Vietnam’s full membership in the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) has yielded significant benefits, particularly in personnel development. Over nearly six decades, Vietnam has nurtured a cadre of scientists, with a focus on physics and chemistry. Upon completing their assignments at JINR, many of these individuals return to Vietnam and continue their research pursuits, notably in theoretical and nuclear physics. Some have risen to leadership positions in specialized research fields, while others have assumed pivotal roles across various scientific domains in the country. By 1991, a total of 292 Vietnamese scientists had undergone comprehensive training at JINR, including six who successfully defended their doctoral theses, with numerous others achieving similar milestones. Several distinguished Vietnamese physicists have received training at JINR, including Professors Nguyen Dinh Tu, Nguyen Van Hieu, Dang Vu Minh, Pham Duy Hien, Dao Vong Duc, Cao Chi, Doan Nhuong, Chu Hao, and many more in subsequent years.
The majority of individuals trained at JINR have continued their research endeavors and made significant contributions. Numerous Vietnamese and Russian scientists have been honored with prestigious awards. For example, Professor Nguyen Dinh Tu received the Friendship Medal in 1980 for his groundbreaking discovery of the Antisigma minus hyperon particle in 1960, achieved in collaboration with his peers at JINR, and for patenting the invention with the Soviet Union in 1968. Professor Nguyen Van Hieu and his JINR colleagues were awarded the Lenin Prize in 1986 for their pioneering work on the “Invariant Size Law of Particle Production.” Furthermore, in 1986, Professor Nguyen Van Hieu received the Friendship Medal from the Soviet Union. In 2006, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology conferred the Friendship Medal of the Vietnamese Government upon JINR.
JINR not only plays a crucial role in training highly skilled personnel for Vietnam but also contributes to the development of infrastructure supporting both basic and applied research in nuclear physics. In 1974, JINR Dubna provided the Neutron Generator Laboratory with a 14 MeV NA-3C neutron generator, and in 1982, it supplied the Vietnam Academy of Science with a Microtron MT-17 accelerator. These installations marked the first accelerators in Southeast Asia and significantly advanced research in nuclear physics at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, benefiting Vietnam as a whole. Moreover, these equipped systems have made notable contributions to the geological industry by analyzing mineral samples, thus supporting Vietnam’s mining sector.
Research Activities of Vietnamese Scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna According to Current Priority Directions
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, cooperation between Vietnam and JINR stalled due to various reasons. From 1992 to 2012, the number of Vietnamese scientists working at JINR was very limited. However, starting from 2013, the number of Vietnamese scientists in Dubna has rapidly increased. Vietnamese research personnel have actively engaged in various scientific research activities at JINR, focusing on the following priority directions, which are also crucial for the scientific development of the country:
– Theoretical physics research, including solid-state theory and field theory
– Experimental research in high-energy physics
– Studies on nuclear reactions using particle accelerator beams and photon beams
– Research on nuclear reactions induced by neutrons at the IREN pulsed neutron source
– Neutron activation analysis at the IBR-2 nuclear reactor
– Material studies using the EG-5 accelerator
– Investigation of the structure of new materials using neutron scattering spectroscopy at the IBR-2 nuclear reactor
– Participation in accelerator design
– Radiation biology research
– Studies on the treatment of radioactive waste using accelerators
– Research on nano materials
– Design of radiation detection systems
Author: Professor Dr. Le Hong Khiem
