At the CP session

Path to success: achieving goals, strong relationships, new projects

On 25 March, a session of the Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research was held at the International Conference Centre.

Plenipotentiary Representative of the Georgian Government in JINR, CP Chairman Arsen Khvedelidze opened the meeting, emphasizing that it is held on the eve of the anniversary date - JINR's birthday and probably, all participants experience positive emotions and are in a good mood.

In addition to the Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Member States and Associate Partners, the session was attended by Heads of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Arab Atomic Energy Agency and other departments and organizations from around the world.

JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov presented a report on the recommendations of the 139th session of the Scientific Council, the implementation of the current Seven-Year Plan for the Development of JINR, the contribution of Member States to the implementation of the main projects of the Institute, scientific and technological results, as well as the most important events related to research and educational activities and international cooperation.

The members of the CP supported the implementation of the current plan of research and development of the large research infrastructure of JINR, highlighted the successful participation of the Institute in joint international projects and achievements in strengthening international cooperation, namely:

• progress in preparing for the commissioning of the NICA Complex, including cooling superconducting magnets in the booster, Nuclotron and two collider rings; stable circulation of beams in the collider and their convergence at intersection points; commissioning of radiation monitoring and access restriction systems; obtaining operating parameters in the MPD solenoid;
• successful implementation of the physical research programme of the BM@N experiment using extracted Nuclotron beams;
• the results of two months of work of ARIADNA project stations that allowed accumulating unique data on the long-term effect of high-energy ions on composite materials, ultra-high-temperature ceramics and ferromagnets;
• progress in the development of the medical MSC-230 cyclotron;
• commissioning of upgraded HRFD, FSD and EPSILON spectrometers at the IBR-2 reactor, successful implementation of the user programme;
• active preparation for experiments on synthesis of elements 119 and 120;
• completion of a new DС-140 accelerator package for applied research;
• high performance, reliability and availability of all JINR MICC components, as well as modernization of engineering infrastructure; expansion of computing resources of the Govorun Supercomputer; successful use of distributed DIRAC-based infrastructure for BM@N data processing;
• development and improvement of machine and deep learning techniques and algorithms for processing and analyzing data from experiments in the field of particle physics, radiobiology, life sciences, others; contributions to the research programme of the BM@N, MPD, SPD, Baikal-GVD, JUNO, ATLAS and CMS projects;
• successful implementation of the research programme in the field of space and medical radiobiology in collaboration with the scientific and medical centres of the Member States.

In addition to the Topical Plan of research and international activities of JINR for 2026, it was decided to open a new project "Technological complex of positron annihilation spectroscopy PASTE" for 2026-2027 (Project Leader Sergey Yakovenko, DLNP) to develop a demonstration prototype.

The CP members supported the proposals of JINR Directorate for the annual adjustment of the Seven-Year Plan for Development of JINR in 2024-2030. The possible updating of the JINR Charter was also discussed, which it was decided to establish a working group for.

After the report "Execution of the JINR budget for 2025" presented by Head of the Budget and Economic Department Policy Nikol Kalinin, the final adjustment of the JINR budget expenditures for 2026 was approved. The report "Results of the meeting of the JINR Financial Committee of 24 March, 2026" presented by Chairman of the Financial Committee Andrey Omelchuk was also given.

Based on the results of an open vote, appointments to the following positions were unanimously approved: until 31 December, 2026, JINR Vice Directors - Vladimir Kekelidze and Latchesar Kostov, JINR Chief Scientific Secretary - Sergey Nedelko, JINR Chief Engineer - Boris Gikal; for the term of office of Director of JINR, that is, until 31 December, 2030, Vice-Directors of JINR are Elena Kolganova and Sergey Kulikov.

Special Representative of JINR Director for Science City Sergey Kulikov presented the concept of the International Park of Science and High Technologies “Antropolis”. The park is to be built in the left-bank part along the border with the Special Economic Zone on an area of 22.3 hectares. 90 thousand square meters of premises for various purposes, that is, for educational and research activities, a campus for students, spaces for conferences and exhibitions, a technopark will be built. The CP members supported the further development of the project concept.

The Scientific Council included new experts: Maxim Zdorovets (Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Atomic Energy), appointed as the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan instead of Nasurlla Burtebaev and Mannab Tashmetov (Institute of Nuclear Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan), appointed as the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Professor Chen Heshen

The report "On the jubilee medal "70 years of JINR" was presented by Chief Scientific Secretary of JINR Sergey Nedelko. The Committee of Plenipotentiaries supported the proposal of JINR Directorate to establish such an award.

Chief researcher at the S. I. Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yury Baturin presented an interesting and informative report "JINR: a map of opportunities, streets of knowledge and scientific cohesion of staff". It told new facts from the history of the city, showed how whole areas of physics increased from the initial basic facilities, the Institute's laboratories and the city itself were developed, a comparison was made with another powerful construction site of the country of those years - the Cosmodrome “Baikonur”. JINR development prospects were also presented.

Professor Chen Heshen (China) was awarded the diploma and mantle of an Honorary Doctor of JINR in a solemn ceremony.

The next meeting of the Finance Committee will be held on 5 November and the next session of the CP will be held on 6-7 November in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Galina MYALKOVSKAYA