The national stage of the Global HackAtom student championship – a
24-hour international contest challenging participants to develop practical,
innovation-driven solutions in nuclear technologies – was held in Namibia on
April 4, 2026.
The event was organized by the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University) with the support of the Russian State Corporation Rosatom. The judging panel brought together leading experts fr om the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University named after R. E. Alekseev, and the University of Namibia (UNAM).
This year’s challenge tasked students with designing a comprehensive solution for the sustainable energy supply of southern Africa’s coastal regions – using Floating Power Units (FPUs) as a case study based on Namibia’s specific conditions. Teams were required to evaluate the technical potential of nuclear energy, assess geological risks such as seismic activity and tsunamis, and present an economic rationale for their selected FPU design.
Twenty teams from across Namibia competed, with “NamHack Innovators” from the University of Namibia claiming first place. The team will now represent the country at the Global HackAtom 2026 Grand Final in Russia this September.
“For Namibia, the Global HackAtom championship is more than a competition — it’s an important platform for developing engineering thinking, research culture, and young people’s interest in cutting-edge energy technologies,” said Ryan Collyer, CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa. “It’s inspiring to see universities, experts, and young professionals come together to tackle real-world challenges that contribute to sustainable development across the country and the region”.
Lemmy Nyambe, captain of the winning team “NamHack Innovators”, described the experience as transformative: “Participating in the Global HackAtom has been both inspiring and invaluable. It allowed us to apply what we’ve learned in a real-world setting while strengthening our teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills under tight deadlines. We are honored to represent Namibia at the finals in Russia and grateful to the organizers and partners — Rosatom, RUDN University, MEPhI, and the University of Namibia — for this opportunity”.
Global HackAtom is an international student competition wh ere
participants are challenged to develop practical solutions for cases drawn from
the nuclear industry within just 24 hours. Now in its second edition, the
project includes national selection rounds and a grand final in Russia. This
year, national stages are being held in 15 countries, including
Bolivia, Brazil, Hungary, Vietnam, Egypt, and others. The winning teams from
each country will advance to the global final to compete for the
Global HackAtom Champion title.
In the coming years, Rosatom plans to launch a uranium mining operation in Namibia. The project, focused on exploration and extraction, is being implemented by JSC Uranium One Group, an international company within Rosatom’s management perimeter. Geological surveys have already confirmed the discovery of a major uranium deposit in the country. The deposit will be developed using in-situ recovery (ISR) technology — a safe and proven method successfully employed in Russia, Kazakhstan, the United States, and a number of other countries. Uranium mining is of strategic importance for the African nation’s economy: uranium is one of six minerals designated by the Government of Namibia as strategically significant.
