On 8 June 2018, the 7th International training programme for decision-makers in science and international scientific cooperation JEMS – «JINR Expertise for Member States and Partner Countries» (JEMS-7) was finished. Representatives of ministries, universities and scientific organizations of Vietnam, China, Russia, the Czech Republic and RSA participated in JEMS-7.

Following the tradition, on the final day of the training, the milestones of the rich programme of acquaintance with JINR were summed up at a round table with representatives of the JINR Directorate at the end of which JINR Director Academician V.A. Matveev awarded diplomas to the participants. At the round table, participants of JEMS-7 were welcomed by JINR Vice-Director R. Lednický, JINR Chief Scientific Secretary A.S. Sorin, Head of the International Cooperation Department D.V. Kamanin and Deputy Head of the Department A.A. Kotova, FLNP Deputy Director O. Culicov, Deputy Director of the JINR University Centre A.S. Zhemchugov and LRB Scientific Secretary I.V. Koshlan.

Greeting participants of the training, V.A. Matveev highlighted a key role of international cooperation for the Institute: “At the present mega-science epoque, the whole modern fundamental physics is one global international project, and bringing scientific efforts of different countries together is a basic principle of work of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research.” V.A. Matveev noted that for further development of the project of international training programmes JEMS, which has been successfully held for two years now, feedback of its participants is of special importance, and JINR Director thus invited participants of JEMS-7 to share their impressions of the week at JINR.

The participants of the training programme noted in their speeches its significant benefits in professional terms and their vivid impression of the Institute at large. It was also noted that JEMS provides a possibility to meet colleagues from other scientific centres, countries and fields of knowledge, it not only broadens professional horizons but also allows learning something interesting about cultures of partners. Thus, a comfortable environment for establishing business ties, generation of new ideas and organization of joint projects is created. Moreover, participants of the round table shared several proposals on development of the JEMS training programme, in particular, on broadening the theme of the programme of lectures by adding a review of the administrative structure of JINR and its management processes. Furthermore, Marek Vyšinka, ministerial counselor of the Department of Research and Development of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, paid attention to several topical issues of improving the general infrastructure of the Institute.

Dinh Phan Khoi, Director of the Department of Research and International Affairs of the Vinh University (Vietnam): “I have never been at JINR before, but I have heard a lot of it and know that eminent Vietnamese scientists used to work here, that is why I am very happy to have an opportunity to get acquainted with JINR. The institute greatly impressed me and I would like to share all the details with my Vietnamese colleagues. The obtained information about JINR should be communicated to our Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Sciences and Technology for development of cooperation with JINR.”

Tran Nam Binh, officer of the Department of Social and Natural Science of the Ministry of Science and Technology (Vietnam): “For a long time, the idea to come to work and study in Russia was not as popular as in the past among Vietnamese scientists. I suppose the reason for that is the lack of relevant information. I got acquainted with JINR, and its possibilities, its scientific infrastructure made a deep impression on me. I would like to provide this information to my colleagues as far as prospects for carrying out joint research at the JINR basic facilities are significant for Vietnam. Another area of our main interests is teaching physics and other sciences to schoolchildren on the JINR basis.”

At the meeting with the JEMS-7 participants, V.A. Matveev noted a good dynamics of cooperation development between JINR and China. In this respect, it is worth to mention (in addition to the 4-party agreement on cooperation signed at the end of 2015) several recent events, such as a visit of Professor Jie Gao (IHEP, Beijing, China) at the end of 2017, a visit of CIAE Vice-President Jiang Xingdong, signing of the agreement on cooperation between CIAE and JINR as well as the ISINN-26 International Seminar that was held at the end of May 2018 in Xi’an, in the course of which new directions of cooperation between JINR and Chinese scientific organizations were found.

Ji Songtao, Deputy Director of the Sub-Department of Reactor Design of the Department of Reactor Engineering Technology of the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), elaborated on this cooperation in his speech: “I am very impressed by everything I saw at the Institute, by its achievements, experimental facilities, and how extensive its scientific activities are. I was also impressed by a large number of young people in the Institute. China’s cooperation with JINR is being discussed at various levels. At the moment, China adheres to the policy of openness in the matters of scientific cooperation and is looking for new scientific partners. In this regard, I am sure that our future cooperation with JINR will be very fruitful. I am ready to give recommendations to our Department of Nuclear Physics, and I think we can start our scientific cooperation in specific physical tasks.”

Han Wenze, Deputy Director of the Scientific Research and Production Division of the Department of Nuclear Physics (CIAE), who has visited Dubna for several times, also delivered a speech at the meeting: “It is my 6th visit to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, I spent here a lot of time and call Dubna my second home. Every time I come at JINR, I observe changes, dynamic development of the Institute. I also see a great future for development of cooperation between China and JINR, and participation in the NICA mega-science project is of particular interest to China. During my visits, I was able to get acquainted with JINR in details and I am ready to contribute to development of our cooperation.”

One more member of the Chinese delegation at the JEMS-7 training programme Yang Jinling, Senior Specialist of the Department of Radiochemistry (CIAE), said the following in her speech: “This is my first visit to JINR and Russia. In addition to a great impression of JINR, I was able to gain new knowledge in a non-relevant to me field of nuclear physics, and it is very useful for me. After returning to China, I’d like to tell my colleagues about everything I saw in Dubna and share the obtained information about the Institute. I hope to come back to your Institute, but next time for joint projects.”

Svetlana Gorelova (the Department of Biology, the Natural Sciences Institute, the Tula State University): “As a teacher, I see my task in being a guide for talented young people and helping them in establishing contacts with scientists from different countries. Therefore, I am very glad that the agreement concluded between JINR and TSU gave its first practical implementation in the field of visits of our students to the Institute. I have been working closely with JINR via the FLNP Sector of Neutron Activation Analysis and Applied Research and M.V. Frontasieva, but now I have discovered possibilities of the Laboratory of Radiation Biology as well. This training programme was also useful to me as an organizer of scientific and educational activities giving the opportunity to get acquainted with experience and capabilities of the JINR University Centre. In this regard, I hope to develop our cooperation not only in work with students, but also in the field of school education to allow winners of school Olympiads visit JINR.”

Photos by Elena Puzynina, JINR Scientific Information Department