The Institute of Atomic Physics (IFA) organized on December, the 2nd, 2009 a symposium on the occasion of the signing of the General Cooperation Agreement between CEA and IFA.

The first part of the event included the presentations given by representatives of CEA, IFA and the National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS) followed by the signing ceremony of the Agreement by the representatives of the two institutions - Hervé BERNARD, CEA vicepresident and Florin-Dorian BUZATU, general director IFA.

The event was also attended by Marian ENACHESCU – vicepresident of ANCS, Sanziana DRAGOS – Director of the Department of Cultural Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gerard COGNET - high CEA delegate for South-Eastern Europe, Michel FARINE - attaché for scientific and university cooperation of French Embassy to Bucharest, ANCS directors, representatives of professional research institution and high educational institutions from the Platform of Physics, Magurele and across the country, mass-media representatives, researchers, professors etc.

The signing of the Cooperation Agreement between CEA and IFA, a step envisaged in the Road Map for the Strategic Partnership on science and technology between Romania and France established in 2008, opens up the possibilty of concluding specific agreements between professional institutions from the two countries with a view to promoting scientific research and technological development in fields such as Energy, Environment, Health and Information Technologies.

The agreement will enable the funding, both from the Commission for Atomic Energy and the Romanian Government, of joint projects that will ensure a sustained participation in european projects and will provide us the opportunity to carry out work stages in the research units of CEA, which encompasses almost the whole technological research & development units operating in the field of energy in France, particularly nuclear energy. This leaves open the possibility of concluding bilateral projects with the research units within the Commission for Atomic Energy, based on mutual interest and reciprocal advantage.

The importance of this document was underlined by both Hervé Bernard and Marius Enachescu in their press declarations:

„For CEA and especially for France, it is very important to forge partnerships contributing to performing new research works in our laboratories. This agreement is particulary significant as it represents a vast programme concerning the nuclear energy and also the new technologies in the fields of energy, informational technologies and fundamental research”, Hervé Bernard has outlined.

„An extremely valuable partner for our cooperation” has considered Marius Enachescu, vice president of National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS).

“They have had the strength and determination to go from the initial part covering atomic energy to green energy, which is extremely beneficial for Romania; it concerns new materials, nanotechnologies, nanomaterials, renewable energies. A most powerful partner” prof. Enachescu has further emphasized.

As a token of homage to genuine scientific values, IFA continued the festivity by offering, in première, IFA medals and honour diplomas to some of the personalities of the Romanian physics, in appreciation for their activity and achievements many of which associated with IFA :

• Doctor Engineer Mihail BALANESCU

For valuable contribution to the development of the research infrastructure in the nuclear field, particularly of the Physics Platform, Magurele, Bucharest as chief engineer and technical director of IFA in the period 1964-1985.

• Professor Marin IVASCU

For valuable contribution to the coordination of the research activity performed at Magurele Physics Platform as Director of Central Institute of Physics in the period 1977-1989.

• Academician Marius Sabin PECULEA

For valuable contribution to the development of industrial scale technology for the heavy water production in Romania.

• Doctor Theodor IONESCU-BUJOR

For valuable contribution to the coordination of the participation of the Romanian research in the EURATOM-Fusion Programme, by organizing and managing IFA, in the period 1999-2008, as Research Unit of the Romanian EURATOM-MEdC Association.

• Professor Marian APOSTOL

Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering For valuable contribution to the promotion of IFA as a beacon of the Romanian physics by mentioning the affiliation to IFA in over 200 scientific published papers.

IFA medals and diplomas of honour were also conferred upon the following professors, coordinators of the physics olimpic lots at university and high-school level, in appreciation for their significant contribution in fostering and promoting a culture of performance in physics by training the new generations:

• Professor Adrian DAFINEI

Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest
For valuable contribution to the training and coordination of the Romanian Physics Olympic lot.

• Professor Delia Constanta DAVIDESCU

High School teacher, Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation
For valuable contribution to the training and coordination of the Romanian Physics Olympic lot.

The first part of the event concluded with the awarding of diplomas of honour and prizes to the gold medal winners at the International Physics and Astrophysics Olympiad 2009, in appreciation of their sustained endeavour and outstanding results:

• Virgil BARAN, Student of the Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest

Gold medallist of International Physics Olympiad 2009
For outstanding results obtained at the International Physics Olympiad.

• Marius CONSTANTIN, Student of International High School of Computer Science, Bucharest

Gold medallist of International Physics Olympiad 2009
For outstanding results obtained at the International Physics Olympiad.

• Ioana ZELKO, Student of International High School of Computer Science, Bucharest

Gold medallist of International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad, 2009
For outstanding results obtained at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics.

In the second part of the symposium brief presentations were given by the following R & D institutions and high educational institutions concerning their main activities of relevance to the field: Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Institute for Nuclear Research (SCN) Pitesti, National R & D Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies (ICSI) Rm.Valcea, National Institute for R & D of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (ITIM) Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Physics of the University of Bucharest and Politehnica University of Bucharest. The event concluded with a visit of the French delegation to research laboratories within the institutes from the Physics Platform.

The importance of this event was twofold as IFA celebrated 60 years since its founding and 10 years of successfull participation of Romania in the EURATOM-Fusion Programme, in the Field of Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion for Energy.

Further details on the symposium organized on the occasion of the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between CEA and IFA, the text of the Agreement as well as other useful information are available on IFA’s website at: http://www.ifa-mg.ro/cea.