On 17 September 2025, a representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba to the Russian Federation Alberto Turro Breff and a specialist in education and science Delis Sevila Rodríguez visited the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. At top of agenda were discussions of the development of scientific cooperation, as well as the exchange of experience in education and training of new specialists.

The introduction to the scientific infrastructure of the Institute began with an excursion of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, where the representatives of Cuba got acquainted with the activities of the nanocentre and visited the U-400 Cyclotron hall. At the Laboratory of Radiation Biology, the delegates toured the departments of medical radiobiology, radiation physiology, and astrobiology.

During a meeting with representatives of the JINR Directorate, Vice-Director of the Institute, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Kekelidze stressed: “Cuba has been part of our large international family of researchers and engineers for almost 50 years. We collaborate actively and intensively, and this cooperation benefits both the Joint Institute and Cuba. Today, your country faces major challenges in nuclear medicine and energy, and the knowledge that specialists of Cuba receive in Dubna undoubtedly contributes to Cuba’s scientific and technological development”.

JINR Chief Scientific Secretary Sergey Nedelko noted that in the coming months Cuba will be the centre of the Institute’s attention. The country will host several major events, including the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries session and the Hadron Structure and Hadronic Matter Physics JINR–Cuba school.

The meeting participants paid special attention to discussing educational prospects for Cuban students. It was noted that education might be provided by JINR partner institutions, including Dubna University, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow State University (MSU), Dubna branch of MSU, and others. By studying at these universities, students can engage with the studies of the Joint Institute from the very first year, find scientific supervisors, and build professional relationships. JINR scientists actively participate in educational initiatives, giving lectures and supervising research projects at partner universities.

Director of the JINR University Centre Dmitry Kamanin commented on the mission of the UC, which is to provide students from the Member States with access to JINR’s unique infrastructure and involve them in high-level research projects. He noted that the fiftieth anniversary of cooperation with Cuba is a good occassion to take stock and set new goals.

In turn, Advisor for Education and Science of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the Russian Federation Alberto Turro Breff invited JINR representatives to participate in the 15th International Congress on Higher Education, which will take place in Cuba in February 2026.

Other JINR representatives included LRB Director Aleksander Bugay, Head of the International Cooperation Department Otilia-Ana Culicov, a DLNP senior researcher Katherin Shtejer Diaz, and LRB Deputy Director for Scientific Work Ivan Padron Diaz.

In conclusion of the meeting, both parties expressed interest in further development of cooperation, stressing that new joint projects, expansion of academic exchange programmes, and reinforcement of the positions of Cuban specialists in international scientific collaborations are ahead.