▁the ▁project ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Lar ge ▁Had ron ▁Coll ider ▁in ▁Switzerland . ▁Based ▁at ▁C ER N , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Linear ▁Coll ider ▁Coll abor ation , ▁an ▁international ▁organisation ▁man aging ▁development ▁of ▁next ▁generation ▁particle ▁coll iders , ▁including ▁the ▁International ▁Linear ▁Coll ider ▁and ▁the ▁Comp act ▁Linear ▁Coll ider . ▁ ▁Biography ▁▁ <0x09> ▁Born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Aber d are ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Wales ▁Valle ys , ▁Evans ▁had ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁chem istry ▁in ▁his ▁youth , ▁initially ▁en rolling ▁in ▁university ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁subject ▁before ▁switching ▁to ▁physics ▁because ▁he ▁found ▁the ▁subject ▁easier . ▁Evans ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Aber d are ▁Boys ' ▁Gram mar ▁School , ▁where ▁he ▁developed ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁physics . ▁However , ▁he ▁found ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁pass ▁his ▁O ▁Level ▁in ▁French , ▁a ▁qual ification ▁which ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁allow ▁him ▁to ▁enter ▁his ▁course ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁College ▁of ▁Sw anse a ▁( now ▁Sw anse a ▁University ), ▁from ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁He ▁switched ▁to ▁physics ▁in ▁his ▁second ▁year ▁of ▁under grad uate ▁study ▁at ▁Sw anse a . ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁C ER N ▁initially ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁fellow , ▁having ▁previous ▁visited ▁the ▁establishment ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁as ▁a ▁visitor . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁he ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁planning ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁which ▁would