JINR Directorate’s visit to MEPhI

On 2 April, an expanded delegation of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research under Director, Academician Grigory Trubnikov visited NRNU MEPhI on a friendly visit to discuss the prospects for the development of scientific and educational cooperation with the University.

The delegation from Dubna included JINR Scientific Leader, Head of the Department of Experimental Techniques of Nuclear Physics No. 11 NRNU MEPhI Academician Victor Matveev, Special Representative of Director, Head of the Department of Physics of Extreme States of Matter No. 60 NRNU MEPhI Academician Boris Sharkov, Heads of the main research laboratories of JINR and representatives of the SPD, BM@N, MPD and ARIADNA collaborations.

Within the framework of the visit, an open lecture by Grigory Trubnikov for students and university staff was also delivered, dedicated to the bright scientific projects of JINR. Grigory Trubnikov spoke about the current work on the discovery of new superheavy elements, the scientific programme of the NICA Megascience Project, the role of JINR in the Baikal-GVD project to study the nature of astrophysical neutrinos, neutron investigations carried out at the unique IBR-2 pulsed reactor, as well as to meet applied problems in the field of radiation biology and radiation research for space. Separately, in his speech, JINR Director emphasized the Institute's interest in high-class MEPhI researchers and spoke about the Institute's student programmes.

The JINR representatives visited the laboratories of accelerator technology, physics of extreme states of matter, materials science, nuclear medicine and many other scientific departments of INPT, LaPlaza and IFIB. The colleagues also learnt about the operation of unique scientific facilities - the experimental complex NEVOD and the laser-physical complex ELF and also took part in the opening of new educational and scientific laboratories of the basic department of JINR at NRNU MEPhI - Department of Experimental Techniques of Nuclear Physics No. 11.

"The visit of JINR Directorate in full force to NRNU MEPhI in accordance with the agreement reached between G.V. Trubnikov and MEPhI Rector V.I. Shevchenko was aimed at developing scientific and technological cooperation between our organizations on the basis of major nuclear-physical megasience facilities developed in Dubna, as well as increasing the efficiency of training highly qualified personnel of young scientists to work in JINR and in the country's nuclear industry,” JINR Scientific Leader Victor Matveev highlighted. “Focus was on improving the work of the main basic department of JINR at MEPhI No. 11, as well as of other departments of the University. Of great interest was a visit to the unique research facility of this Department NEVOD for investigations in the field of cosmic ray physics and astrophysics."

With the participation of JINR Directorate and the Rector of NRNU MEPhI Vladimir Shevchenko, the official launch of a new measuring series was held to study the response of Baikal-GVD optical modules to perihorizontal muons in the NEVOD Cherenkovsky water detector. Such calibration of optical modules allows increasing the accuracy of measurements and reconstructions of parameters of neutrino events at a large facility in Lake Baikal. Calibration of the Baikal-GVD facility modules is the University's contribution to the collaboration, the joint work in which is one of the important points of contact between the scientific agendas of JINR and NRNU MEPhI.

In the format of a round table, the representatives of the organizations discussed work plans for scientific and educational cooperation, personnel needs of JINR, proposals for opening new educational and scientific laboratories of MEPhI in the interests of JINR research laboratories, as well as issues of updating curricula of specialized educational programmes.

"JINR Directorate's visit to MEPhI was scheduled at the UC Council at the end of last year," UC Director Dmitry Kamanin commented. “The potential of MEPhI in training personnel for JINR is great but for its full disclosure, focused work is required in several areas. It is necessary to organize a long-term stay of senior students at JINR, it is necessary to focus the interests and capabilities of MEPhI in "one window" - the basic department of JINR is best suited for it, it is necessary to work on career paths through MEPhI for students from the Member States of the Institute, it is necessary to strengthen career guidance activities in junior courses. This work also requires high-level operational coordination. The final round table was dedicated to the discussion of the expectations of the parties, where all Heads of JINR Laboratories and collaborations outlined the current "portrait of a MEPhI researcher."

It is important to highlight that most of the members of the JINR delegation consisted of MEPhI graduates: three of the five Laboratory Heads present are MEPhI graduates. Such feedback from graduates that understand the content of the educational process in their native university and at the same time have extensive experience in leading large scientific staffs is an invaluable opportunity to update the content of educational programmes to the current world scientific agenda. For reference

The Department of Experimental Techniques of Nuclear Physics No. 11 trains experimental physicists in the interests of scientific projects of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. Head of the Department is Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Leader of JINR Victor Matveev.

NRNU MEPhI also implements a number of interdepartmental educational programmes in the interests of JINR. Such as, in 2023, a unique Master's programme "Software engineering and data analysis for high energy physics" was launched. The Master's programme involves obtaining two qualifications (nuclear physics and software engineering) and is aimed at training personnel with advanced knowledge in the field of information technologies for scientific megaprojects. Graduates of the programme are in demand by MLIT JINR, as well as by the SPD collaboration of the NICA Megascience Project.

Source NRNU MEPhI Press Service