On June 28-29 in Obninsk, on the basis of the Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering (OINPE) of the MEPhI, a strategic session was held, at which the creation of the International Scientific and Educational Center for Nuclear and Related Technologies was discussed. The event was attended by representatives of Rosatom.
During the session, MEPhI Rector Vladimir Shevchenko presented the concept of the new Center, the idea of which was previously supported by the Rosatom State Corporation, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and the authorities of the Kaluga Region.
The rector noted that the Center is intended to become a "hub" for foreign students and specialists for the purpose of professional training and further career development not only for the nuclear industry, but also for other high-tech industries - a scientific and educational integrator of the competencies and capabilities of MEPhI, the flagship universities of Rosatom, the Technical Academy of Rosatom and research organizations. For the nuclear university, the project will provide an opportunity to expand its own educational activities; for Rosatom - to intensify the promotion of Russian nuclear and related technologies in foreign markets; the ministry will receive a tool for promoting Russian education abroad and creating new educational products; and the region – to attract highly qualified specialists.
It is assumed that the Center will consolidate the order for the training of specialists from Rosatom and its international partners for projects both in Russia and abroad. Training will be organized for students of all ages, from schoolchildren to advanced professionals. It will also conduct research and development, in addition, the Center will play the role of a showcase of Russian technologies. In addition, the project provides for the formation of a Career Center to build trajectories for professional development and employment of graduates. At the same time, the Center will function as a universal congress and exhibition center.
By 2030, according to Vladimir Shevchenko, the Center should employ 1,000 employees and train 5,000 students, as well as at least 15,000 foreign students to take short-term programs and practice. In order for this plan to become a reality, Obninsk will have to create the appropriate infrastructure - a campus, a laboratory base, exhibition spaces, and organize a personnel selection system. The basis for the creation of the Center will be the infrastructure of the OINPE of the MEPhI, which currently has 3.5 thousand students, including 500 foreigners. Among the immediate tasks that need to be solved to launch the project as early as 2023, Vladimir Shevchenko named the definition of the brand of the center, the formation of a project office and the development of a mechanism for the participation of key stakeholders in the project. The full functioning of the center should begin before 2030.
The interest of the Ministry of Education and Science in the project of the center was confirmed by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Konstantin Mogilevsky, who noted that for the ministry it is very important to be able, together with large corporations, with companies that actually form the labor market, to move not only in Russia, but and outside of Russia. “We need such centers, centers of attraction, centers for the dissemination of Russian education, first of all. Of course, the development of the center will be one of the top priorities of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science,” he said.
Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Corporation, in his address emphasized that the formation of an international scientific and educational center is necessary to strengthen Rosatom's global leadership. “Our offer is unique for the international market, but it certainly needs further development and improvement!” - Aleksey Likhachev noted, expressing the hope that "in the coming years, promoting our comprehensive offer in partner countries, we could start with the promotion of this international scientific and educational center."
Aleksey Likhachev also noted that Obninsk is an "ideal place" for the creation of the Center. This idea was picked up by the governor of the Kaluga region Vladislav Shapsha, who reminded that Obninsk is located exactly in the middle between Kaluga and Moscow, and 500 foreign students are already studying there. At the same time, the Kaluga Region has experience in building a Bauman University campus, and the construction of Russia's first Technopark for working professions is already being completed. “We have probably gained enough competencies to get down to such a very important project for the region, for the country, the project to create an international scientific and educational center on nuclear topics in Obninsk,” the governor said confidently, promising to use all his possibilities for the speedy implementation of this project.
Tatyana Terentyeva, Deputy General Director of Rosatom, noted that it is important to move from general concepts to a "road map" with the distribution of tasks by years, with an understanding of key products and stages. Moreover, as she stressed, certain steps towards the creation of the Center should be made already this year. “The ambition is serious, we set ourselves a goal - to take 20% of the world market for nuclear and related education,” said Tatyana Terentyeva. This requires a serious study of promising educational products.
Valery Karezin, Director of Educational Programs of the Department of Human Resources Management of the State Corporation, said that Rosatom has set up large-scale work to train specialists abroad. However, for the “leaders of the future” (those who will take leading positions in their countries and regions in the future) there is a struggle between key economies. The competitive advantage of the Center could be, as the speaker suggested, that it would offer not only education, but also careers in the field of atomic research and specialties.
