News

On June 25, 2023, an informative session on nuclear and radiation technologies was held for students of the SABAH Groups from Baku State University at the Nuclear Research Department (NRD) of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA).

The main goal of the info session was to familiarize students with the areas of application of nuclear sciences and radiation technologies in Azerbaijan, introduce the analytical methods and instruments used in these fields at IDDA’s Nuclear Research Department, and to reduce radiophobia by giving students hands-on exposure to modern nuclear analytical equipment.

A total of 20 students attended the session — 16 from Baku State University, 2 from the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, and 2 from the Institute of Radiation Problems under the Ministry of Science and Education.

During the session, students were provided with detailed information about the department's fields of activity, its national and international collaborations, and scientific research projects in radiological and radioecological monitoring carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Students were also informed about the upcoming Summer School on Nuclear Forensics to be jointly organized by IDDA’s Nuclear Research Department and the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The school, scheduled for September 13–15, 2023, is supported by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy through the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU), and is aimed at senior university students from Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.

Students attended theoretical and practical sessions covering the following topics:

• Occupational Safety and Radiation Protection (HSE and safety protocols)

• Overview of IDDA Nuclear Research Department’s operations

• Detection and analysis of nuclear and radioactive materials

• Nuclear Forensics

• Modern nuclear spectral analysis methods and equipment

• Introduction to radiation technologies and the Gamma Sterilization Facility

• Practical training with innovative exercises

• Guidelines and recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Additionally, students participated in guided tours of the department’s nuclear analysis laboratories and the Gamma Irradiation Facility used for sterilization. They engaged in hands-on exercises with the support of nuclear experts, using specialized instruments to detect, locate, and identify radioactive materials.

At the end of the session, students' feedback and interest in future careers in nuclear and radiation technology in Azerbaijan were collected through an interactive survey.