The photo exhibition “Big science” has opened at the Yerevan State University. The exhibition is dedicated to the anniversary of the opening of the Information Centre of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at YSU. In May, the presented works will introduce students and staff of JINR’s long-standing partner to big science, advanced technology, and world-class achievements, as well as the experiments in which the employees of the Institute participate. Before that, the exhibition was displayed in digital format alongside the international conference “Heaviest nuclei and atoms” at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia in April.

The JINR Infocentre on the basis of YSU and A. I. Alikhanyan national science laboratory was opened in April 2022. The format of JINR information centres includes workshops, online excursions to the Institute’s laboratories, lectures by the employees. ICs are designed to promote academic mobility of young people. Over the past year, on the basis of the IC, students had a chance to get acquainted with the NICA Megascience Project as part of the virtual tour. They also learned about the opportunities offered by the JINR University Centre. In addition, the IC in Armenia organized the School for students and young scientists on physics at NICA Accelerator Complex at JINR, which took place as part of the main training programme at Yerevan State University.

Commenting on the concept of the photo exhibition, JINR Director RAS Academician Grigory Trubnikov noted, “This exhibition is an experiment, just like it should be in scientific Dubna. Beautiful and modern experiment. When I first learned about the idea of this exhibition, I thought that it would result in bright professional pictures of large-scale JINR facilities, detectors, “scientific hardware”, so to speak. Pictures of everything that impresses people outside scientific context. But when I saw the result, I was happy to note that it was exactly what we awaited. These photos tell us that science is made by people, that it is all about people. This is what can make science attractive”.

The JINR exhibition “Big Science” is one of the events of the additional programme by JINR to that of the International Year of Basic Sciences IYBSSD 2022/2023, one of the organizers of which is the Institute. “The International Year of Basic Sciences is a good opportunity to make the multinational voice of our international centre to be heard around the world. JINR pays special attention to the contribution that the research infrastructure makes to address global challenges which the Member States face, in the interests of sustainable development of all humankind. JINR expresses gratitude to the Yerevan State University for the opportunity to organize the exhibition “Big Science” in Armenia, a JINR Member State,” Grigory Trubnikov added.

The author of the photos is a modern photo artist working in the style of industrial photography Mark Kozhura, “It was extremely interesting to work on the project for the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. I have seen that the present of the Joint Institute is directed towards the future, beyond the horizon of possibilities. It is thanks to the intensive work of employees of different ages with sparkling eyes, their continuous scientific search, the dynamics of the development of scientific directions and connections”.

The objective of the International Year of Basic Sciences IYBSSD 2022/2023 is to highlight the crucial role of fundamental scientific research in sustainable development of the entire world, emphasise its contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN for all countries of the world for 2016-2030. The goals of the Year are to increase awareness of importance of basic sciences among politicians, as well as in the fields of business, industry, among international organizations, charitable foundations, universities, teachers and students, mass media, and the general public.