Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Corporation, visited the Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering (OINPE) of the MEPhI on June 24, where he talked with future nuclear scientists, took part in a discussion on the development of the university with its rector Vladimir Shevchenko and heads of branches of MEPhI, and also discussed the creation on the OINPE basis of the International Scientific Educational Center.

Alexei Likhachev visited the Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering (OINPE) of the MEPhI

Alexei Likhachev visited Obninsk on the eve of the Peaceful Atom Day. It was in Obninsk on June 26, 1954 that the world's first nuclear power plant began operating.

The head of Rosatom toured the educational and laboratory sites of OINPE, got acquainted with a number of advanced developments and talked with foreign students of MEPhI.

Vladimir Shevchenko introduced the OINPE guests to the specifics of MEPhI work. He said that graduates of the head university and branches make up about 30% of all young professionals who annually come to work at Rosatom State Corporation.

At the same time, he noted, at the moment the university is carrying out a large-scale reform of its regional network, the essence of which is the transformation of each branch into a center of competence in the area where there is already a backlog.

Vladimir Shevchenko touched upon the prospects of the Obninsk branch of MEPhI (about 2.5 thousand students, including more than 300 foreign students). He outlined a conceptual approach to the formation on the basis of OINPE of the International Scientific and Educational Center for Training Personnel in the Field of Nuclear Technologies.

Alexey Likhachev supported the creation of the center.

“It is quite obvious that an extremely attractive platform for international nuclear education should be created in Obninsk,– he said. – Moreover, education should become unique in terms of material base, comfortable living conditions, and very interesting cultural leisure. I think that we will make such a model site in Obninsk.”

The head of Rosatom explained that the state corporation, despite any restrictions on international markets, continues to work on the creation of new nuclear power plants in a number of countries. Within ten years, specialists will be required for about 40 power units abroad.

At the end of his visit to Obninsk, Alexei Likhachev attended the opening of the Alley of Nuclear Cities – a new urban space for Obninsk, created as a tribute to the memory of veterans of 26 cities who strengthened Russia's energy independence, and congratulated the audience on the Peaceful Atom Day.