Meetings in Yerevan:
bet on modernisation of cooperation formats

From 14 to 16 April, a delegation of the Joint Institute headed by JINR Director RAS Academician Grigory Trubnikov visits the Republic of Armenia by invitation of the National Academy of Sciences of the country (NAS RA). Institute's representatives took part in the extended meeting of the Presidium of NAS RA on the issues of cooperation between scientific centres of the Republic of Armenia and JINR. A number of working meetings took place within the framework of the visit's programme.

At the meeting of the NAS RA Presidium, President of the Academy Ashot Sagyan presented the key milestones in the JINR-Armenia scientific cooperation to his colleagues representing scientific and educational organisations of the country. "We are convinced that the current visit of the delegation will contribute to the development of cooperation between scientific institutes of Russia, as the JINR location country, and Armenia. It is significant in the light of the global challenges the humanity is facing these days," he highlighted. Ashot Sagyan also noted that it is necessary to work out the mechanisms of cooperation in the fields of joint staff training. This may be an additional impetus for the development of scientific and research projects.

JINR Director RAS Academician Grigory Trubnikov shared scientific plans of the organisation with the audience, "The Institute sees its goal in expending the range of scientific research. So we are ready to support active participation of members of the Armenian scientific community in the JINR international programme."

Speaking about the importance of scientific cooperation, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Republic of Armenia in JINR Sargis Hayotsyan highlighted that "it is a priority for Armenia now to reconsider and reformat the country's participation in JINR so that to deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation."

In addition, participants discussed a joint project in the fields of studying geodynamic processes in Armenia with the use of precision laser inclinometers, as well as the creation of a network of such devices in the country. Another promising area for interaction is biological studies of membranes. A separate seminar was devoted to this realm in the programme of the meeting of the NAN RA Presidium.

A special item in the agenda of the meeting was congratulations extended to FLNR JINR Scientific Leader RAS Academician Yuri Oganessian on his anniversary by colleagues from scientific and educational centres of Armenia. In recognition of his contribution to world science, Yuri Oganessian received the Honorary Order of the Russian-Armenian University at the meeting.

Moreover, on 14 April, there were a number of working meetings of the JINR delegation with Chairman of the Science Committee of the Republic of Armenia Sargis Hayotsyan and President of the NAS of Armenia Ashot Sagyan. On the same day, MLIT JINR Director Vladimir Korenkov met with managers of the Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems of NAS RA. There was also a meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia, the Institute of Mechanics of NAS RA, the Institute of Geophysics and Engineering Seismology n.a. A. Nazarov of NAS RA, as well as other interested institutions with JINR Director Advisor Mikhail Itkis, Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department Dmitry Kamanin, and a senior researcher of DLNP JINR Grach Torosyan.

The programme of the visit included the excursion to the A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory.

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On 15 April, during their visit to Yerevan, JINR Director RAS Academician Grigory Trubnikov and Scientific Leader of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions RAS Academician Yuri Oganessian were welcomed by Prime Minister of the JINR Member State Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research was a good platform for developing international cooperation and said that the Armenian Government was ready to support further development of scientific cooperation on joint programmes of the JINR Topical Plan.

Yuri Oganessian and Grigory Trubnikov told the Prime Minister about the meetings of the Joint Institute's delegation during the visit to Armenia, about planned directions for the development of cooperation and its new formats, as well as about new JINR Information Centre in Yerevan.

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A JINR Information Centre was opened on the platform of the Yerevan State University (YSU) and the A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory. On 15 April, representatives of JINR, YSU, and the A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory signed an agreement on the Centre's opening during the visit of the delegation of the Joint Institute headed by JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov to Yerevan.

Commenting on the opening of the JINR Information Centre, RAS Academician Grigory Trubnikov drew the audience's attention to the importance of involving young people in science. "The current signing of the trilateral cooperation agreement gives a great opportunity to discuss joint plans and prospects. The network of JINR ICs draws a meridian line between the North of Russia and the South of Africa. In addition to our eastern Information Centres in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Vladivostok, JINR Information Centres operate in Arkhangelsk, Rostov-on-Don, Sofia, Vladikavkaz, Cairo, Somerset West. The new Information Centre will strengthen this meridian," the JINR Director emphasised. He also noted that the YSU-JINR cooperation could be enhanced in terms of the Innovation Centre being created in Dubna. For instance, senior students of YSU could take part in its projects and research.

In his speech, Rector of YSU Hovhannes Hovhannisyan highlighted that the Joint Institute had always been a reliable partner of YSU. "We hope that the opening of the JINR Information Centre at the University will make it possible to get acquainted with Institute's scientific programmes, as well as to involve students in scientific research conducted at JINR," he said. The Rector of YSU also noted that the cooperation between the University and the Information Centre would allow improving scientific programmes, join international projects, and bringing research and publications by YSU students and scientists to a new level.

A member of the Scientific Council Ani Aprahamian took part in the opening ceremony of the Information Centre at YSU. She expressed confidence that the decision on the creation of the JINR IC will be as efficient as all previous agreements between JINR and scientific and educational centres of Armenia.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department Dmitry Kamanin noted that JINR Information Centres "allow communicating with each target audience in understandable terms, no matter it is a school student, a student, or a teacher."

FLNR JINR Scientific Leader RAS Academician Yuri Oganessian received the Honorary Order of the Russian-Armenian University at the festive ceremony. In his turn, Academician Oganessian highlighted that "it is very pleasant and very honorable for him to be one of the holders of this title", because, in his opinion, "all modern intelligentsia of Armenia graduated from this University".

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