On 5 February, an extended meeting of the Organizing Committee for the celebration of the 65th JINR anniversary was held. JINR Director Academician Grigory Trubnikov chaired the event, and heads of the departments and laboratories, the working group for preparation of the celebration, as well as representatives of the JINR national groups took part in the event.

Opening the meeting, Grigory Trubnikov highlighted that the main task in the preparations to the 65th anniversary is to achieve the maximum involvement of the JINR Member States so that to ensure the jubilee is reflected not only in Dubna but also in the entire multinational family of JINR.

JINR Scientific Leader Victor Matveev added that the jubilee is also the time to assess the achieved results. So, in this regard, it is necessary to pay tribute to outstanding scientists of the Institute who greatly contribute to and ensure prospects for current intense development of JINR.

Participants of the meeting noted that since the situation with the coronavirus incidence is getting better, some Member States of JINR expressed their readiness to resume in-person participation in festive events of the Institute in Dubna. Thus, on 25 March, a session of the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries will take place dedicated to the birthday of the Institute. A number of national delegations are expected to arrive in Dubna. The videoconference format of participation, by now conventional, will be also available for some delegations. The festive CP agenda will include the presentation of new stages in the JINR research infrastructure development and the opening ceremony of a JINR multimedia exhibition in the Cultural Centre “Mir”. On the very day of JINR birthday, 26 March, a festive concert for the Institute’s employees will take place. Due to the situation with the coronavirus, major festive events with the participation of scientific partners and diplomatic corps are scheduled for the 20th of July, along with festive events dedicated to the Day of the City of Dubna.

A special feature of the 65th anniversary of JINR is that it coincides with the Year of Science and Technology 2021 declared in the Russian Federation, the country of JINR location. JINR has made proposals for events of the Year, in particular, the next one will be dedicated to the official launch of the Baikal deep underwater neutrino telescope that has already reached a record effective volume in the Northern Hemisphere.

The discussion of the coverage of outlined jubilee events of JINR highlighted the necessity to develop the JINR communication policy and to strengthen the PR strategy. Participants highlighted that it is necessary to consolidate the efforts taken in this field in the Institute nowadays, as well as to develop the strategy and tools for expanding the JINR presence in the modern information realm. Initiative staff members united in a working group to address these issues and outlined the first practical steps.