We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Academician Bekhzod S. Yuldashev, an outstanding physicist, a talented scientific leader, and a public figure.

Bekhzod S. Yuldashev

09/05/1945 – 28/08/2024

Bekhzod Yuldashev was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In 1968, he graduated with honours from the Physics Department of Tashkent State University (TashSU) with a degree in nuclear physics. The same year marked the start of his secondment to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, where he successfully defended his Candidate’s thesis in 1971. In 1981, he became a Doctor of Physics and Mathematics. He worked as a junior researcher at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (AS RUz), a senior researcher and Head of a Laboratory of the Physical and Technical Institute, Director of the AS RUz Institute of Nuclear Physics (1990-2006, 2017-2020), President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2000-2005, from 2017 to present), scientific consultant at International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, Vienna, Austria).

As a visiting professor, he conducted research at the University of Washington (USA), Stanford University (USA), and JINR (Dubna) and headed the TashSU Department of Nuclear Physics (1995-2000). He was a laureate of the al-Biruni State Prize of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, winner of the international ESO Award, member of the American Physical Society, Honorary Doctor of Indiana University (USA), the University of Washington (USA) and the University of Cambridge (UK), Academician of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS), Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, member of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

He was the scientific leader of two experiments performed by international teams of scientists at the accelerators of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (USA) and TRIUMF (Vancouver, Canada) and a participant of experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN, Geneva, Switzerland) and JINR.

In addition, he was a leader of a number of major projects on nuclear safety and security and practical solutions to nuclear non-proliferation issues. Bekhzod Yuldashev made a significant contribution to the development of physics and science in general. The main areas of his interests were related to the issues of elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, and the application of nuclear technologies in medicine, the agricultural sector, and industry.

He was the author or more than 400 scientific papers, including 3 monographs and 20 inventions. He supervised 9 Doctors and over 30 Candidates of Sciences.

Bekhzod Yuldashev was the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, in 2004 he became an Honorary Doctor of JINR, in 2019 he was elected to the Scientific Council of the Institute.

As an outstanding organizer of science, Bekhzod Yuldashev was actively engaged in training highly qualified personnel, inspiring a new generation of scientists to search for knowledge and innovation. With the direct participation of the scientist, cooperation between the universities of Uzbekistan and JINR has been intensified in recent years, and in 2023 agreements on personnel training were concluded between JINR, the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Dubna University, Sharof Rashidov Samarkand State University, Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan, and Islam Karimov Tashkent State Technical University.

Bekhzod Yuldashev left a remarkable legacy. His kindness, wisdom, and dedication to science will live on in the hearts of all those who knew him. He will be remembered not only as a professional, but also as a loyal friend and a mentor who inspired others.

JINR Directorate, colleagues, and friends