Safety is one of the key priorities of the Rosatom State Corporation and its enterprises. That is why the anniversary XX International Scientific and Practical Conference "Safety of Nuclear Energy", held at the Volgodonsk Institute of Engineering and Technology of the National Research University MEPhI, became an event of great importance.The conference brought together more than 300 participants from leading industry universities and enterprises in Russia, Germany, Egypt, Jordan and the Republic of Belarus.
Welcoming the participants of the conference, Rector of the MEPhI National Research University Vladimir Shevchenko said: "Chinese wisdom says: if you want to defeat the enemy, then bring up his children. You and I cannot entrust the upbringing of our children to anyone. This is our area of responsibility: to nurture and transfer the knowledge base necessary to achieve technological sovereignty and national security tomorrow." The head of the Volgodonsk Engineering and Technical Institute of the National Research University of MEPhI, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Professor Valentina Rudenko, welcoming the audience in the hall, noted that the anniversary conference is taking place in the jubilee year for the nuclear industry. 70 years ago, the era of peaceful use of atomic energy began – the world's first nuclear power plant in Obninsk began operation. "Today we are on the threshold of new breakthrough technologies," said Valentina Anatolyevna. The plenary session of the conference was opened by the report of the Chairman of the Scientific Council of VITI NIYAU MEPhI, Ph.D., Director of the Rostov NPP Andrey Salnikov, dedicated to the trends in the development of nuclear energy in Russia. He spoke about the projects of the near future that are already being implemented, such as the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle - the Breakthrough project, the construction of a low—power nuclear power plant in Yakutia, as well as more distant prospects for the development of the industry.
"Security issues are always relevant. This is a road that has no end. At the conference, we always have something to talk about, exchange opinions and find new relevant ways and approaches to ensuring security. The quality of students' education, the creation of a new modern educational base are also security issues, issues of improving competence, issues of high-quality training of graduates who come to Rosatom enterprises with a new body of knowledge. Every tenth employee of the Rostov NPP is a graduate of VITI MEPhI, and this is the best indicator of the work of our basic university," Andrei Salnikov stressed. Traditionally, the conference is a platform for a constructive exchange of views on the results of work and key issues for the future development of nuclear energy. The relevance of the conference is confirmed by the slogan – "Where ROSATOM is, it is safe there." But this safety is ensured, first of all, by an extremely responsible attitude towards the use of nuclear energy.
More than 120 scientists and researchers presented the results of their scientific work at the anniversary MNPC, 80 reports and over 300 participants were announced. Among them are representatives of 15 cities of the Russian Federation: Tomsk, Novovoronezh, Krasnodar, Dimitrovgrad, Grozny, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd and others. There are also foreign participants of the conference from Germany, Jordan, Egypt, and the Republic of Belarus. The conference was attended by representatives of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI", the All-Russian Research Institute for the Operation of Nuclear Power Plants, the Institute for the Safe Development of Nuclear Energy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the National Research University "MEI" and other scientific educational organizations. 22 students took their first steps in research projects – they will become participants in the poster session of student scientific papers.
82 reports were heard at the conference, which were discussed in five sections: "Ensuring the safety of nuclear power plants at all stages of the life cycle", "Construction and operation of buildings and structures of nuclear power plants", "Safety culture at nuclear power facilities and their territories: socio-cultural and economic aspects", "Manufacture and repair of NPP equipment", "Digital technologies in nuclear energy". The heads of the three sections were the Deputy directors and Chief Engineer of the Rostov NPP. In addition to the work of the sections, a round table was held within the framework of the conference "Innovative technologies of professionally oriented training that ensures seamless adaptation of graduates at the enterprises of Rosatom State Corporation, as well as a poster section of student works.
