On March 22, Darhan Akhmed-Zaki, Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Sayabek Sakhiyev, Director General of the Institute and Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), visited JINR.
As part of the visit, a meeting with the JINR Directorate was held to discuss new joint projects, including the establishment of advanced scientific infrastructure in Kazakhstan. The Vice Minister and the Director General participated in the session of the Committee of Plenipotentiary Representatives of JINR and toured the scientific infrastructure of the Institute’s laboratories.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the implementation of several planned joint projects, including nuclear medicine and the creation of a large installation with an ultracold neutron beamline. The advanced project on ultracold neutron research has already attracted the attention of scientists not only from Dubna and Kazakhstan but also from many other countries. JINR plans to actively participate in the design and construction of several research facilities in Kazakhstan.
The Vice Minister noted that the results of Kazakhstan’s longstanding cooperation with JINR deserve high praise, emphasizing their importance for scientific development and the realization of major scientific projects. Among these, Darhan Akhmed-Zaki highlighted the construction of the DC-60 accelerator at the Astana branch of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in 2006 and the plans for building a new accelerator at the Institute as significant steps toward expanding research capabilities and promoting scientific activities.
The Vice Minister stressed that Kazakhstan’s current scientific research priorities include nuclear physics, information technology, and nuclear medicine. He emphasized the government’s significant support for science, particularly in attracting young people to research. In this regard, the development of joint programs for training highly qualified scientific personnel at JINR is of special interest.
On the same day, the Vice Minister and the Director General participated in the session of the Committee of Plenipotentiary Representatives of JINR. In his speech, the Vice Minister highlighted the importance of international cooperation for both Kazakhstan and all member countries. He outlined the joint projects being implemented with JINR scientists in Kazakhstan and reaffirmed the intention to continue collaboration in new technologies, innovations, and scientific discoveries.
As part of their introduction to JINR’s flagship scientific infrastructure projects, the delegation visited the NICA megaproject site at the Laboratory of High Energy Physics, the IBR-2 pulsed reactor at the Laboratory of Neutron Physics, the Factory of Superheavy Elements at the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, and the “Govorun” supercomputer at the Laboratory of Information Technologies.
At the end of the visit, Vice Minister Darhan Akhmed-Zaki and Sayabek Sakhiyev, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of Kazakhstan at JINR, held a meeting with the national group of the Republic of Kazakhstan at JINR. The head of the national group, Yerzhan Mukhamedzhanov, presented a detailed report on the group’s key activities, current projects, active initiatives, and the significant achievements of Kazakh scientists within JINR.
During an open dialogue, topics such as scientific research, educational programs, scientific personnel training, and the development of international scientific cooperation were discussed. Particular attention was given to deepening collaboration in research and technological development, as well as the importance of Kazakh scientists’ participation in high-level international projects.
Vice Minister Darhan Akhmed-Zaki emphasized the Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s readiness to fully support initiatives and projects aimed at advancing science and technology. He expressed confidence that productive interaction with international scientific organizations will continue to foster scientific progress and enrich Kazakhstan’s scientific potential.
