On 17 – 19 December 2017, Chief of Section of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building of the Natural Sciences Division of UNESCO Martiale G. Zebaze-Kana and Chief of Section of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity-Building Sector for Natural Sciences Jean-Paul Ngome Abiaga visited JINR.

The UNESCO representatives came to Dubna to discuss possibilities of strengthening and expending JINR-UNESCO cooperation in the framework of the renewed in 2017 Agreement on cooperation. In particular, parties agreed on holding a round table on 14 February 2018 in the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris that will be dedicated to the 20th anniversary of JINR-UNESCO cooperation. A JINR representative delegation headed by JINR Director as well as members of the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries and prominent scientists will take part in the round table. Furthermore, due to the UNESCO’s decision to proclaim 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, some aspects of JINR’s participation in corresponding festive UNESCO events were discussed as far as JINR made invaluable contribution to discovery of new superheavy elements.

The visitors got acquainted with the JINR research infrastructure and activity of the JINR University Centre. The meeting with the JINR Directorate was devoted to development of a training programme for UNESCO grant-holders at JINR. Parties agreed to work out a concept of this programme and announce it at the forthcoming meeting in Paris.

During the visit, new ideas on cooperation connected with JINR educational initiatives were discussed. Thus, enormous potential of the “Virtual Laboratory of Detectors and Signal Processing” being developed in JINR was highlighted. The visitors were also greatly interested in possibility of UNESCO participation in the international conference “Modern Trends in Natural Sciences and Advanced Technologies in Science Education” that will be held in August 2018 in Ulan-Bator.

Background information:

On 24 September 1997, signing of the agreement between JINR and UNESCO on cooperation of these organizations as well as their Member States was held in the festive atmosphere in the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The agreement was signed by UNESCO Director General Professor Federico Mayor and JINR Director, Professor V.G.Kadyshevsky.