Director of Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory Hayk Harutyunyan said that representation of the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (ICRANet) will be opened in Armenia in 2011. Territories for the ICRANet representation have already been allotted in Yerevan and Byurakan, Harutyunyan told journalists.
“The center aims to coordinate and unite specialists of the relativistic astrophysics. Astrophysics has always been at a high level in Armenia. Besides, the observatory in Byurakan plays a unique role in the region and can serve as a link between Middle Asia, Near and Far East, as well as our neighbors,” noted Harutyunyan.
On July 2, Yerevan hosted negotiations on the representation establishment among the Armenian National Academy of Sciences (NAS), President of the ICRANet, Professor Remo Ruffini, as well as Professors Gregory Vereshchagin and Massimo Della Valle. The regional branch of the center will be hosting seminars for astrophysicists from Armenia, Arab and Near East countries, Iran, Turkey and China.
“The visit was very successful. An educational program will be implemented within the framework of the ICRANet branch. It will be a regional center: scientists of neighboring countries will be able to arrive in Armenia. In their turn, Armenian scientists will be provided with the opportunity to obtain education at European scientific centers,” said Professor Gregory Vereshchagin.
ICRANet, (the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network) is an international scientific organization, comprising of four member countries – Armenia, Brazil, Italy, Vatican, universities and research centers. The Coordinating Center is located in Pescara, Italy.
The agreement on cooperation between the RA NAS and ICRA was signed in November 2009. It envisages retraining of staff, organization of trainings and implementation of joint researches.
