Scientists tell The Insider that CERN is set to restrict cooperation with Russia-affiliated researchers

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which operates the Large Hadron Collider, is cutting its last ties with physicists linked to Russian entities. CERN will close the last remaining “window of opportunity” for Russian scientists to enroll in its research projects by securing employment with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, not far from Moscow. Existing contracts between CERN and JINR will not be terminated, meaning that Russia-affiliated scientists already working on joint projects will be permitted to continue their research there.

A CERN-affiliated physicist has shared these plans with The Insider anonymously. Another source, a participant in a research project at CERN, has confirmed the information. According to these sources, the restriction concerns not Russian nationals specifically, but scientists of all nationalities cooperating with Russian institutions. Dubna-based JINR boasts quite a few foreign scientists, and some of them have previously worked on projects at CERN. Under the regulations set to go into effect on Dec. 1, it will not be possible for Russia-affiliated scientists who have not previously participated in projects at CERN to cooperate with the European institution.

The regulation will not only affect Russian nationals. As a former JINR employee recalls:

“In Dubna, we had Chinese, Vietnamese, Germans, and Czechs working for us, if my memory serves me correctly. The institute in Dubna enjoyed a unique position — that of an independent international organization, like the Red Cross. Even our cashier's office worked with foreign currency, and we received our business trip allowances in euros. Apparently, that was why [CERN] left that ‘loophole’ for the institute.”

The decline of Russia’s experimental high-energy physics

According to The Insider’s sources, the Dec. 1 deadline was decided upon earlier this year. In March, a spokesperson for CERN announced that the European organization would discontinue cooperation with researchers affiliated with Russian institutes and universities starting Nov. 30, 2024. A Russian physicist who had participated in scientific experiments at CERN told The Insider this would represent a major setback for Russian science:

“As a result, these 500 researchers will lose access to the CERN infrastructure. We are being kicked out of international collaborations we have been a part of for many years. For one, a colleague of mine, who has been in the ALICE collaboration for 30 years, will have to leave it. No one is fired, but access is denied. This is a heavy blow. I would describe it as the destruction of the entire [Russian] field of experimental high-energy physics. After all, these researchers were on the cutting edge of modern science working at CERN, and now they are being thrown out of there, deprived of access to experimental facilities and the global scientific community. CERN is the only place in the world where such research is possible. The [Large Hadron] Collider is one of a kind. Without access, there is no science.”

Another CERN-affiliated Russian physicist argued that the decision does not benefit the European organization either.

“This decision delivers two blows, and both harm science in general. On the one hand, Russian scientists are deprived of the opportunity to continue the work that has already taken considerable resources and years of their lives; young physicists are deprived of the chance to do research at one of the world's most advanced laboratories within the framework of established scientific schools. On the other hand, the departure of Russian research teams will weaken the areas of their work at CERN.”

CERN blocking bypass routes

The Insider's source with connections at CERN said that until recently, scientists from Russia could continue working with the European organization through JINR in Dubna, as exceptions had been made for contracts concluded with the Russian-based institute.

However, according to The Insider's source, the CERN leadership has decided to limit its cooperation with JINR to scientists who have worked with CERN before: “New faces are not allowed.” The information about the decision comes from the scientists themselves — it has not been published anywhere and has only been “communicated verbally to the staff.”

“[JINR] was seen as a window of opportunity. Those who had not yet completed their projects [when the ban on international cooperation was introduced] could take a job in Dubna and continue working as a JINR employee. But CERN has decided that it doesn’t want ‘new names.’ Current employees will get the chance to finish their projects, but even undergraduate or graduate students are no longer welcome at CERN. This destroys scientific schools, because they cannot exist without young people.

“CERN justifies its decision based on these researchers’ affiliation with state universities whose rectors signed that awful letter in support of the war. And now the organization does not want to interact with Russians at all. It's not even about the passport color — it’s about the place of work. If a scientist gets a job, say, at an Italian research center, CERN will cooperate with them.”