On 21 July 2020, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Elena Sergeevna Druzhinina had a working visit to JINR.

Upon the arrival at the Joint Institute, Deputy Minister E. S. Druzhinina was welcomed by JINR First Vice-Director G. V. Trubnikov. A meeting of the Deputy Minister with leaders of JINR was held in the Institute’s Directorate at which the Joint Institute was represented by Director V. A. Matveev, Vice-Director V. D. Kekelidze, and Chief Scientific Secretary A. S. Sorin. According to the Deputy Minister, it was her introductory visit aimed at the development of working contacts between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and JINR. V. A. Matveev presented to the Deputy Minister information about principles of organization and fields of activities of the Joint Institute highlighting the JINR efforts in the fields of training young scientists. The subject of particular attention of E. S. Druzhinina was the JINR educational programmes aimed at attracting the youth to science and work of the Institute with teachers.

Visits to the objects of the JINR scientific infrastructure continued the programme of the acquaintance of Deputy Minister E. S. Druzhinina with the Joint Institute. Accompanied by V. D. Kekelidze and A. S. Sorin in the Laboratory of High Energy Physics, the Deputy Minister was acquainted with the NICA accelerator complex being developed, visited the first large accelerating element of the complex, namely the Booster, and had a tour of the factory of superconducting magnets. Moreover, Head of the Department of Development of Educational Programmes Yu. A. Panebrattsev presented to E. S. Druzhinina information about educational opportunities of the Joint Institute and Director of the JINR University Centre S. Z. Pakuliak reported on the fields of the UC activities. Later on, E. S. Druzhinina accompanied by A. S. Sorin visited the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions where she was welcomed by JINR Vice-Director S. N. Dmitriev who acquainted the Deputy Minister with the FLNR scientific programme, the Superheavy Element Factory and its key element, namely the DC-280 cyclotron. A visit to the memorial room of the FLNR’s founder Academician G. N. Flerov concluded the excursion of the Deputy Minister to the Laboratory.

At the end of the visit, Deputy Minister E. S. Druzhinina discussed with the representatives of the JINR Directorate the state of art and opportunities for further enhancement of the cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research.

Photos by Elena Puzynina