have ever seen. Somehow, I ended up the only student on a boat full of lecturers that day, which turned into a rare and memorable opportunity to connect with them outside of the lecture hall.

Attending the Cargèse summer school was an invaluable experience. As I enter the final year of my DPhil, the chance to learn from leading researchers and to build connections with colleagues from around the world was both academically enriching and personally inspiring. I am deeply grateful to the Old Members’ Trust Travel Fund for making my participation possible.

Published: 19 September 2025

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