MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which has spurned cooperation with Russian scientists, has set a dangerous precedent that could, in the future, extend this discriminatory decision to researchers from other countries, Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Denis Sekirinsky told TASS.
Meanwhile, Russia is developing its own mega-science facilities but does not intend to restrict access to researchers based on nationality, as CERN has done, the minister added.
"We have a great program for the development of synchrotron and neutron research. [...] I am confident that there will be no discrimination based on nationality for foreign researchers seeking access to Russian mega-facilities," Sekirinsky told TASS, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "constantly emphasizes that the doors of Russian science are open to the whole world and that researchers from any country are always welcome."
The deputy minister also noted that CERN's decision could be far-reaching. "Since December, CERN has decided to limit cooperation with Russian scientists. Nothing prevents them from restricting cooperation with other researchers based on this precedent. Ultimately, it is science itself that suffers most from these restrictions. I believe the consequences of this decision will extend far beyond the field of physics, where researchers from all over the world collaborate at CERN. [...] They are essentially shooting themselves in the foot, with long-term consequences not only of a research nature, but also ethical ones," he added.
Collider controversy
Earlier, CERN announced that it would terminate cooperation with about 500 researchers linked to Russia.
President of the Kurchatov Institute Research Center, Mikhail Kovalchuk, commenting on CERN's decision, noted that 80% of the Russian scientists affected were employees of the institute. He explained that 25-30 Russian scientists worked at CERN on a permanent basis, while others served as consultants. Kovalchuk also highlighted that Russia has contributed more than €2 billion to fund international European scientific projects in which it is a participant.
On September 20, Nature magazine reported that CERN, best known as the operator of the Swiss-based Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will deny access to hundreds of scientists affiliated with Russian organizations starting in December 2024. Nature suggests that this decision against Russian scientists, who contribute to independent experiments at the LHC, could be a significant setback for CERN.