IGEM RAS and TPU Signed an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation

IGEM RAS conducts fundamental scientific research in Earth sciences, including geology of ore deposits, metallogeny, petrology, mineralogy and crystal chemistry, geochemistry, isotope geochemistry and geochronology, radiogeology and radio geoecology, geoinformatics, volcanism and natural disasters, magmatism and mineral genesis of the World Ocean and Arctic Zone. The Institute has gained worldwide recognition as a leader in Russian science in the fields of radiogeochemistry and radio geoecology, and also maintains its position as the leading organization in Russian science for the development of theories of ore formation, petrology, metasomatism and metamorphism, genetic mineralogy and crystal chemistry, ore geochemistry and mantle geochemistry.

The agreement was signed by Dmitry Sednev, Rector of TPU, and Vladislav Petrov, Director of IGEM RAS. The main areas of cooperation include personnel training, development of new methodological approaches and technologies, conducting joint R&D, and engaging specialists for lectures, seminars, and consultations.

Earlier, with the support of TVEL and MSU, Tomsk Polytechnic University opened a research center for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities (RCD NF), which includes a laboratory for the study of clay-containing barrier materials. According to Alexander Pavlyuk, Acting Director of RCD NF at TPU, the project of greatest mutual interest is "Substantiation of the selection of barrier clay materials used in the implementation of projects at the final stage of the life cycle of nuclear energy facilities."

"By joining forces with IGEM RAS – an organization that successfully conducts work in the field of development and substantiation of the acceptability of engineered barriers to ensure safe isolation of radioactive waste (RW) at nuclear- and radiation-hazardous facilities – we are confident that we can achieve significant results in this area," notes Evgeny Bespala, Deputy Vice-Rector for Science and Technology Transfer at TPU.

"To date, IGEM RAS has accumulated unique experience in the field of studying engineered barrier components and substantiating the assessment of safety functions for radioactive waste isolation. Specialized equipment has been developed and acquired, and unique experimental setups have been created that allow obtaining a wide range of experimental data necessary for modeling the evolution of barrier properties over the time period specified by the project. We expect that cooperation with Tomsk Polytechnic University will allow us to jointly find answers to the applied and fundamental questions currently facing the research and education community and the industry," emphasized Victoria Krupskaya, Leading Researcher at IGEM RAS.