In late April, the second working meeting between JINR and the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory (AANL, YerPhI) took place in Armenia. The event followed the meeting held in Dubna a month ago.

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The first meeting focused on wide-ranging discussions regarding the initiative proposed as part of the JINR–AANL agreement signed on 20 March 2024. The document on the establishment of a joint JINR–AANL laboratory based at AANL (YerPhI) aims at creating a technological and scientific platform in the Republic of Armenia. On such a site, scientists would have access to cutting-edge technology and materials used in the facility units for fundamental and applied research and analytical equipment.

The second meeting was devoted not only to a more detailed discussion on the enhancement of cooperation between JINR and scientific centres of Armenia in fundamental science, information technology, innovation, and education, but also to the definition of specific activity areas of the laboratory to be established.

Plenary sessions covered a wide range of topics from information technology to nuclear physics and materials science. The main goal of these presentations was to exchange knowledge, experiences, and ideas contributing to the further development of scientific research.

During the plenary sessions, heads of scientific organizations in Armenia presented scientific programmes of their institutes, with special attention given to ongoing and planned joint work with JINR. AANL Director Gevorg Karyan, Director of the Institute of Informatics and Automation Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) Hrachya Astsatryan, Vice-Rector of Yerevan State University Rafael Barkhudaryan, CANDLE Director Bagrat Grigoryan, Director of the NAS RA Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics Tigran Zakaryan, Director of the NAS RA Institute of Applied Problems of Physics Vahan Kocharyan made reports. Sergei Shmatov, Director of the Meshcheryakov Laboratory of Information Technologies at JINR, presented research conducted at JINR.

Following the plenary reports, parallel discussion sessions took place on various research topics. Information technology, particle physics, nuclear and accelerator physics, as well as applied physics and materials science were the main themes considered during these sessions. Potential areas of cooperation were identified during the discussion sessions.

As a result of the meeting, the parties decided to support further development of the initiative to establish a joint JINR-AANL laboratory and recommend that working groups submit relevant proposals, supplementing them with information on the expected personnel composition of the laboratory, necessary financial resources, equipment, and provision of suitable premises for R&D work.

An important outcome of the working meeting was the signing of an agreement for AANL (YerPhI) to join the ARIADNA Collaboration for Applied Research at the NICA Complex. The joint activities in this direction will include studying the effects of accelerated ions on samples of various materials, including those used in the space industry, studying radiation-induced mechanisms of defect formation, work in radiation biophysics, joint development of subsystems of irradiation stands, as well as assembly of auxiliary equipment for conducting applied research at the NICA Complex. AANL (YerPhI) became the fourth organization in the Republic of Armenia to participate in the ARIADNA Collaboration, alongside Yerevan State University, CANDLE, and the NAS RA Institute of Molecular Biology.

As a result of many years of cooperation between AANL (YerPhI) and FLNP at JINR, an additional agreement was also signed in the field of scientific and methodological research and developments for studying condensed matter on the IBR-2 neutron beams and functional materials and nanosystems using neutron scattering.

The meeting also highlighted the need to implement and intensify joint educational programmes such as bilateral short-term and long-term visits by students and postgraduates to carry out scientific projects as part of their thesis work, conducting joint internships and trainings, exploring the issue of organization of a regular school on theoretical and experimental physics, and improving the information support of existing educational programmes.