14 April marked the start of the 30th International Seminar on Interaction of Neutrons with Nuclei “Fundamental Interactions & Neutrons, Nuclear Structure, Ultracold Neutrons, Related Topics” (ISINN-30) in Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt). This year, the event is organized by the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics at JINR, the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology of Egypt (ASRT), and the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA) and Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU).

Head of the FLNP JINR Nuclear Division, Chairperson of the organizing committee of the event Valery Shvetsov gave an introductory speech. He discussed the history of the annual International Seminar and emphasised the importance of such events in the development of international scientific relations. ASRT President Gina El-Feky, Chairperson of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority Amr El-Hag Ali, Professor of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU, China) Sheng Wang, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Chen Hesheng (CSNS/IHEPCAS) also welcomed the participants of the event.

The scientific programme of the first day started with the report of the former President of ASRT, Professor of Cairo University Tarek Hussein “What is after Egypt being full member at JINR?” outlining the prospects and directions of scientific cooperation with the Joint Institute.

FLNP JINR Director Egor Lychagin spoke about achievements and results of the Laboratory’s neutron research. JINR University Centre Director Dmitry Kamanin presented a report on the research of long-lived fission isomers of the form among fragments of spontaneous and forced fission of heavy nuclei by the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at JINR.

In the afternoon, the seminar continued with two parallel sections. JINR scientists and their colleagues from scientific organizations in other countries presented reports on topical problems of ultracold neutron physics, nuclear and related analytical methods in ecology and materials science, and the fundamental properties of the neutron.

As part of the event, ISINN-30 Organizing Committee and representatives of the State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Radiation Simulation and Effect (SKLIPRSE) of the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT, China) will discuss issues of cooperation and the possibility of their participation as co-organizers and coordinators in the future Seminars. Cooperation issues will also be discussed with representatives of the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), the Leading Laboratory of Modern Nuclear Energy and Industry of Shaanxi (XJTU, China) and the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEPCAS, China).