On 26 May 2025, the 18th International Internship for Young Scientists and Specialists from the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) started at the JINR International Conference Centre. Young people will spend a month getting acquainted with the scientific and innovative activities of the Joint Institute, Dubna University, and Dubna Special Economic Zone. In addition, they will work on projects in international groups on the topics they choose. The projects of the participants, started both during and after the internship, may qualify for grants of the CIS International Innovation Centre for Nanotechnology.

The participants are graduate students and researchers aged 22 to 35 from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Director of the CIS International Innovation Centre for Nanotechnology, JINR Assistant Director for Development Projects Alexander Ruzaev noted that as always since the launch of the internship in 2009, the number of applications was high, predominantly from Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Central Asia. “What stands out about this year’s internship is a change in the specialisation of its participants. Previous events primarily attracted physicists and chemists, but many of this year’s applicants were young people who work and study in fields related to biology, nuclear medicine, and IT, which reflects shifts in modern science,” Alexander Ruzaev commented.

Alexander Ruzaev noted that all participants of the internship will be able to align their scientific interests with the research conducted at JINR. “I want to emphasise that the main aim of our cooperation with the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund is to establish an intercultural dialogue and build partnerships with representatives of different countries. There are a lot of talented young people in the CIS, and it is necessary to give them the opportunity to join the community of researchers at the cutting edge of science,” Alexander Ruzaev concluded.

Head of the JINR Social Infrastructure Management (SIM) Office Andrey Tamonov highlighted the many scientific contacts established over the years of internships and the ongoing CIS–JINR joint studies. “The main goal of our internship is to strengthen the existing ties and continue establishing new ones: to create new international collaborations, projects, exchange visits for experiments, conferences, dissertations, and help establish cooperation between the Joint Institute and colleagues in your countries,” Andrey Tamonov said. The SIM Office Head noted that engaging in project activities gives the participants a unique opportunity to build strong relationships and collaboratively work towards their scientific goals.

On the first day of the event, the participants introduced themselves, briefly sharing facts about their scientific interests, hobbies, and homelands. This was the first step towards establishing strong contacts between young specialists from different countries. On 27 May, Chief Scientific Secretary Sergey Nedelko delivered introductory lectures on the directions of JINR’s research, and Deputy Chief Scientific Secretary Alexey Zhemchugov read lectures on international cooperation. Head of the JINR Innovations and Intellectual Property Department Igor Lensky presented the project of the International Park of Science and Technology in Dubna and spoke about other innovative projects involving the Institute. Head of the FLNP Raman Spectroscopy Sector Grigory Arzumanyan spoke about the activities of the JINR Nanobiophotonics Centre, which always attract the interest of young CIS scientists.

The internship participants shared their expectations and plans.

Temirlan Alimbekuly, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University, research interests: materials science, particularly metal corrosion: “I learned about the internship from the employees of our research centre, Surface Engineering and Tribology. It was established in 2018, and our specialists have been participating in the internship ever since, including the last year’s one. I chose to apply as well on the recommendation of my colleagues”.

Dildora Rasulova, a PhD student at the Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, research interests: computer modelling methods: “I learned about the internship from the Head of the National Group of Uzbekistan at JINR Anvar Inoyatov. Now I am exploring the opportunities it provides: I certainly want to work on a project, enter a grant competition, and build new working relationships, making the most of the internship”.

Dilmurod Rakhmanov, the Research Institute of Semiconductor Physics and Microelectronics of the National University of Uzbekistan, research interests: semiconductors, particularly the influence of various types of radiation on the electrophysical properties of silicon structures doped with transition elements. The scientist noted he was participating in the event for the second time. After his first internship, he took part in many joint studies with scientists from FLNP, LRB, and DLNP at JINR: “I took part in this internship for the first time in 2021. It was a very rewarding and unforgettable experience. We visited all JINR laboratories and got acquainted with modern instruments. It was especially important to get to know the Institute’s employees. We started working together and have already published more than 10 articles in reputable journals and more than 20 abstracts. After my first trip to Dubna, I defended my thesis and am now a doctoral student at the Research Institute of Semiconductor Physics and Microelectronics of the National University of Uzbekistan. I have new scientific plans, so I decided to participate in the internship again. I am grateful for the opportunity to come here once more”.