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Kurchatov Institute head calls CERN’s decision to end cooperation with Russian scientists ‘a gift’
The globe of science and innovation at the CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Meyrin near Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: EPA/VALENTIN FLAURAUD
The head of Russia’s leading nuclear institute responded jubilantly on Wednesday to the announcement by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) that it plans to “suspend cooperation” with Russian scientists by the end of November.
Mikhail Kovalchuk of the Kurchatov Institute described CERN’s decision to dismiss almost 500 Russian employees as a “gift for Russia”, adding that many CERN employees had originally come from the Kurchatov Institute and were “ideologically and scientifically” Russian.
CERN spokesperson Arnaud Marsollier told Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti on Tuesday that the departing Russian staff members would be replaced by others in the organisation, and pointed out that CERN no longer received any funding from Russia.
CERN announced it would not be renewing its cooperation agreements with Russia in June 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine four months beforehand.
It had previously been reported that the organisation was exploring options that would allow it to retain Russian employees at its Large Hadron Collider by creating a laboratory “under a neutral flag” in an attempt to safeguard Russian employees' livelihoods and the development of Russian nuclear research.