Meridians of cooperation

JEMS-27: human potential as a driving force
for the development of cooperation

On 23 May, the 27th Internship "JINR Experience for Member States and Partner States" (JEMS) was over. At the final round table held in the JINR Conference Centre, representatives of scientific and educational centres and departments from Vietnam, Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria shared their impressions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and discussed promising areas for cooperation with JINR laboratories.

Opening the meeting, JINR Chief Scientific Secretary Sergey Nedelko highlighted the significance of the internship as a starting point for fruitful cooperation at all levels, including joint research projects and educational programmes.

"We very much hope that our meeting at the JEMS Internship allowed us to establish new contacts and to outline further plans for joint work," Director of the JINR University Centre Dmitry Kamanin addressed the participants of the Internship. "Feedback from our partners is especially important for JINR. Your ideas and suggestions can become a driver for the development of future research projects.

The trainees highly appreciated the organization of JINR work, emphasizing the importance of the Institute as an international platform for scientific cooperation. During the week, they thoroughly learnt about the experimental facilities and research areas of the laboratories, highlighting the practical value of the acquired knowledge for the development of professional skills and of future joint projects. In addition to the scientific component, the guests appreciated the unique atmosphere of Dubna. In their general opinion, the harmonious combination of natural landscapes and developed infrastructure of the science city favors efficient research activities.

The representatives from Vietnam were impressed by the level of the scientific programme implemented at the Joint Institute. Emphasizing the great potential for expanding cooperation, the Vietnamese participants discussed the possibilities of organizing internships at JINR for students and young scientists from the Member States. "I hope that our active cooperation with JINR will be carried out in future and bear fruit," Deputy Director of the Planning and R&D Division at VINATOM Dr. Long Fam said, commenting on the meeting on long-term planning of training staff for future VINATOM projects held during the Internship.

Head of the Department of Nuclear Physics of FLNP Valery Shvetsov highlighted the rich experience of the Joint Institute in developing key equipment for accelerator complexes, as well as in implementing experiments in the field of nuclear and condensed matter physics. "The IBR-2 pulsed reactor is open for scientists from JINR Member States and Partner States," he emphasized. "FLNP is ready to welcome specialists and students from Vietnam to carry out joint research and to gain practical experience of working at IBR-2 that will come in handy at the new Vietnamese research complex."

"Providing access to our research infrastructure for all partners is one of the key priorities of JINR," Dmitry Kamanin confirmed. "The Institute strives to use all available resources to promote the development of advanced infrastructure facilities in the territories of the Member States. Speaking about the results of the meeting with delegations from South Africa and Nigeria that were held within the framework of the Internship, he also highlighted the synergy with the JINR UC educational programme on the use of the virtual laboratory for a group of professors from South African universities that was held on the same days.

The representatives of Egyptian organizations highly appreciated the potential of cooperation with JEMS, emphasizing the role of the internship in strengthening the scientific and technological dialogue. President of the National Research Centre of Egypt (NRC) Mamdouh Moawad Ali Hassan expressed his gratitude to the JEMS organizers for the opportunity of learning about the advanced infrastructure of the Joint Institute. "This visit confirmed the value of the long-term partnership with JEMS. I am confident that joint projects in promising areas of research will bring the cooperation to a qualitatively new level," he concluded.

The Egyptian specialists outlined key areas for cooperation, including neutron research, radiation and environmental monitoring and materials science. Focus was also on personnel training: according to the participants, the integration of young scientists into the work with JINR facilities is critical for the development of competences corresponding to the challenges of today's science.

The participants from the Republic of South Africa highlighted the advanced infrastructure of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and the professionalism of its specialists. Deputy Director of the National Accelerator Centre NRF: iThemba LABS Rudolf Nchodu highly appreciated the JEMS training programme, emphasizing its multifaceted contribution to the development of international cooperation. In his opinion, JINR specialists have a rich research and organizational experience in the scientific and educational sphere. "I often recall the famous words that if a man was able to look beyond the horizon by looking forward, it is because he stood on the shoulders of giants," Rudolf Nchodu emphasized. "JINR has its own giants that will help the South African scientific community to look to the future."

The South African government considers cooperation with JINR as an important tool for popularization of science, in particular, nuclear physics. Deputy Director of the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) Livhuwani Masevhe confirmed the intention to use the experience of JINR specialists to develop initiatives to efficiently inform and educate the public about the role of nuclear science.

Head of Human Resources at NRF: iThemba LABS Bulelua Buthelezi highlighted that understanding how JINR functions will enable them to improve cooperative management and work with JEMS trainee staff. "Going through the JEMS programme gave me a new perspective on how the work to support international scientific cooperation should be implemented," she said.

At the end of the round table, a solemn ceremony of awarding JEMS Internship certificates to the participants was held. Summing up the discussions, the specialists highlighted the key role of the development of scientific and educational programmes and training of highly qualified personnel for the promotion of modern science and international cooperation.

JINR Press Office