May 19, IAEA delegation headed by the Deputy General Director – Director of the Department of safeguards of the IAEA T. Varjoranta has visited MEPhI. The delegation included leading safeguards specialists of the Agency H. Barroso, M. Aparo, F. Claude. For the whole day MEPhI become a forum for discussion of issues concerning nuclear nonproliferation and international safeguards. The visit was also attended by representatives of Rosatom and the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In the welcoming speech MEPhI rector M.N. Strikhanov stressed the importance of the cooperation between the University and the Agency in the contest of the program of competitiveness increase. He pointed out experience of the University in training personnel in the field of nuclear non-proliferation and said that in this regard MEPhI, as one of the main personnel suppliers for the Russian nuclear industry, was a good place to discuss these issues. In response Mr. T. Varjoranta noted a long and effective cooperation of Agency and the Department of safeguards with the University in the preparation and training of specialists and qualified experts.

The IAEA delegation visited MEPhI Nanocenter, Interdepartmental laboratory of experimental nuclear physics, and the Laboratory of the Department “Theoretical and experimental physics of nuclear reactors”. Guests noted the high level of laboratories equipment and scientific and academic research, held there.

After a technical excursion around MEPhI laboratories there was discussion of plans for cooperation in the area of safeguards. Participants outlined main directions of cooperation in the field of teaching and training, as well as development of new methods and tools to determine quantities of undeclared nuclear materials. The visit ended with a two-hour lecture by T. Varjoranta for the MEPhI staff and students on topical issues and development objectives of the IAEA safeguards system.