On 11 – 15 February 2023, a JINR delegation led by Deputy Head of the Department of Science Organization Activities Alexey Zhemchugov visited Egypt to participate in the 7th Cairo International Exhibition of Innovation.

The event was held in the New Administrative Capital of Egypt under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The organizers of the exhibition were the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The strategic partners were JINR and the Egyptian Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF). Since 2014, the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology has annually (with a break from 2019 to 2023) held International Exhibitions of Innovation in Cairo, where scientists and inventors, employees of technology transfer centres, representatives of high-tech companies meet and share their ideas.

15 sessions, seminars, competitions, and panel discussions took place on the sidelines of the 7th Cairo International Exhibition of Innovation. In two days, about five thousand people interested in science, technology, and innovation visited the event. 88 organizations from 6 countries took part in the event.

During the course of the exhibition on 14 February, the JINR delegation participated in the panel discussion “Scientific diplomacy in a changing world”, in which Elena Badawy made a presentation on the JINR experience as a platform for the implementation of scientific diplomacy. Among the participants of the panel discussion were former Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed al-Orabi, President of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences Professor José Luís Cardoso, President of the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Plenipotentiary Representative of Egypt in JINR Professor Mahmoud Sakr, and Head of the DAAD Regional Office in Cairo Carsten-Michael Walbiner.

On 14 February, a thematic round-table “JINR: Unlimited opportunities for international cooperation” was held, at which members of the JINR delegation made presentations on the topics of the Institute’s international activities and training programmes. They also spoke about innovative projects both in general at JINR and in particular, within the framework of the NICA Project and at the FLNR cyclotron complex. More than 50 people attended the event. The live stream and recording of the round-table posted on the Facebook page of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology got more than 950 views. JINR’s long-standing partners Professor Hussein El-Samman from Menoufia University, who moderated the round-table, Professor Medhat Ibrahim from the National Research Centre, as well as representatives of the leadership of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology participated in the round-table on the Egyptian side. At the end of the event, members of the JINR delegation answered numerous questions from representatives of Egyptian universities and scientific organizations present in the hall, and exchanged business contacts.

As part of the exhibition, the delegation of the Institute also worked at the information stand. On the opening day of the event, at the invitation of Plenipotentiary Representative of Egypt Professor Mahmoud Sakr, the JINR stand was visited by Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt Mohamed Ashour accompanied by Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Sudan Mohamed Dahab, and Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal Elvira Fortunato. The Minister welcomed the members of the delegation and asked questions about the research directions of the Institute and the participation of Egyptian scientists in joint scientific projects. The JINR stand was of great interest to visitors and participants. The audience of the exhibition and participants of panel discussions and round tables spoke warmly about the country of the Institute’s location. The members of the delegation noted the high level of qualification of many visitors who asked academic questions and demonstrated interest and high level of awareness about the activities of the Institute.

Moreover, as part of the delegation’s visit to Egypt, a visit to the National Research Centre located in the central district of Cairo Dokki took place on 12 February. At the Centre, the members of the delegation were received by the President of the Centre Professor Hussein Darwish, and Vice-President for Research and International Cooperation Professor Mamdouh Moawad Ali. The parties discussed the prospects of cooperation.