On 7 October 2021, JINR Vice-Director Latchesar Kostov met with Vice-Rector for Science, Innovation, and International Affairs of Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University (KamSU) Veronika Efimenko in the Directorate of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. During the meeting, parties signed an agreement on the opening of the JINR Information Centre in KamSU.

Deputy Chief Scientific Secretary of JINR Otilia-Ana Kulikov, Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department Dmitry Kamanin, Deputy Director of the JINR University Centre Alexander Verkheev attended the signing ceremony.

“The signing of the agreement on the opening of the Information Centre will be interesting, first of all, for schoolchildren and students of Kamchatka. This is the second JINR Information Centre in Russia. There is also a new Information Centre in Egypt, and the newest one is at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. In the near future, a JINR Infocentre will be opened in Kazakhstan and there will be some other ICs opened. Therefore, a network of Information Centres is being created, which already successfully works,” said Latchesar Kostov.

In the photo: Deputy Director of the JINR University Centre Alexander Verkheev, Deputy Chief Scientific Secretary of JINR Otilia-Ana Kulikov, Vice-Rector for Science, Innovation, and International Affairs of Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University (KamSU) Veronika Efimenko, JINR Vice-Director Latchesar Kostov, Head of the DLNP Scientific Communication Group Elena Dubovik, Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department Dmitry Kamanin, a senior specialist of the JINR International Cooperation Department Jan Machonin. Photo by Elena Puzynina

Veronika Efimenko noted that the working strategy of the Information Centre in Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University (KamSU) had been already built. There is an appointed employee at the University who will organize work of the Information Centre. Head of the JINR DLNP Scientific Communication Group Elena Dubovik will coordinate interaction with the new Information Centre from the JINR side.

“There are not so many students studying physics and mathematics. I assume that cooperation with scientists of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research will attract young people to this knowledge area due to a wide range of activities that JINR offers, which are internships, practices, and scientific schools,” the KamSu Vice-Rector underlined.

Previously on that day, Veronika Efimenko discussed with the Institute’s coordinators work of the future Information Centre in KamSu, goals and objectives of future activities, and the next steps in the development of the Information Centre. During the discussion, participants noted successful experience of a joint KamSU and JINR event “The Kamchatka School on Physics of Elementary Particles and Related Topics” and new cooperation being established on the use of the muon radiography method in observations of volcanoes. The Information Centre’s plans include an extension of cooperation between regional scientific organizations with JINR and, in particular, holding a coordination meeting on this topic at the earliest possible time.

During the meeting, the sides were also planning a festive opening ceremony of the new Information Centre in Kamchatka State University. It will be organized as soon as the IC starts regular work.