A ceremonial meeting dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Neutron Diffraction Chair of the MSU Physics Faculty was held on 23 April at the branch office of SINP MSU. Teachers and students of the Chair, graduates who are employees of the JINR Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP) nowadays, first year students of MSU Physics Faculty, and colleagues in educational spheres gathered in the Blokhintsev Hall of the branch office.

JINR Director Academician A.N.Sissakian noted in his greeting that the Neutron Diffraction Chair is an important part of the JINR educational programme. A.N.Sissakian recalled the names of founders of the first big Dubna educational centre – SRINP MSU Director S.N.Vernov and JINR Director D.I. Blokhintsev, who were the first chairmen of the Elementary Particle Physics and Theoretical Nuclear Physics Chairs.

The head of the Chair FLNP Scientific Leader Dr. V.L. Aksenov noted that JINR, SRINP MSU, RRC “Kurchatov Institute”, RAS Institute of Crystallography are basic institutes for the Chair today. The Chair will be also cooperating with the Dubna International Innovative Nanotechnology Centre for the CIS countries (ININCIS).

Greeting of colleagues in educational areas – V.G.Kadyshevsky (Chairmen since 2003) and A.G.Olshevski, Rector of the University “Dubna” D.V.Fursaev – sounded warm and friendly. And the graduate of the joint branch of the Solid State Physics Chairs of MSU and MEPhI, at present Head of the Neutron Optics Sector of the Neutron Research of the Condensed Matter Department of the FLNP, Candidate of Physics and Mathematics M.V.Avdeev summed up the work of the group for the first 10 years in his scientific report.