International Conference “Remembering the Past, Looking into the Future” of the CTBTO Young Scientists and Specialists
Kurchatov town
Pursuant to the PCK Plan of events for 2017-2018 the International Conference “Remembering the Past, Looking into the Future” of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) was held in Astana from August 28 to September 2.
The conference was confined to August 29 — the International Day against Nuclear Tests, established by the UN General Assembly in 2009 upon the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Kazakhstan scientists – members of Pugwash Committee of Kazakhstan (PCK) actively participated in the work of conference.
Vice-Chairman of PCK, Director General of RSE NNC RK, Erlan Batyrbekov presented his report on “Scientific-Technical Support of Nonproliferation Issues in the Republic of Kazakhstan”.
The report underlined the role of a Leader of the Nation, Nursultan Nazarbayev for voluntary abandonment of the nuclear potential by Kazakhstan. Within less than 3 years the Republic of Kazakhstan managed to turn from the owner of the world fourth largest nuclear arsenal to non-nuclear state, and later on – to one of the World Leader in nuclear disarmament, author of a number of initiatives, oriented at the peace building, free from nuclear weapon. Specialists from the National Nuclear Center made great efforts on elimination of nuclear testing infrastructure and conversion of Semipalatinsk Test Site.
The conference participants – Group of Eminent Persons and members of the CTBTO Youth Group visited the National Nuclear Center and Institute of Geophysical Researches in Kurchatov town. The conference participants met with the management of the above mentioned organizations and with young specialists, working in area of nuclear safety.
Excursions to Museum of Semipalatinsk Test Site, laboratories, Tokamak KTM, tours to “Experimental Field” site – first test conduction place – were organized for the guests.
Excursion to “Kurchatov-Cross” seismic array, included in the CTBTO International Monitoring System, located in the Institute of Geophysical Researches, was also organized for the conference participants.