The use of nuclear technologies has become a pressing issue in many areas of human activity, particularly in energy, medicine, biology, agriculture and other fields. In the future, the scope of their application and role in our lives will continue to grow steadily. The use of nuclear energy in our country's energy system, the production of cheap, high-quality, environmentally friendly energy, the provision of affordable energy to the population, as well as the training of highly qualified specialists in this field and the development of their skills and qualifications for the effective use of modern nuclear technologies remain pressing issues.

    The use of nuclear energy in the most developed countries of the world, including France, the United States, Japan and China, has reached a high level. The use of nuclear technologies in our country, their successful application in all areas in the future, cooperation with countries with developed nuclear technologies and the widespread use of their experience will bring great results. In accordance with the decrees of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan ‘On measures to develop nuclear energy in the Republic of Uzbekistan’ and ‘On the approval of the Concept for the development of nuclear energy in the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2019-2029’, Samarkand State University has been tasked with training personnel in this field, and in order to ensure the implementation of the tasks outlined in the decree ‘On the Strategy for the Development of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026’, the Institute of Nuclear and New Technologies has been established on the basis of the Tolib Muminov Laboratory of Nuclear Physics at Sharaf Rashidov Samarkand State University.

    The structural structure of the institute consists of two departments, two scientific laboratories and two educational and scientific laboratories. The new institute will train the qualified personnel needed today: medical physicists, engineers for equipment for applied oncology, radioisotope production, cyclotron and radiation equipment, specialists for centres equipped with linear electron accelerators, as well as specialists working on linear electron accelerators for the radiation treatment of agricultural products.

    Scientific research will focus on the development and application of nuclear technologies, in particular in selective radiation therapy, radionuclide diagnostics, the production of radionuclides and medical isotopes, ensuring the preservation and safety of agricultural products through irradiation, crop cultivation and pest control, water resource management, mineral exploration and other similar practical areas.

    Scientific research and large-scale scientific production will be organised on the basis of nuclear technologies. It is also planned to conduct research in this field in collaboration with the Kurchatov Institute National Research Centre in Moscow, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna and other foreign scientific organisations. For information, it should be noted that today, more than ten candidates of sciences, doctors of philosophy and sciences, and senior researchers work at the Tolib Muminov Laboratory of Nuclear Physics (now the Institute of Nuclear and New Technologies) and in the departments. This laboratory, with its high research potential and rich history of scientific and practical achievements, is equipped with the latest equipment in the field of atomic and nuclear physics, modern spectrometry, dosimetry and nuclear electronics.

    As part of projects implemented jointly with international organisations, in particular with the IAEA (UZB-0004, UZB-0005, UZB-0006), high-quality equipment worth USD 800,000 was purchased for the laboratory. Every year, more than 200 bachelor's and 20 master's students undergo practical training at the laboratory. Over the past five years, 10 doctoral dissertations (PhDs) have been defended at the laboratory by doctoral students and independent researchers. The laboratory has special underground facilities for electron accelerators and a 300-metre underground channel, allowing unique experiments to be conducted. In 2003, the laboratory was awarded the status of ‘Unique Facility’. In recent years, the laboratory has accumulated a sufficient material and technical base. The laboratory building has an infrastructure that allows the use of modern nuclear technology devices, in particular accelerators, cyclotrons and other instruments.

Information Service
of Samarkand State University.