On May 20–21, 2026, Ankara, Türkiye, hosted the first
national stage of the international student championship “Global HackAtom,”
organized with the support of Rosatom at Hacettepe University. The championship
is held by Rosatom as part of the activities of the international scientific
and educational center Obninsk Tech. The Turkish stage of the championship
focused on the topic “Prospective Areas for the Use of Nuclear Energy in
Türkiye.”
Over the course of two days, students worked on a case study
dedicated to identifying effective ways to apply nuclear technologies for
Türkiye’s development. On the first day, participants attended educational
lectures on nuclear technologies delivered by representatives of Rosatom’s
flagship university — the Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering of the
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (INPE NRNU MEPhI), Akkuyu Nuclear
JSC, and the Private Institution RAIN. On the second day, the teams
presented their projects to an expert jury.
The winner of the national stage was the team “Boiling Water (Again)” from Hacettepe University. The team will represent Türkiye at the Global HackAtom final, which will take place in September 2026 as part of the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
“I am very pleased that the first national stage of Global HackAtom resonated with students specializing in nuclear disciplines. The participants demonstrated the significant potential for the broad application of nuclear energy technologies in building a sustainable future for Türkiye,” said Alexander Nakhabov, Deputy Head of the Department of Nuclear Physics and Technologies at INPE NRNU MEPhI.
“The Akkuyu NPP project is helping to establish an entirely new high-tech industry in Türkiye, along with a whole generation of highly qualified professionals. The Turkish stage of the international Global HackAtom championship confirmed young people’s strong interest in nuclear energy and their commitment to developing innovative engineering solutions. Such initiatives help rising specialists strengthen their practical skills and open opportunities for careers in one of the world’s most prestigious engineering professions,” noted Ahmet Yasin Öner, a graduate of NRNU MEPhI and Chief Specialist of the Commercial Dispatchers Group at Akkuyu Nuclear JSC.
Global HackAtom is an international student championship
organized with the support of the Obninsk Tech international scientific and
educational center. During the competition, participants work to solve
real-life challenges from the nuclear industry within 24 hours. The project is
being held in this format for the second time and consists of two stages:
national qualifying rounds and the grand final in Russia. National stages will
be held in 15 countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Hungary, Vietnam, Egypt,
and others. Following the qualifying rounds, 15 national winning teams will
compete for the title of Global HackAtom champion at the final in Russia.
The Association “Consortium of Core Higher Education
Institutions of Rosatom State Corporation” is a community of universities
established to coordinate activities in the interests of the nuclear industry
in the fields of higher, postgraduate, and continuing professional education,
as well as scientific research. The Consortium includes 22 specialized
universities.
Obninsk Tech is an international scientific and educational
center for nuclear and related education, a hub for the development of modern
educational technologies, a showcase for export-oriented products of Russian
high-tech companies, and a platform for congresses, exhibitions, and
international schools.
