Signed Memorandum of Understanding between Georgian Technical University and European Organization for Nuclear Research

Georgian Technical University is the first higher education institution from the Caucasus region to become a member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)’s new Detector Research and Development Collaboration (DRD1).

This important decision for the Georgian scientific community was reinforced by the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Georgian Technical University and CERN on the DRD1 (Detector Research and Development 1) collaboration.

The document was signed by the Rector of Georgian Technical University, Academician David Gurgenidze, and the Director of Scientific Research and Computing at CERN, Professor Gautier Hamel de Monchenault.

Georgian Technical University and its group of scientists successfully carry out the most difficult tasks in CERN’s leading experiments, such as CMS, ATLAS, and SHIP. In accordance with the requirements of the experiments, the refinement of detector technologies, improvement of their parameters, and updating are constantly underway. Therefore, on December 6th, 2023, the CERN Research Council approved the collaboration on detector research and development.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Georgian Technical University and CERN on the new DRD1 collaboration is evaluated as an important event in the scientific space of the country by the Rector, Academician David Gurgenidze. As the Rector explains, the new DRD1 collaboration of the European Organization for Nuclear Research envisages the improvement-development of gas detectors, calorimeters, and accelerator technologies.

“The integration of the Georgian Technical University into the new DRD1 collaboration of the European Organization for Nuclear Research is one of the most important stages in terms of the scientific development of our country. This decision confirms that the Georgian scientific school, in particular the team of physicists and engineers of the Georgian Technical University, fully complies with the highest international standards of modern fundamental research and actively participates in scientific processes of global importance.

The new DRD1 collaboration focuses on advancing gas detectors, calorimeters, and accelerator technologies—critical components for the next generation of particle physics experiments, both accelerator-based and non-accelerator-based. This encompasses a broad research spectrum: nuclear and neutrino physics, dark matter studies, rare decay investigations, and practical applications in medicine, industry, and civil security.

It is noteworthy that the Georgian Technical University is the first from the Caucasus region to join this collaboration. The Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Director of Scientific Research and Computing at CERN, Professor Gautier de Monchenault, allows us to directly engage in the formation of a long-term strategy for detector research and development. Participation in the new DRD1 collaboration not only strengthens the scientific potential of the university but also creates a solid foundation for the development of high-tech research, innovative engineering, and modern physics in Georgia, which ultimately serves the scientific and technological progress of the country,” says Rector, Academician David Gurgenidze.

The new CERN / DRD1 collaborative structure will facilitate joint efforts to achieve the common goals defined in the Detector Research and Development Roadmap document; the development of common tools, including detector physics simulation software, electronics, etc.; support in education and training – strengthening the connections between different technologies, research topics and scientific disciplines; promoting the visibility and prospects of young researchers in detector technologies; Improving access to infrastructure (workshops, laboratories) for the development of detectors.