JINR Days in Armenia taking place in Yerevan

On 28 September 2026, the opening ceremony of the JINR Days in Armenia took place at the Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran) in Yerevan. Among the participants was a delegation of the Institute’s Directorate and leading scientists from the JINR laboratories, headed by JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov, as well as representatives of national universities, research centres, and the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA). On the same day, JINR and Yerevan State University (YSU) signed an agreement on cooperation in personnel training at the university.

NAS RA President Ashot Saghyan welcomed the JINR delegation to the Matenadaran, congratulating the representatives of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research on its 70th jubilee. “This is a special anniversary for all of us who have been linked with Dubna for decades through scientific cooperation, joint research, and human relations. Seventy years is a significant historical journey. During this time, JINR became one of the largest international scientific centres, uniting researchers from different countries to work on fundamental scientific tasks. In addition, today, the Institute is an example of the successful development of megascience projects and effective international collaboration. Our compatriots, outstanding Academicians Alexei Norairovich Sissakian, who headed the Institute for many years, and Yuri Tsolakovich Oganessian, who to this day makes significant contributions to nuclear physics as well as the overall development and prosperity of the Institute, played an essential role in establishing and growing JINR’s international stature”, Ashot Saghyan summarised.

Director of the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory (AANL) Gevorg Karyan noted that partnership between Armenian researchers and JINR has deep historical roots. “This cooperation made an enormous contribution to the development of fundamental and applied studies in Armenia, the exchange of scientific experience, and the training of new generations of Armenian researchers. Today, our interaction remains active and highly in demand. I am convinced that the main value of our partnership lies in the fact that it bridges the past achievements with the present scientific challenges and the limitless future possibilities. New technologies, the most complex research infrastructure, and the ever-growing complexity of scientific tasks require us to ensure even greater international cooperation than ever before. In this context, our partnership with JINR can play an even more significant role in the future”, Gevorg Karyan emphasised.

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Grigory Trubnikov delivered an overview lecture on JINR. He presented the recent research results of the scientific projects carried out together with Yerevan State University and institutes of the Academy of Sciences, discussed the history of collaboration with Armenian researchers as well as scientific and educational centres, and outlined its current priorities. Grigory Trubnikov expressed his gratitude to the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Republic of Armenia for holding the JINR Days in Armenia and to colleagues from the NAS RA and Armenian universities for organizing joint scientific events. “The Republic of Armenia has always been our reliable partner and friend. I express my great commendation to you, dear colleagues, for supporting open international scientific cooperation”, the JINR Director concluded. He highlighted that a JINR Information Centre opened at YSU in 2022, allowing students and postgraduates from Armenian universities to undergo internships and training both at the Institute and at the scientific organizations of its Member States.

Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Republic of Armenia to JINR Artur Movsisyan commented on the changes that occurred in the Armenian academic community in recent years, including greater governmental support, the rebuilding of human resources, research infrastructure upgrades, and the increasing number of publications. “By 2030, we must transform this growth into sustainable development of the entire research system. JINR’s seventy-year history demonstrates the substantial benefits provided by long-term scientific cooperation to people, institutions, and countries. May the years ahead be defined, above all, by the discoveries we make together!” Artur Movsisyan concluded.

The JINR Days in Armenia continued at Yerevan State University. JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov and YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan signed a cooperation agreement. Grigory Trubnikov сommented on the signing of the document, noting that thanks to the Institute’s Information Centre opened in 2022 at YSU and AANL, joint work intensified between these centres’ leading scientists and JINR in information technologies, biology, and physics.

YSU Vice-Rector Rafayel Barkhudaryan, Director of the YSU Institute of Physics Khachatur Nerkararyan, and Department Heads Aram Sahakyan and Armen Tumasyan provided an overview of the university’s educational and research programmes. In turn, JINR University Centre Director Dmitry Kamanin spoke about the Joint Institute’s educational activities. The programme at YSU concluded with a round table entitled “Cooperation between JINR and Armenia in education and science”. In addition, from 28 September to 1 October, an exhibition on flagship projects of the JINR laboratories is taking place at Yerevan State University.

The Days of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Armenia, dedicated to the 70th JINR anniversary, will continue in Yerevan until 2 October. On 29 September, the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia hosted the key event of the JINR Days in Armenia – a round table titled “Artificial intelligence in science and industry: opportunities and challenges”. Participants discussed how AI affects scientific discoveries and what prospects open up at the intersection of fundamental studies, artificial intelligence, scientific computing, and industry.

Another round table, dedicated to organizing educational process in the context of countries’ technological development, will take place on 30 September at the Russian-Armenian University (RAU). Representatives of JINR, RAU, and Dubna State University will discuss the mutual integration of research and educational processes, the role of networked learning and technology transfer in research universities, international cooperation of scientific and educational institutions, and much more.

In addition, the JINR Days in Armenia will feature discussions and seminars on cosmic rays, radiation materials science, and life sciences as well as presentations of projects of the Institute’s laboratories. The JINR delegation will visit the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory, the CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute, the Nor-Amberd Cosmic Ray Research Station, and the Norayr Sisakyan Home-Museumin in Ashtarak.

The events are aimed at expanding JINR’s cooperation with research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences and educational institutions of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia.

Before the JINR Days in Armenia, on 25-26 September, the international European Researchers’ Night festival took place at the National Academy of Sciences with the participation of a group of young scientists from Yerevan and JINR, who presented international studies and experiments conducted in Dubna.

Photos by the NAS RA and Yerevan State University Press Office