On June 26, a series of ceremonial events took place in Obninsk (Kaluga region) on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the world’s First NPP. Among the participants of the events were Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom Director General, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, ambassadors of friendly countries, representatives of the administration of the Kaluga region and the city of Obninsk, young scientists and foreign students of Russian universities.
The first event in the celebration program was the opening ceremony of the ‘World’s First Nuclear Power Plant’ industrial memorial complex looking renewed after reconstruction. Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom Director General, Vladislav Shapsha, Governor of the Kaluga Region, Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the Kurchatov Institute Research Center took part in the ceremony. The guests of honor placed a historical plaque on the building of the Obninsk NPP. A children’s symphony orchestra performed for the event participants.
“The Obninsk NPP marks the start of the world nuclear energy industry. The projects of those years laid the foundation for the entire areas that are still the basis for our work, including large and SMR-based NPPs, ship reactors, medical isotopes, and new materials. Today we are looking to new atomic breakthroughs such as the world’s first Gen IV energy unit with closed fuel cycle at the turn of the 30s, transition to a fundamentally different type of energy production – thermonuclear fusion,” noted Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev.
At the OINPE NRNU MEPhI, government representatives, management of Rosatom and the Kurchatov Institute met with foreign students from Egypt, India, Bolivia, Zambia and other countries studying in Russia. The meeting participants were Dmitry Chernyshenko, Alexey Likhachev, Mikhail Kovalchuk, Vladimir Shevchenko, Rector of NRNU MEPhI, Tatyana Terentyeva, Deputy Director General for Personnel of Rosatom. All students are members of the Mega Council and ambassadors of Russian nuclear education. The meeting discussed issues related to the competitiveness of Russian education and directions for its promotion in the world, career development support, aspects of the Obninsk Tech project, formation of a graduate community, and talked about why it is important to study in Russia, how to promote Russian education abroad with the help of students.
The opening of the II International Youth Nuclear Forum Obninsk NEW took place at Rosatom Technical Academy. Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko, Governor of the Kaluga Region Vladislav Shapsha, Head of the IAEA Rafael Grossi (via video), and Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association (via video) welcomed the Forum participants. The Forum brought together about 500 students, graduate students, young scientists and atomists from 100 countries. The Forum plenary session ‘World Inspired by Atom: Our Common Dream for the Next 70 Years’ discussed the future of the nuclear industry and its importance for humanity. The session speakers were Valery Falkov, Alexey Likhachev, Mikhail Kovalchuk, Deputy Director General of the IAEA Mikhail Chudakov, Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Grigory Trubnikov, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe Murwira Amon, Deputy Chief Economist, Head of the Human Resources Policy Department of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) Yang Chaodong, Senior Vice President, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGNPG) Li Li.
At the Obninsk NEW Forum, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Grigory Trubnikov signed an agreement on cooperation in the development of promising and improvement of existing nuclear technologies, as well as in scientific research, and development and operation of a modern experimental bench base and research infrastructure.
Rosatom Director General took part in the opening of the Rosatom International Cooperation Alley, arranged next to the House of Scientists in Obninsk. At present, the guests can visit the Alley of Russian Nuclear Cities to see 26 stars of the cities of nuclear business presence.
In addition, Alexey Likhachev and Tatyana Terentyeva met with the youth Mega Council and the student council of Rosatom.
The final event of the celebration program was the concert of the symphony orchestra under the direction of Yuri Bashmet. Before the concert, Alexey Likhachev presented Yuri Bashmet with an industry award.
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Obninsk is the first science city in our country and a large scientific and technical cluster, being a home to the world’s first nuclear power plant, started up on June 26, 1954, A. I. Leipunsky Institute of Physics and Energy, Obninsk Institute of Atomic Energy (a branch of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI) and a number of other notable research centers. The city also features the main campus of Rosatom Technical Academy, a modern multidisciplinary training center for nuclear personnel.
The world’s first nuclear power plant (Obninsk NPP) saw the era of peaceful use of atomic energy. The plant’s reactor unit operated efficiently and safely for 48 years. On April 29, 2002, the reactor was shut down and preparations began to decommission it. In September 2002, the last fuel assembly was unloaded from the reactor. The First NPP became the basis for the industry memorial complex opened in 2009. The complex receives more than 4 thousand people a year (schoolchildren, students, specialists from various countries, as well as everybody interested in nuclear energy).
International Youth Nuclear Forum Obninsk NEW is an educational event for students, graduate students, young scientists and atomists. The Forum is focused on future nuclear technologies, including new materials and energy systems. The Forum brought together about 500 experts, young scientists and specialists from more than 70 countries in 2023. The participants discussed the global challenges facing the industry on the road to a future based on the sustainable development, talked about prospects for the nuclear and related sciences and a new system for industry specialists training and career management.
The International Scientific and Educational Center for Nuclear and Related Technologies ‘Obninsk Tech’ is a technological hub that is being created in the Kaluga region on the initiative of Rosatom, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. The Center’s mission is to help train personnel for the nuclear energy industry in Russia and friendly countries by combined efforts of higher education, leading scientific organizations and companies of the industry. For this purpose, they use the infrastructure of MEPhI University Obninsk branch and Rosatom Technical Academy with 20 Rosatom partner universities participating in the project. The Center is expected to become a base for the development of modern educational technologies, an exposition of high-tech products of Russian companies, a platform for congresses, exhibitions, international schools, etc.
The Russian government and large Russian companies continue to expand the range of solutions for students and young employees could fulfil their potential. Rosatom and its companies are involved in the creation of basic departments in Russian universities, implementation of scholarship support programs, major educational projects, and organization of practical training and internships for students including their further employment.
