The International Scientific Seminar «Physics and humanities: world experience and reality of science and humanities in CIS countries» was held on 22 – 23 November 2018 in the JINR Scientists’ Club.

The event was dedicated to the study of interaction and mutual influence of natural, technical and human sciences. It was also aimed at stimulating the interest of the youth in the origins of culture and science as well as establishing a fruitful dialogue between scientific centres of the CIS. The seminar was organized with the support of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), the Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation of the CIS (IFESCCO), and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The past seminar was the second stage of this international conference that had been previously held on 14 – 16 November at sites of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences in Baku.

A representative delegation of scientists and officials, physicists and lyricists came to Dubna headed by Academician Isa Habibbayli, Deputy Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic, ANAS Vice-President who coauthored the idea of holding this seminar. Academician Nazim Mamedov, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Director of the ANAS Physical Institute, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of Azerbaijan, came to Dubna jointly with the delegation.

Photos by Elena Puzynina, JINR Scientific Information Department

Before the opening of the seminar, an official meeting with the JINR Directorate was held. The meeting was attended by ANAS Corresponding Member Namik Jalilov, Director of the Nasreddin Tusi Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory of ANAS, Doctor of Technical Sciences Agadzhan Abiyev, Professor of the National Aviation Academy, Professor Hamlet Isakhanli, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Trustees of the Khazar University, and Rashad Majidov, Editor-in-Chief of the “525” newspaper. The delegation was warmly welcomed by JINR Director, RAS Academician V.A. Matveev. JINR Vice-Director M.G. Itkis, JINR Chief Scientific Secretary A.S. Sorin, Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department D.V. Kamanin, and Head of the Social Infrastructure Management Office A.V. Tamonov, who is the chief organizer of the Dubna part of the seminar, participated in the meeting from the JINR party. Isa Habibbayli in his welcoming speech extended greetings on behalf of ANAS President Akif Alizadeh and expressed his confidence that the conference would be useful for specialists in both technical and human sciences. The JINR representatives supported this point and added that such an event provides an opportunity to push the envelope of the usual way of thinking and extend fields of research.

V.A. Matveev and I. Habibbayli opened the seminar in the JINR Scientists’ Club with their welcoming speeches. V.A. Matveev made an overview report on the history and the present state of JINR, its major fields of research, and flagship projects. I. Habibbayli highlighted in his speech interrelation of science and literature that has been traced since classical antiquity, and also noted that great scientists such as L. Landau and A. Einstein believed that real scientists cannot exist without knowledge of literature and art. Then, N. Mamedov took the floor and considered in his report the role of symmetry in physical and human sciences. On the first day of the seminar, Chief Researcher of FLNP JINR Prof. E.P. Shabalin, Chairman of the Directory of the Khazar University H. Isakhanli, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Middle East Languages of MGIMO University A. Bagirov, an Azerbaijan doctor and a poet A. Shikhly, Head of the Department of poetry of the “Khudozhestvennaya literatura” publishing house (lit. “belles-lettres”) Yu. Lapin, Researcher of the Institute of World History RAS E. Prusskaya.

Photos by Elena Puzynina, JINR Scientific Information Department

The programme of the second day of the seminar was opened with the report by Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department D.V. Kamanin who presented the Joint Institute in terms of international cooperation. Then, the reports were presented by Professor of the National Aviation Academy A. Agadjan, ANAS Corresponding Member T. Mustafaev, Director of the Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory of ANAS N. Jalilov, staff member of the Central Botanic Garden of ANAS S. Garaev, Head of the Laboratory of the ANAS Physical Institute I. Nasirov, Engineer of the JINR International Cooperation Department E. Bazanova, Deputy Director of the JINR Cultural Centre “Mir” L. Orelovich, Senior Researcher of FLNP S. Borzakov, Advisor to the JINR Directorate, poet and translator G. Vardenga.

According to organizers, holding of the seminar contributed to development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and JINR. The programme of the conference comprised visits to the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, and the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics. Members of the Azerbaijan delegation met with scientists from the national group of Azerbaijan in JINR. During numerous discussions in the frames of the seminar, participants exchanged opinions on the wide range of issues. In particular, a proposal on holding an exhibition dedicated to the national culture of Azerbaijan in Dubna was approved.

It is worth mentioning that the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan holds such a conference for the fifth time since it was launched four years ago as a small seminar. This year, the event was of a new quality having acquired the international status. Participants of the seminar noted the successful and distinctive event format as well as repeatedly said that the conference provides opportunities for scientific discussions in a new format and search of creative approaches in technical and natural sciences. The Dubna stage of the seminar was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere; reports of participants and further discussions evoked a vivid interest among the audience thus giving organizers confidence that the series of these conferences would continue in the future.