A working meeting «Baikal-GVD 2026 Neutrino Telescope» was held on Lake Baikal with the participation of KBSU
A large-scale working meeting, «Baikal-GVD 2026 Neutrino Telescope,» concluded on the shores of Lake Baikal in Listvyanka, Irkutsk Oblast. It brought together leading Russian and international experts in particle physics and neutrino astrophysics. A delegation from the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov (KBSU) participated in discussions on the future of one of Russia’s most ambitious scientific projects.
Representatives of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna), the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INR RAS), Irkutsk State University (ISU), National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Novosibirsk State University, Moscow State University, Lebedev Physical Institute (LPI), ITMO University, and international colleagues, including a delegation from the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP, China), participated in the meeting. The program of the event, held from February 25 to 27, included both intensive scientific sessions and a visit to the telescope’s ice base. Scientists discussed the current status of the Baikal-GVD facility, prospects for creating a next-generation neutrino telescope on Lake Baikal (the «Baikal Next» and «B-HUNT» projects), as well as international cooperation and research training.
The central event of the second day of the meeting was the organizations’ reports on the implementation of state assignments in neutrino physics and astrophysics. Anna Vasilievna Veresnikova, PhD in Physics and Mathematics, Scientific Secretary of the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Senior Researcher at the KBSU-INR RAS Joint Laboratory «Astrophysics and Cosmic Ray Physics,» and Director of the KBSU-INR RAS Joint Project «Development of New Research Methods in Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics,» presented a report in this session. In her presentation, Anna Veresnikova presented the project’s progress during the reporting period in two areas. The first was research in the field of neutrinoless double beta decay. The second was participation in the Baikal-GVD experiment: Kabardino-Balkarian State University is an associate member of the collaboration.
Addressing the meeting participants, Anna Veresnikova praised the work of her team:
«As the director, it is especially important for me to see how the level of training of scientists, undergraduate and graduate students at Kabardino-Balkarian State University is growing. They don’t just participate in experiments—they find solutions to the most complex problems related to neutrinoless double beta decay and work in the Baikal-GVD collaboration. This speaks to KBSU’s significant potential. It is precisely these individuals who will shape the future of Russian science.»
Acting Yuri Kambulatovich Altudov, Rector of KBSU, highly praised the university’s participation in the project:
«For Kabardino-Balkarian State University, participation in the Baikal-GVD collaboration is not just an associate member status, but a real opportunity to integrate into the global scientific community. Our young scientists work shoulder to shoulder with leading specialists from the INR RAS, JINR, and international centers. This is invaluable experience and a serious learning experience. We see how the level of our undergraduate and graduate students is growing, how they are engaging in solving world-class problems. KBSU will continue to develop this area and increase its contribution to the project.»
The three-day meeting resulted in the approval of plans for the further development of the neutrino telescope, a discussion of infrastructure changes, and a detailed description of the contribution of each participating organization, including KBSU, to the creation of the next-generation detector.