On 22 April 2025, the Days of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Uzbekistan started in Tashkent. At the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (AS RUz), JINR and AS RUz signed a scientific and technical cooperation agreement. JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov was awarded the “80 years of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan” honorary medal. From 22 to 24 April, a JINR delegation will hold several official meetings with representatives of academic institutes, universities, relevant Uzbekistan ministries and departments in Tashkent and Samarkand.

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The opening ceremony of the JINR Days in Uzbekistan started with a welcome speech by President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Ayupov. He thanked the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research for organizing such a large event for the country’s researchers. “I am confident that holding the JINR Days in Uzbekistan will strengthen and promote our cooperation,” Shavkat Ayupov emphasised. The AS RUz President awarded JINR Director, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Grigory Trubnikov the “80 years of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan” jubilee medal for his significant contribution to advancing JINR–Uzbekistan scientific and institutional cooperation.

As part of the ceremony at the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences, a general agreement on long-term collaboration between scientific organizations of Uzbekistan and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research was signed. The subject of the document is to establish partnership in theoretical and experimental nuclear physics, high energy physics, radiation materials studies, neutron activation analysis, radiochemistry, nuclear medicine, radiation biology and biotechnology, radiation instrumentation, seismology, information technology, and personnel training. A working group will be formed for each field. The parties will exchange information, organize conferences and seminars, visits and internships, conduct research and experiments at nuclear physics facilities of both parties.

“We signed a cooperation agreement today. It was a symbolic moment, as the JINR Days in Uzbekistan is the first in the long list of the 2025-2026 celebrations of the Institute’s 70th anniversary in 2026,” Grigory Trubnikov commented on the signing of the document.

The Director highlighted that the JINR Days in Uzbekistan symbolise the Institute striving to strengthen scientific ties and develop new collaborative projects with the Republic. “In addition, this a tribute to the great potential of Uzbekistan research and the unique traditions of this country,” Grigory Trubnikov said. He noted that the Institute has spent its entire scientific journey of almost 70 years, full of achievements and discoveries, working alongside Uzbekistan researchers.

Ongoing joint research covers a wide range of tasks, from theoretical physics to applied nuclear physics, including innovative activities in nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, ecology, nanomaterials, electronics, and computer technology. Grigory Trubnikov expressed gratitude to the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan for supporting the participation of scientists from the Republic in the Institute’s largest projects, particularly building and operating the NICA Collider.

Over the decades of partnership, more than 200 Uzbekistan researchers and specialists gained scientific expertise in Dubna, with 40 defending doctoral dissertations, more than 100 becoming candidates of sciences, and five receiving the title of academicians of the National Academy of Sciences. Director of the AS RUz Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) Ilkham Sadikov is currently part of the JINR Scientific Council, the Institute’s main advisory body that determines its scientific agenda. In March, AS RUz President Shavkat Ayupov headed an Uzbekistan delegation at the a meeting of the Joint Institute’s main governing body, the Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the JINR Member States.

“Our Institute is a modern, dynamically developing international organization that enjoys the trust of its Member States. Our greatest strength lies in the human capital and resources provided by the Member States for joint fundamental research in the collective interest and for the common good. We highly appreciate the contribution that the Republic of Uzbekistan makes to the Institute’s development and the attention that the Government of the Republic pays to us, especially the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, the Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan,” Grigory Trubnikov noted. The JINR Director expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Republic of Uzbekistan, namely to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the comprehensive assistance and participation of Uzbekistan in implementing the Institute’s research programme.

JINR’s support, in turn, allowed launching a number of significant projects in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The AS RUz Institute of Nuclear Physics operates a cloud computing cluster and a unique, highly sensitive neutronography facility. The creation of a new diffractometer at a research reactor is under discussion. In addition, active cooperation is maintained with the country’s leading universities: the National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent State Technical University, Namangan Institute of Engineering and Technology, and Samarkand State University.

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INP AS RUz Director Ilkham Sadikov expressed confidence that the JINR Days in Uzbekistan would further strengthen long-term collaboration. “I would like to thank my colleagues from the Joint Institute for taking the time to visit our Republic and the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan,” Ilkham Sadikov said. The INP AS RUz Director gave a presentation on the development of nuclear medicine in Uzbekistan.

JINR Scientific Leader, RAS Academician Victor Matveev gave a talk titled “On the 60th anniversary of the hypothesis of coloured quarks and the Dubna hadron model”. Victor Matveev highlighted the importance of reflecting on the Institute’s 70-year journey and remembering the key achievements. “This year, together with the global scientific community, we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the hypothesis of coloured quarks and the composite model of strongly interacting particles, hadrons, based on it. This hypothesis originated in Dubna, in the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics named after Academician Nikolay N. Bogoliubov, who first came up with the idea. The theory of coloured quarks played an extremely important role in the development of strong interaction physics. The Standard Model of particle physics is just one of a number of fundamental achievements of JINR researchers in theoretical physics,” the Joint Institute’s Scientific Leader concluded.

The talk by Director of the Laboratory of Radiation Biology at JINR Aleksander Bugay was devoted to fundamental research in radiation biology at JINR and its nuclear medicine applications.

On the same day, the JINR delegation paid official visits to the Romanovsky Institute of Mathematics and the Republican Specialised Scientific and Practical Medical Centre of Endocrinology. In addition, a meeting took place with IT Park University representatives.

The AS RUz Presidium is hosting an interactive exhibition dedicated to JINR’s activities, displaying the Institute’s achievements and statistical data. At the exhibition, viewers can get acquainted with the Joint Institute’s main facilities and research areas, and Uzbekistan university students can learn about starting a career at JINR.

The ceremony participants laid flowers on the grave of Academician Bekhzod Yuldashev, a long-time AS RUz President, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of Uzbekistan at JINR, Scientific Council member, outstanding physicist, organizer of scientific activities, and public figure, who greatly contributed to intensifying cooperation between Uzbekistan universities and JINR.