NUCLEAR EDUCATION IN RUSSIA
2025-06-27 00:00

International Youth Nuclear Forum Obninsk NEW-2025 was held in Obninsk

On June 26, the 3rd International Youth Nuclear Forum Obninsk NEW-2025 was held in Obninsk (Kaluga Region) with Rosatom's support. It was held on the birthday of the world's first Obninsk NPP for the third time, with the keynote theme of the event formulated as: Dream and Create the Future of the Global Nuclear Industry!

The forum brought together more than 700 participants in face-to-face format and a few thousand more online, fr om partner sites in 70 countries around the world. The event was attended by Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, top managers of Rosatom and its enterprises, representatives of federal ministries, public organizations, international undergraduate and graduate students studying nuclear and related specialties, as well as young scientists, employees, and experts.

Alexey Likhachev read out a message from Mikhail Mishustin, Chair of the Government of the Russian Federation. "Russia provides young people all over the world with the opportunity to link their careers with the nuclear power industry of the future, gain fundamental knowledge, and achieve their capacities and talents. It was in Obninsk that the world's first nuclear power plant was started up more than 70 years ago, ushering in a new era of peaceful atom. Over the years, our country has been confidently proving its global leadership in this field. Our scientists and engineers have created the one-of-a-kind tokamak and a floating nuclear power plant. Cutting-edge research and development have repeatedly become a technological breakthrough and determined the future of the industry," it said.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Sama Bilbao y Leon, President of the World Nuclear Association, and Vladislav Shapsha, Governor of Kaluga Region, also addressed the forum participants in video messages.

The forum was mostly dedicated to sharing ideas, experience, and opinions. One of the central events of the forum was Alexey Likhachev's lecture. The speaker talked about the origins of the nuclear project, the challenges facing modern science, and the importance of partnership in a period of rapid technology progress in the nuclear industry. "Young people are not just our future; they are our co-authors of the present. If we want nuclear energy to remain a driver of sustainable development, we must build it together — scientists, engineers and students, shoulder to shoulder," said the head of Rosatom.

The speech of the head of Rosatom set the tone for the entire program: the future was discussed not only as a technology challenge, but also as a one requiring continuity and cooperation between generations. The development outlook was discussed at topical sessions on nuclear medicine, quantum technologies, and youth leadership in the nuclear industry.

Special attention was drawn to the session "Obninsk Tech: Partnership Creating Opportunities" which was dedicated to discussing models of interaction between universities, startups, and large industrial partners. The Obninsk Tech project was presented as the future core of a new technology cluster capable of accelerating the transfer of developments from laboratories to real production facilities. The discussion focused on all scientific and educational initiatives of Rosatom. Public officials also took part in the discussion. The participants emphasized their willingness to provide comprehensive support to the Obninsk Tech project as a flagship platform for the development of youth science and technology in the region.

At the session "Nuclear Energy of the Future" experts from Rosatom and a number of foreign companies discussed key technologies of the next generation: small modular reactors, a closed fuel cycle, and prospects for synergy between nuclear and hydrogen energy. The session was moderated by Vladimir Shevchenko, Rector of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (NRU MEPhI, one of Rosatom's partner universities). In his speech, he stressed: "The future of nuclear power is impossible without a strong scientific school and talented youth. Our task is not just to train professionals, but to form a new generation of industry leaders. Obninsk rightfully remains the place wh ere this future is laid — at the junction of tradition, innovation, and responsibility."

A meeting of the International Youth Council of the Obninsk Tech project and the Rosatom Student Council took place within the framework of the forum. "Today we have met with nuclear youth on the sidelines of the forum and discussed our flagship project in global education. The successful implementation of the Obninsk Tech project will enable Russia to capture at least 20% of the global market for nuclear and related education in 2030. This year we have heard a very bold and profound proposal from the youth. Considering the historical significance of June 26 for the global atomic community as the date of the start of operation of the world's first nuclear power plant, the forum participants took the initiative to declare today the International Day of Peaceful Atom. And we will support this initiative and are ready to promote it comprehensively," Alexey Likhachev said.
The Obninsk NEW International Youth Nuclear Forum is a platform that unites students and postgraduates from Russia and abroad studying nuclear and related specialties. The annual event is dedicated to discussing the outlook for the development of the nuclear industry and nuclear technologies in general.

The Obninsk Tech International Scientific and Educational Center for Nuclear and Related Technologies is being established at the initiative of Rosatom, NRU MEPhI, and the Government of Kaluga Region. The Center will become a mainstay in training personnel for large-scale nuclear energy projects, both in Russia and abroad. It is intended to form the technological elite of Russia and friendly countries by combining the efforts of higher education, leading scientific organizations, and industry enterprises. It is expected that the successful implementation of the project will enable Russia to capture at least 20% of the global market for nuclear and related education by 2030.

The Global Atomic Quiz is a global educational project of Rosatom that talks about the basics of nuclear physics, emphasizes the importance of nuclear technologies in everyday human life and the role of nuclear energy in preserving our planet. The project has been implemented in more than 11 languages since 2020, and it has already attracted the attention of over 40 thousand participants from more than 70 countries. In 2023, the project became the winner of the 9th All-Russian Award "For Fidelity to Science" (in the category "Science to the World").

The international forum World Atomic Week will be held in August and September in Moscow, at VDNH. It will include an exhibition of achievements of Rosatom and its partners, as well as a scientific and educational marathon from the All-Russian Society Znanie (September 26-28). It is expected that the exhibition will be attended by leaders of several CIS and African countries (leaders of countries planning to develop national nuclear programs), representatives of government agencies and major companies, as well as scientists and entrepreneurs. In August, the exhibition "Atom. The Future" will open in the lobby of the Atom Museum.

In 2025, Russia's nuclear industry celebrates its 80th anniversary: on August 20, 1945, the Special Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy was formed. The country responded to a threat from the United States by creating its own nuclear weapons in four years (1949, successful test of the RDS-1 bomb). The USSR was a pioneer and world leader in the peaceful use of atomic energy: Russian nuclear scientists built the world's first nuclear power plant (1954, Obninsk), and the first nuclear icebreaker was created to help the Arctic explorers (1959, the Lenin). The keynote theme of the anniversary year is defined by three words: pride, inspiration, dream. Nuclear scientists are proud of the feat of the industry's founding fathers. They are inspired by the achievements of previous generations. They plan to conquer new frontiers, expanding the boundaries of what is possible.

The Government of the Russian Federation and major Russian companies continue to expand the spectrum of solutions for unlocking the potential of students and young employees. Rosatom and its enterprises take part in the creation of specialized departments in Russian higher educational institutions, implementation of scholarship support programs, large educational projects, organization of internships and traineeships for students with their subsequent employment.
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