Ireland Joins CERN: Long-lasting collaboration between CERN and UCC Geotechnical Excellence led School of Engineering's Dr Zili Li
We are thrilled to celebrate Ireland officially becoming an Associate Member State of CERN as of 2025. This landmark achievement opens new doors for Irish research and industry on the global stage.
A special congratulations to Dr. Zili Li and the UCC Geotechnical Research Group for their pivotal role in this journey. With over a decade of collaboration with the CERN tunnel team, Dr. Li’s group has been a cornerstone of the CERN-Ireland community. https://sites.google.com/view/cernireland/home/groups/ucc
Supported by CERN, Research Ireland programs and other funding agencies, the group has:
- Integrated 5+ researchers into collaborative CERN projects,
- published 20+ papers with CERN, focused on AI, underground infrastructure sustainability, and resilience.
- Earned prestigious awards, including the Best Paper Award 2023 (Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology) and the 2023 Bright Spark Lecture Award (ISSMGE).
Dr. Li was also recognized as one of the Top 10 Leading Chinese Talents in Science and Technology in Europe (2024) by the FCPAE. We look forward to the continued impact of this partnership!
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