The Mini-Workshop in framework of 72nd Board Meeting of the Nuclear Physics Division of the European Physical Society, dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of JINR was held on 27 September 2016 in the JINR Scientists Club. The Mini-Workshop was attended by JINR Director V.A. Matveev, JINR Vice-Directors M.G. Itkis, R. Lednický and G.V. Trubnikov, Directors of JINR laboratories, members of the Council representing European research centres.

The Mini-Workshop was opened by the report of V.A. Matveev “JINR: 60 years of science and international cooperation”. Commenting on the event for Dubna journalists, he said: “The EPS NPD Board Meeting is being held in the JINR for the first time. Why? Because there is great attention of the entire European physical society and, particularly, its Nuclear Physics Division to the JINR research programme which is planned for the nearest seven years. Our guests arrived when this programme is being discussed, which gives us an opportunity to acquaint them with our research plans for the next seven years. And they, in formulating their long-term programmes, will also take note of those areas that are being developed in our Institute”.

In his welcoming speech, Chairman of the ETF NPD Board Faiçal Azaiez (NRF, iThemba LABS, RSA) emphasized that JINR is a leader in a range of areas of nuclear physics, as was evidenced by excellent results on synthesis of new superheavy elements. Although there are many other adjacent areas, F. Azaiez and his colleagues consider that the holding of this Mini-Workshop in Dubna will provide more focused determination of directions of further cooperation with European and many world scientific centers.

The European Physical Society, said F. Azaiez, is a large organization that tries to disseminate scientific information and to draw public attention to scientific knowledge of physics, especially through the Nuclear Physics Division. Why did we come here? First, JINR is an emblem of international science, and it was here where nuclear physics has greatly enriched scientific results. We look upon Dubna as a world leader in science, so it is natural that our European organization holds a Mini-Workshop in JINR. For us this is a good opportunity to meet with the JINR Directorate and to get acquainted with achievements in physics. Moreover, we are happy to deliver to other European countries the experience of the JINR in scientific research. JINR is a good example of how Russia invests funds in the development of nuclear research internally and internationally.

– JINR has recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. You have now the opportunity to congratulate the JINR employees through the Dubna media.

– Of course, of course! I congratulate JINR and its entire staff with the 60th anniversary. I am very pleased to do it also because until recently I was Director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Orsay, which also celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. In the history of our Institute there are Nobel prize winners Frédéric Joliot-Curie and Marie Curie, and JINR is our twin. I wish the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research next 60 years of successful work and exciting research!

The participants of the Mini-Workshop got acquainted with the basic JINR facilities: the FLNR cyclotron complex, the IBR-2 reactor and the NICA complex.

Olga Tarantina,
photos by Igor Lapenko