From 1 to 5 July 2024, Irkutsk State University (ISU) hosted the 2nd Coordination Workshop on Swift and Multicharged Heavy Ions in Radiation Material Science. JINR employees and representatives of Kazakhstan, Russia, Serbia, and South Africa took part in the event. The meeting aimed at discussing the status and prospects for the development of joint research.

The following scientific organizations were represented at the workshop: the Institute of Nuclear Physics (Astana, Kazakhstan), the ISU Institute of Applied Physics (Irkutsk, Russia), and the Vinča Nuclear Institute (Belgrade, Serbia). South African scientific and educational organizations, including Nelson Mandela University, iThemba LABS, the University of Pretoria, the Vaal University of Technology, and the Tshwane University of Technology, actively participated in the meeting.

The event participants considered proposals relating to work areas focusing on new methodological possibilities for studying radiation-stimulated changes in the properties of materials. The research is planned to be carried out on the DC-140 Cyclotron being created at the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at JINR, the homogeneous ion implantation facility at the Tandetron Accelerator at iThemba LABS, irradiation facilities at the DC-60 Cyclotron (Astana), the FAMA Complex (Belgrade). Ion beam analysis was also discussed as another research area at iThemba LABS.

The project of a cyclotron complex for simultaneous target irradiation with hydrogen, helium, and one of the metal ions (iron, chromium, nickel) was considered as a promising direction for the development of a methodological basis for joint research in radiation materials science. It is the most effective method for testing new reactor materials.

The parties agreed that the meeting was successful in both assessing and strengthening existing ties and considering prospects for future cooperation.