Rosatom State Corporation took part in the forum “For More Women in Nuclear” held by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which ended in Vienna on March 8. The event, dedicated to the celebration of International Women’s Day, brought together about 500 women from different countries – the participants of IAEA Maria Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Program and Lise Meitner Program.
The purpose of the forum was to explore career development opportunities, share experiences and foster cooperation. The key topic for discussion was the representation of women in the nuclear sector. During his speech, the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, said that the agency is striving to change the situation and make the balance representation of both males and females in nuclear which is facilitated by two flagship fellowship programs that will attract as many new generation women as possible to the nuclear industry.
Vera Upirova, Senior Manager of the Project Office for Education Development and International Cooperation of Rosatom State Corporation, told about the experience of implementing the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Program in Russia.
“The concept of human centricity is very important for Rosatom, which assumes that the greatest value is people. Within the framework of this concept, we pay great attention to human resources development for our partner countries, including girls from these countries who are already studying at Rosatom partner universities and seek to link their careers with the nuclear industry. We attach great importance to the fact that our values coincide with those of the IAEA, and we can work together to ensure that there are more bright and talented women in the nuclear sector who contribute to the development of nuclear technologies and increase trust in green nuclear energy,” she said.
Gulnara Bikkulova, Deputy Director General, Director of the International Initiatives and Partnerships Unit of the Rosatom Corporate Academy, spoke about Rosatom’s extensive activities to adjust and maintain gender balance in the nuclear industry. She shared the experience of the Foundation for the Support and Development of Women’s Initiatives “Uniting Women of the Nuclear Industry”, noted the importance of the industry leadership program for women “[In]Visible Force”, and also announced the launch of an International Summer School for girls from all over the world seeking to build a successful career in the nuclear industry.
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Rosatom is one of the most active participants of IAEA Maria Skłodowska-Curie Initiative. During the four years of Rosatom’s participation, about 40 female students from 17 countries of the world took part in the program from the Russian side. The program for women managers “[In] Visible Force” is organized by the Rosatom Corporate Academy. This is one of the first large-scale leadership programs for women not only in the industry, but also in the Russian corporate sector.
The program is focused on developing the leadership potential of top female managers in three areas: introduction to the modern concept of leadership, building an individual leadership strategy and effective work with teams. It includes an 11-week training module.
The educational week will be held in June this year in Obninsk, where the International Youth Nuclear Forum “Obninsk NEW 2024” will also be held, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the first nuclear power plant in the world. It is expected that the planned events will promote international cooperation in the nuclear industry.
Rosatom State Corporation has been carrying out its activities for many years taking into account the sustainable development agenda. The principles of sustainable development have been incorporated into Rosatom’s long-term strategy. In 2020, a Unified Sectoral Policy in the field of sustainable development was adopted. In October of the same year, Rosatom State Corporation joined the UN Global Compact, the largest international business initiative in the field of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. Rosatom State Corporation is the largest producer of low-carbon electricity in Russia, providing about 20% of the total electricity produced in the country.
