JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov presented this approach at a meeting with EU Ambassador to the Russian Federation Markus Ederer who visited JINR at the end of October.

As vectors of the development of the relations between JINR and the European Union Grigory Trubnikov outlined strategic support from the EU of projects on fundamental research and development of large-scale research infrastructures of the international centre in Dubna, the attraction of talented specialists from the countries of the European Union to research at the NICA complex and other JINR projects, as well as holding of meetings of scientific attachés of the JINR Member States, including the EU countries and JINR partner countries, to discuss the instruments of scientific diplomacy, as well as the organization of the exhibition “JINR: science bringing nations together” at sites of institutions of the EU in Brussels.

“The Joint Institute has strong and diverse relations with the European Union not only thanks to its Member States but also being a partner centre of a number of programmes, such as CREMLINplus, ESRFI, as well as within the organization of events of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development 2022. JINR is a co-organizer of the event together with UNESCO,” Grigory Trubnikov said.

Moreover, he noted that Dubna is ready to become a site for meetings of scientific attachés of the JINR Member States, the European Union, and other countries to discuss the instruments of scientific diplomacy. “I think that our international intergovernmental scientific centre is a proper place to organize such seminars and workshops to exchange initiatives, to develop together modern instruments of scientific-technical, scientific-educational, and scientific-cultural integration. It will prove that Dubna is a nice place to discuss such issues,” the JINR Director highlighted.

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H.E. Ambassador in his turn noted that his visit to the Institute’s scientific laboratories was very impressive. “JINR is implementing the advanced and successful scientific project NICA. You are at the cutting edge of nuclear physics, there are not so many scientific institutes that can claim the same,” Markus Ederer said. “Modern science is made not only in communication within large-scale scientific collaborations and based on the synergy of various scientific realms. In this complicated time of pandemics, restrictions, and political instability, we can move only with our efforts united.”

JINR Vice-Director Vladimir Kekelidze also spoke about the JINR’s openness in attracting scientists from all over the world to the creation of the NICA collider and studies at it, “The NICA megascience project can only be fulfilled within a large-scale scientific collaboration, and its main driving force is intellectual capital. Since the very beginning of its creation, we have been considering this project as a magnet for talented scientists from around the world. The concept of the project is to provide scientists with an opportunity to study physics that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Nevertheless, we face the task of attracting talents. And NICA, being a part of the European scientific infrastructure, could be efficiently promoted with the help of the EU grant support.”

The parties paid special attention to France, a member of the European Union, which is a long-standing and strategically important scientific partner of JINR. The Institute is interested in a step-by-step enhancement of relations with the state. At the beginning of 2022, it is planned to hold Days of France in JINR, which may become one of the steps towards the qualitative development of the partnership.

Moreover, the parties discussed the idea to organize an exhibition in the EU office in Brussels, as well as in the European JINR Member States. It is proposed to dedicate the exhibition to the brightest scientific projects and results of the Institute, as well as its European employees. “This could be yet another “brick” in the bridge between JINR and Europe,” Grigory Trubnikov noted.

In the frames of the working visit to JINR of H.E. Ambassador of the European Union to the Russian Federation Dr. Markus Ederer and Plenipotentiary Minister, Head of Science and Technology of the EU Delegation to the Russian Federation Laurent Bochereau got acquainted with the Laboratory of High Energy Physics where the guests learned about the NICA collider under construction and the factory of superconducting magnets. The high-level delegation also visited the Superheavy Elements Factory based on the new DC-280 accelerator and the Nanocentre at the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. Moreover, the guests had a tour of the exhibition “65th JINR anniversary” in the Cultural Centre “Mir”.

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Interview with His Excellency Dr. Markus Ederer, Ambassador of the European Union to the Russian Federation on his visit to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

– Mr Ambassador, how do you rate the development of scientific relations between JINR and research institutions in the European Union?

– JINR has a broad network with research institutions in the European Union, and as I learned today, this network has even expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Science is a collaborative exercise; this is an area where you cannot succeed alone. Therefore, these contacts are extremely important for both sides. Today, we have seen several successful examples of our cooperation at the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider ( NICA) complex in the framework of our bilateral cooperation. I was very impressed and I would recommend my colleagues, Ambassadors of the EU countries, to visit JINR and see for themselves the excellence JINR stands for.

– JINR performs as a multinational platform for cooperation just like the European Union does. How do you find this comparison?

– At first glance, this comparison might surprise, but we have a common philosophy of an international approach to problem-solving. Of course, we, as organizations, have different decision-making mechanisms, but I think that what we have in common is the imperative of cooperation. This means that countries from different parts of the world come together with a similar objective to make the world a better place. In your case, this is made by scientific achievements. I believe that the philosophy of our organizations is very much similar.

– What would you like to wish the employees of JINR on its 65th anniversary?

– May JINR live a very long and healthy life! Sixty-five is a venerable age in human life, but I am sure that JINR has its best time ahead of it. I wish the multinational staff of JINR all the best. They should keep this institution as a place of excellence. That would be the best guarantee to attract a new generation of young, ambitious scientists to JINR. And therefore, I hope that when the Institute turns its centenary, everybody will be even more convinced that we need JINR.

Photos by Elena Puzynina