The
fourth Obninsk NEW‑2026 International Youth Forum has concluded in Obninsk,
Kaluga Region. The event focused on building a skilled workforce for the global
nuclear power industry and was supported by Rosatom, the Government of the
Kaluga Region, and the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI.
More
than 700 participants fr om 85 countries took part in person, alongside
high‑level delegations from 10 nations. Thousands more students joined online
through 25 partner broadcasting platforms, making this year's forum the largest
to date.
The
speaker line‑up underscored the forum's growing international prestige.
Attendees heard addresses from Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Russian
Government; Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA; and Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear
Association. A high‑level plenary session featured IAEA Deputy Director General
Mikhail Chudakov, as well as heads of national nuclear agencies from partner
countries, including Almasadam Satkaliev (Kazakhstan) and Azim Akhmedhadzhaev
(Uzbekistan).
The
programme was split into two parts. The morning sessions explored youth
engagement: how young communities are reshaping the nuclear industry, what
joint projects can emerge from international cooperation, and what role Obninsk
could play in building a global network of young nuclear leaders. The afternoon
was given over to expert panel discussions with representatives from various
nuclear organisations. One standout contribution came from Alexander Alekseev,
Deputy Director of the Science and Integration Department at the ITER
Organization, who spoke about the importance of thermonuclear research and
voiced his hope that fusion would become a lifelong mission for talented
scientists and engineers.
The
forum also served as the centrepiece of a 10‑day educational marathon for young
professionals from around the world who are building careers in nuclear and
related fields. As part of that marathon, the first modules were launched of
the joint Rosatom Academy–IAEA programme on human resource management for
newcomer countries, the Obninsk Tech Summer University, and the international
female camp "Invisible Force".
Tangible
outcomes included two agreements signed in the presence of Rosatom, Minister of
Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, and Kaluga Region Governor
Vladislav Shapsha. The documents are designed to promote Russian engineering
education in nuclear technologies abroad and to give further momentum to the
Obninsk Tech project, which is being developed with IAEA support.
A
separate highlight was the meeting between Rosatom Director General Alexey
Likhachev and the new members of the Impact Team 2050 International Youth
Council – 13 young leaders from 13 countries. They discussed ways to spread the
message of peaceful atomic energy among younger generations and to contribute
to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Another
notable event was the presentation of the book Principles in Action –
a collection of real‑life stories and practices showing how the ideas of the
Youth Declaration of Nuclear Cooperation have been applied in education,
science, medicine and environmental protection.
Alexey Likhachev: "Our mission is to meet the global challenge of training qualified specialists for the nuclear industry. The world's growing reliance on nuclear power requires not only new technologies, but also a robust international education system. In Obninsk – Russia's first science city – we are building exactly that kind of open, modern, forward‑looking environment. The Obninsk Tech international education cluster is already taking shape here with IAEA support, and the agreements signed today will help us scale up Russian nuclear engineering education abroad."
Vladimir Shevchenko, Rector of MEPhI: "The world is changing tectonically, and we cannot afford to be passive observers. I am confident that Obninsk Tech will become a place wh ere our own and international students not only study, but also regularly exchange experience and build the horizontal ties that turn a group of individuals into a team of creators. This is more than just a MEPhI campus project – it is a national‑scale effort involving leading universities, especially members of the Rosatom partner university consortium. By bringing together the best programmes, faculty and practices for working with international students, Obninsk Tech will strengthen Russia's nuclear leadership through educational leadership."
According
to IAEA projections, global nuclear capacity could triple by 2050. That means
countries will need not just reactors and infrastructure, but also tens of
thousands of well‑trained specialists ready to operate in a new energy
landscape. Obninsk Tech – the International Scientific and Education Centre for
Nuclear and Related Education – was created precisely to address this need. By
2030, the centre aims to capture up to 20% of the global market in this field
and train at least 10,000 specialists, at least half of them foreign students.
In its first four years, it has already trained over 5,000 people from 100
countries. Eight new laboratory complexes have been completed at MEPhI (the
cluster's base university), and students from 16 countries are already gaining
hands‑on experience there.
The
Obninsk NEW International Youth Nuclear Forum is the leading global discussion
platform for key technologies, innovation and education in the nuclear
industry, with a special focus on future energy systems and new materials.
Russia continues to expand cooperation with all interested countries, and major international projects are moving forward, with Rosatom and its divisions playing an active role.
