25 years of a new era of JINR

Organization, 29 March 2018

On 26 March 2018, the high-level International Conference “JINR: 25 Years of a New Era” was held in the International Conference Centre in Dubna.

Members of the Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the JINR Member States, representatives of Russian and foreign ministries and departments, ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary and representatives of Embassies of foreign states in the Russian Federation, representatives of numerous media were among the participants of the conference on invitation of the JINR Directorate to celebrate the festive date that launched a new stage of JINR development. This date was connected with political and economic changes in the USSR and some other JINR Member States. For most of the participants of the Conference that day started with an excursion to the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions and the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics where the Superheavy Elements Factory and the NICA experimental complex are being developed.

To the moment of the official opening of the event, the greeting by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin on the occasion of the opening of the International Conference “JINR: 25 Years of a New Era” was published on the web-site kremlin.ru .

Opening the conference, JINR Director Academician V.A. Matveev introduced participants of the event and delivered a brief welcoming speech on aims and tasks of this forum in Dubna. JINR Vice-Director M.G. Itkis chaired the first session. He gave the floor to Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries Academician G.V. Trubnikov.

In particular, G.V. Trubnikov said:

“The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is a unique scientific centre important for both the whole international scientific community and the Russian Federation. We are proud that this international centre is situated in the territory of our state. The Institute is a basis for cooperation of scientists from different countries to solve the most complicated fundamental problems of science, exchange of knowledge and experience of collaborative work, as well as training of young specialists. During the past decades, the directorate and staff members of JINR proved their professionalism by ability to meet challenges of the time and effectively solve the set tasks. This is evidenced by high estimation of the Institute in the world. JINR carries out a wide range of theoretical and fundamental research using the most advanced technologies. Most importantly, our Institute trains highly qualified personnel for scientific centres of the JINR Member States.”

Having outlined the most famous in the world and advanced fields of activities and fundamental and applied research carried out at JINR including those conducted jointly with large-scale scientific centres from abroad, G.V. Trubnikov finished his report with the words: “The Russian Federation as the JINR host country pays much attention to the Institute’s activities and highly appreciates its achievements and international profile. Jointly with all our partner states and the JINR Member States we do our best to implement the Seven-Year Plan of JINR development. Taking into consideration broad geography of scientific and technical contacts, the Russian Federation is actively using JINR as the basis for promotion and development of science and expansion of scientific space. Our cooperation with the Institute facilitates solving of the key tasks of international scientific and technical progress as well as international integration in the fields of research and technologies. Of course, the JINR role in international diplomacy can hardly be overestimated. I wish new discoveries and further success in our profession to all the participants of our forum.”.

The report “JINR: 25 years of a new era” on the milestones of the JINR activities during the past 25 years as well as on prospects of development of its research infrastructure was delivered by JINR Director Academician V.A. Matveev. He spoke about the most notable and significant stages of the modern JINR history that had started since the entrance of new Member States into JINR. At that particular time, the saying “Science brings nations together” became the motto of the Institute. Moreover, at that particular time, new projects aimed at fulfillment of sustainable development of the Institute were launched. A number of developed countries signed agreements with JINR to become the JINR Associate Members. It showed increased international scientific prestige of Dubna. Training of highly qualified scientific personnel was given the most careful attention. Thus, in 1993, the University Centre became a JINR division. One more important stage of JINR development was the agreement between JINR and the government of Russia as a host country of JINR that was signed in 2000.

Numerous figures from the report and facts characterizing development of JINR in this particular time allowed the speaker to conclude the report with the following words:

“Nowadays, JINR develops the three main fields: nuclear physics, particle physics and condensed matter physics. Large-scale projects are implemented at JINR due to development of new basic facilities. In particular, successful development of the NICA collider is underway, construction of the unique Superheavy Elements Factory and the spectrometer complex of the recently modernized IBR-2 reactor are being completed. The Russian Grid segment was brought into operation, further development of the project of the Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope was launched. JINR has gained enormous potential for large-scale advanced projects and their integration into world physics research. The Institute will further continue active extensive cooperation in the fields of science and technology, long-term planning, enhancement of contacts with international and national scientific centres. Significant results in modern fundamental science are possible only through high level of international cooperation for the sake of peace and for the benefit of humanity.”.

Director of the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics V.D. Kekelidze, Director of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics V.N. Shvetsov, Director of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions S.N. Dmitriev delivered the reports on development of main scientific fields of JINR activity and corresponding scientific-research infrastructure.

The second session of the conference chaired by Academician G.V. Trubnikov included presentations by honorary guests who warmly greeted and congratulated the JINR Directorate and personnel, shared their memories of the brightest examples of cooperation. This part of the Conference was started by Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia Levon Mkrtchyan He also highlighted a special role of JINR in training professional personnel as well as in development of international scientific contacts of Armenia.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic Olga Nachtmannová noted the importance of 25-year cooperation between the Slovak Republic and JINR in terms of successful training of national specialists. She also announced that the Slovak State is ready to remain involved in international research projects of JINR.

On behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov, Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control V.S. Smirnov read out the Minister’s greeting to participants of the conference. Minister S. Lavrov in his greeting highlighted the necessity of joint efforts for extensive development of international scientific and technical cooperation with the support of foreign departments of the JINR Member States. In the Minister’s letter, there was assurance that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ready to further support cooperation in the fields of science.

On behalf of the State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM, Chief Scientific Secretary of the ROSATOM Science and Technology Council A.K. Budyka recalled that the first agreement on cooperation signed after its foundation was the one with JINR. He noted that it is important for ROSATOM that a part of scientific achievements was obtained with participation of institutes that are members of ROSATOM. He announced that the corporation is interested in further development of scientific and business cooperation with JINR.

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in the Russian Federation Gerardo Peñalver Portal in his speech noted a significant contribution of the Institute in training of highly qualified personnel for Cuba and highlighted importance of scientific cooperation for development and strengthening of friendship between the people of the JINR Member States.

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Poland in the Russian Federation Włodzimierz Marciniak spoke about positive experience of cooperation with JINR defining the Institute as “the perfect example of international cooperation”. He mentioned high importance of employment of more than 30 Polish scientists at JINR who “contribute significantly to development of joint projects”.

Charge d’Affaires of the Czech Republic in the Russian Federation Petr Kroužek in his speech noted “good relations” between the Czech Republic and JINR as well as emphasized a significant role of established contacts and possibilities for development of national science and technology on the JINR basis and training of highly skilled staff.

JINR after the USSR: 25 years of a new era with independent states, Video by the JINR Scientific Information Department

Furthermore, Plenipotentiary of the Government of Romania in JINR Florin-Dorian Buzatu, Plenipotentiary of the Government of Bulgaria in JINR Latchesar Kostov, President of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan B.S. Yuldashev and Plenipotentiary of the Government of Georgia in JINR A.M. Khevelidze gave speeches at the conference.

Academician V.A. Matveev expressed his gratitude to participants of the conference for their high appreciation of the results achieved by the Directorate and staff of JINR during a new 25-year stage of JINR development.

Adoption of a final joint declaration of participants of the international conference “JINR: 25 years of a new era” concluded the Conference.

“JINR: 25 years of a new era” – Joint Declaration of Participants

Following the materials of the article by Evgeny Molchanov, JINR Weekly Newspaper
Photos by Elena Puzynina and Igor Lapenko, JINR Scientific Information Department