On 17 February 2026, following the Third Joint Committee on Cooperation in Science and Technology between Romania and Japan, hosted by Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), a high-level Japanese delegation visited the Măgurele Centre for Atmosphere and Radiation Studies (MARS).
The delegation was led by the Ambassador for Science and Technology Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and included representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Romania. It also comprised senior officials from Japan’s central institutions responsible for science, technology and innovation policy, including the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Representatives of major Japanese funding and research organizations, such as the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), also took part in the visit, reflecting the strategic importance attached to Romania-Japan scientific cooperation.
The programme included a visit to the Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facilities, as well as at the Măgurele Centre for Atmosphere and Radiation Studies (MARS), an experiment site operated by the INOE’s Remote Sensing Department.
At MARS, the delegation was introduced to the Centre’s research infrastructure and its ongoing activities in atmospheric physics, aerosol monitoring, and remote sensing. Discussions with Romanian experts focused on current projects and opportunities for future collaboration, particularly in the context of climate research and advanced atmospheric observation.
The visit provided an important opportunity to strengthen scientific dialogue and to explore future Romania–Japan cooperation in environmental and atmospheric sciences.
