BNC statement on the War in Ukraine

We, at the Budapest Neutron Centre (BNC), follow the developments of the war in Ukraine with great concern. This action violates international law and causes immense human suffering in Ukraine. It also causes serious damage to the international scientific community, especially in nuclear science, on both sides by undermining our long-term and successful cooperation with Russian and Belarusian universities and research institutes.

Peaceful scientific collaboration has always been an important means of maintaining communication and cooperation between countries. BNC has been offering its services to scientists from all over the world on an excellence-based open-access basis, ever since its foundation. However, the current circumstances force us to reconsider our stance in this specific relation. Therefore, despite BNC’s continued commitment to open science, in line with the European Union initiatives and with the actions of similar European large-scale facilities, BNC temporarily suspends institutional cooperation with Russian and Belarusian partners until international relationships will be consolidated. BNC Management will continue to evaluate the situation, and adjust the measures, as and when it finds appropriate.

In view of the above, the BNC Management decided to adopt the following technical measures with immediate effect:

  1. Until further notice, users of any nationality affiliated to Russian or Belarussian institutes will not be able to carry out experiments at BNC, neither onsite nor in a remote form. The already allocated but not yet realized beamtimes of PI from Russian or Belarussian institutes are postponed to a more suitable date. Co-proposers of Russian or Belarussian affiliations will not participate in the experiments.
  2. The submission to the BNC’s proposal system remains open. The submitted proposals will be refereed, but experiments with PI from Russian or Belarussian institutes will be put on hold until further notice.
  3. Note: All BNC proposals remain valid until their regular expiration date of one year. Expired proposals may be resubmitted and will be refereed again.
  4. We are aware that the sanctions negatively affect those Russian and Belarusian affiliated scientists who condemn the war and we will try to maintain contacts on an individual basis.