A representative delegation of Vietnamese scientists and science organizers headed by President of the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences and Technology (VAST) Professor Chau Van Minh visited the The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research on 26-28 July 2012.

On 27 July 2012 the guests from Vietnam were welcomed at the JINR Directorate by JINR Director Academician V.A. Matveev, Vice-Director M.G. Itkis, Deputy Chief Scientific Secretary V.A. Bednyakov, Head of the International Cooperation Department D.V. Kamanin, VBLHEP Chief Scientific Researcher N.A. Zimin, the Leader of Vietnamese national group in JINR Nguyen Manh Shat and and ICO staff member O.M. Korotchik. Talking about JINR activity, Academician V.A. Matveev emphasized a big contribution of leading Vietnamese scientists Academicians Nguyen Van Hieu, Nguyen Dinh Thu and many others in formation and development of JINR. JINR Director and his colleagues gave detailed answers to the guests’ questions about structure of JINR, its educational programme and innovative activity.

Professor Chau Van Minh spoke about the activities of the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences and Technology and introduced his colleagues. He especially emphasized the important role of JINR in the development of Vietnamese science, education of several generations of Vietnamese scientists starting from the time of JINR foundation. Director of the Institute of Physics Nguyen Dai Hung, Director of the Institute of Environmental Technology Nguyen Hoai Chau, who work for many years at JINR, Director of the Nhatrang Institute of Technology Research and Application Bui Minh Ly, Vice director of the Institute of Marine Biochemistry Nguyen Hoai Nam spoke about different directions of activity of Vietnamese scientists. Director of the VAST International Cooperation Department Ninh Khac Ban and his colleagues Nguyen Hong Quang and Dinh Thang Chung took an active part in the discussion.

During the discussion special attention was directed to issues of participation of young Vietnamese scientists in the JINR postgraduate programme and participation of Vietnamese specialists in JINR innovative programmes.

The VAST delegation visited the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, where Nguyen Hoai Chau and Bui Minh Ly have worked for many years. At the Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems the guests were acquainted with progress on a startup at the joint project of JINR with the Belgian company IBA – a cyclotron for proton therapy. IBA cyclotrons now operate in Hanoi and Ho-Chi-Minh, therefore the project is interesting whereas it is necessary to train highly-qualified personnel for Vietnam, which is feasible not only for effective operating but also for maintenance of the facilities.

The guests from VAST visited the IBR-2 facility at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, and acquainted with JINR research in the fields of ecology.

The delegation visited the Veksler and the Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics where the project of the “mega science” class on establishment of the heavy ions accelerator complex NICA and the Scientific and production complex «Beta» which produce advanced medical equipment for cascade plasmaphairesis are being implemented. Assembly of the FLNR accelerator irradiation complex at the cyclotron complex DC-110 is being completed; this enables applying of polymer film processing technology, which was developed and implemented at the FLNR Center of Applied Physics.

A special part of the programme of the excursions was a visit to the facilities of the Special Economical Zone “Dubna”.

The meeting at JINR was held on the same day that a meeting in Sochi between the presidents of Russia and Vietnam, this gives special significance to agreements which were reached in Dubna.