On 16–20 June 2025, Dubna is hosting the Days of the Republic of South Africa at JINR, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the strategic scientific partnership between the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and the Republic. At the opening of the event, three new cooperation agreements were signed with South African universities. During the week, representatives of the delegation from South Africa will tell their JINR colleagues about the achievements and prospects of collaboration, visit the laboratories of the Joint Institute, and discuss future joint projects and studies.

JINR Director, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Grigory Trubnikov delivered a welcome speech at the opening ceremony at the International Conference Centre. “This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the scientific friendship between JINR and South Africa. Over the past three decades, we managed to take our professional relations with South African research centres and educational organizations to a fundamentally new level. I am confident that we will soon enjoy the results of joint studies and future projects,” Grigory Trubnikov noted.

Among the event’s participants were representatives of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation of South Africa (DSTI), the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF), universities, and research centres. DSTI Deputy Director General Imraan Patel stressed the strategic importance of South Africa–JINR cooperation for the development of science and education in the country. “I am convinced that the partnership with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is valuable for South Africa,” Imraan Patel noted. “Our cooperation, which began in the mid-1990s, has been steadily strengthening in the recent years”.

NRF CEO Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, who came to Dubna for the first time, congratulated his colleagues on the twentieth anniversary of this thriving scientific partnership. “The long-term participation of South African researchers in joint work with JINR is not only testament to their personal dedication, but also as a symbol of South Africa’s national commitment to advancing cutting-edge science and international cooperation,” he said.

Special attention was paid to supporting applied research, which, according to the NRF CEO, is crucial to ensuring that everything both parties do is “grounded in solid science”. Currently, more than 20 South African universities and research organizations are involved in joint projects in areas such as radiobiology, radiochemistry, materials science, engineering, theoretical and experimental nuclear physics.

Fulufhelo Nelwamondo stressed that over the years of cooperation, almost 500 South African students have participated in JINR’s scientific and educational programmes aimed at training young specialists. He noted that as part of a new initiative, starting with 2025, Dubna will annually welcome five or more graduate students from South African universities, who will fully prepare their dissertations here.

In conclusion of his speech, the NRF CEO highlighted the importance of expanding collaboration between South Africa and JINR. “Science is a powerful tool that unites nations in the pursuit of knowledge for the common good. The partnership with the Joint Institute is not just about research. It is about empowering the people of South Africa, strengthening government institutions, and contributing solutions to global challenges that demand global collaboration,” Fulufhelo Nelwamondo concluded.

In continuation of the South Africa Days opening ceremony, Grigory Trubnikov presented an overview of the JINR activities. He spoke about an international research programme under development and the large scientific infrastructure facilities of the Joint Institute, such as the NICA Accelerator Complex, the Superheavy Element Factory, the Baikal-GVD Neutrino Telescope, the IBR-2 Pulsed Reactor, and the JINR Multifunctional Information and Computing Complex (MICC).

In addition, he highlighted great achievements in international scientific diplomacy. Over the past three years, the Joint Institute concluded important cooperation agreements with three countries: Mexico (2023), China (2024), and Brazil (2025).

Grigory Trubnikov expressed gratitude to his colleagues from South Africa for continuous support to JINR’s studies. “In recent years, we have been making great efforts to promote scientific cooperation with the Republic of South Africa. I am happy that our joint scientific programme is developing, and the number of young specialists studying in Dubna is growing rapidly,” the JINR Director said.

The last item of the agenda was the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with the University of Zululand (UNIZULU), the University of Venda (UNIVEN), and North-West University (NWU). The agreements are aimed at strengthening cooperation in science, technology, and education, including the implementation of joint projects and the exchange of expertise.

On the first day of the visit to Dubna, the South African delegation toured the NICA Accelerator Complex at the Laboratory of High Energy Physics and the JINR Main Facilities interactive exhibition at the Mir Cultural Centre. At the International Conference Centre, the guests from South Africa provided an overview of the key studies conducted in the Republic. The presentations continued on 17 June, and a meeting of the South Africa–JINR Joint Coordinating Committee will take place on 18 June.