Dr. Masanori Yamauchi, Director General, KEK (front row, third from the left)
at the entrance of Administration Building
His Excellency Mr. Jurij Rifelj, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to Japan, visited KEK Tsukuba Campus on October 27, 2023. Slovenia joined the Belle / Belle II Experiment, an international collaboration hosted by KEK, in 2001 and the Slovenian Group has been contributing to the construction and the maintenance of the Experiment.
In the opening welcome address, Director General Masanori Yamauchi mentioned the importance of international collaborations on research projects of KEK and expressed his sincere appreciation for the continued support from the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to their researchers. Dr. Yutaka Ushiroda, Professor and Belle II Project Manager, Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, introduced the Belle II Slovenian Group, which currently has 25 members from four institutions participating, mentioning that they have demonstrated their presence in the project through publishing more than 14 doctoral dissertations achieved by the results of the Belle Experiment and have always played central roles in the project including the Belle II Upgrade and management of the organization of the international collaboration experiment.
His Excellency Mr. Jurij Rifelj replied by commenting that Belle / Belle II Experiment is one of the most important scientific bilateral cooperation projects between Slovenia and Japan. He thanked KEK for providing Slovenian researchers with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and expertise at this prestigious scientific institution.
H. E. Mr. Jurij Rifelj Ambassador of the Republic of the Slovenia to Japan (sixth from the left), Dr. Yutaka Ushiroda, Professor and Belle II Project Manager, Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS), KEK (right end)
H. E. Mr. Jurij Rifelj took in a facility tour of Belle II Detector and Photon Factory.
A group photo was taken in front of the Slovenian national flag in the Tsukuba Experimental Hall. After facility tours, H. E. Mr. Jurij Rifelj interacted with Slovenian researchers staying at KEK.
H. E. Mr. Jurij Rifelj expressed his admiration for the research and contributions of Slovenian scientists at the Belle II Experiment. He expressed his firm belief that this excellent cooperation between Slovenian researchers and KEK will continue. He also pointed out that the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia will provide support to them, if need be.