Wolfson Student wins first place at IPAC2026 Hackathon

DPhil student Hiiro Moriyama was part of an international team of students that has been awarded first place at the 17th International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC2026) Hackathon. The Hackathon took place 17 – 21 May 2026 in Deauville, France was organized under the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP WG14), with support from CERN, MIT, and others.

Their winning project, SimuLearn, is an innovative, open-access educational platform built using MAX IV simulation software under the mentorship of Professors Sverker Werin and Francesca Curbis (MAX IV, Lund University). SimuLearn features a customizable ring builder and beam dynamics observables. It also integrates a practical case study based on Jordan’s SESAME facility.

The hackathon brought together over 65 international students divided into nine teams. The winning team also included students from SOLARIS, Michigan State University, the University of Science and Technology of China, and Université Paris-Saclay, CEA.

The judging panel awarded SimuLearn first place in recognition of its innovative solutions, clear proposal, professional presentation, and direct connection to the industry.

“There is a gap between students and particle accelerators, especially in developing regions where access to major research facilities is limited,” comments Moriyama. “We plan to close that gap by bringing accelerator technology to students through simulations. We are also planning to incorporate the newly proposed African Light Source, ensuring the project continues to impact science in the Global South.”