On 13 May, a delegation of Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University (KamSU) represented by Acting Rector Evgeny Merkulov and Vice-Rector for Science, Innovation, and International Affairs Veronika Efimenko visited JINR. The aim of the delegation’s visit was the acquaintance with JINR and discussion of areas for the cooperation development.

The guests got acquainted with a number of objects of the Institute’s scientific infrastructure: they visited the NICA complex under construction and the factory of superconducting magnets in VBLHEP, the Superheavy Element Factory and the Nanocentre in FLNR, the Radiochemical Laboratory and the Precision Laser Metrology Laboratory of DLNP, as well as the spectrometer complex of the fast pulsed reactor IBR-2 in FLNP. The delegation also visited the interactive exhibition dedicated to the 65th JINR anniversary.

Scientific Leader of the Institute Academician Victor Matveev welcomed the KamSU delegation. JINR Chief Scientific Secretary Sergey Nedelko, Head of the International Cooperation Department Dmitry Kamanin, and Director of the University Centre Stanislav Pakuliak also took part in the event.

The participants of the meeting discussed the practical content of the framework cooperation agreement signed in 2018 and, in particular, confirmed their interest in holding Kamchatka School on Particle Physics and Related Topics, which was first organized in 2019.

The parties discussed the participation of professors and students of KamSU in JINR internships, including in the online programme INTEREST focused on practical research work. The participants considered the training of personnel in the frames of joint projects both for the development of the Kamchatka territory and future work in the JINR projects.

The KamSU representatives noted the high potential of popularizing programmes of JINR aimed at attracting schoolchildren to science. “We see a part of our task in spreading scientific knowledge and attraction of talented and highly motivated youth from all the JINR Member States, one of which is Russia, to science,” Academician Matveev highlighted.

Summing up the milestones of the visit, Evgeny Merkulov said, “Everything we saw at JINR far exceeded our expectations. We could certainly imagine basic science at the highest level, and we really saw it. It is very impressive. In addition, it turned out that the name of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research does not convey the wealth of its opportunities to the uninitiated person. We were surprised to see a wide field for the cooperation development or for the start of building a foundation for the future, if not right now, then in the near future and with the involvement of our scientific partners from the region. These fields include information technologies, ecology, radiation medicine, muon radiography, precision laser inclinometers, the latter one is of special importance for our seismically active region, and so on. Furthermore, we really enjoyed the friendly open atmosphere of Dubna, and now we have no doubts that the efforts required from us for the cooperation enhancement are definitely worth it. We now go home to get down to work!”

Photos by Elena Puzynina