The international forum “Nuclear Dialogue on Equal Terms: The Path of Youth into the Nuclear Industry” was held at the Eurasian National University named after L. N. Gumilyov in Astana, and representatives of the Almaty branch of the MEPhI National Research Nuclear University took part in it.
The event was organized by the International Youth Advisory Council Impact Team 2050 under the General Director of the State Corporation “Rosatom”. The forum was attended by Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Head of the Nuclear Energy Department, Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, Almasadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Diana Gamazova, head of the Impact Team 2050 project "Atomic Energy for Central Asia", Nurzhan Nurakhov, Advisor to the Rector of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Head of the Almaty branch of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, as well as representatives of relevant organizations of the nuclear industry of Kazakhstan and young specialists.
Special attention at the forum was paid to issues related to training a new generation of specialists for the nuclear industry, developing international academic cooperation, and strengthening the interaction between universities, science, and industry.
“The future of the nuclear industry is determined not only by the development of technologies, but primarily by the people who will work with them. Today, it is especially important to create conditions in which education, science, and industry complement each other. An important tool for such cooperation will be a consortium of universities offering nuclear and related education, which will make it possible to combine the educational and scientific potential of partners, develop joint programs, and promote academic mobility.” “This approach creates new opportunities for training a generation of engineers and researchers capable of meeting future technological challenges,” noted Nurzhan Nurakhov, head of the Almaty branch of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI.
During the Q&A session, Artem Tishkov, a graduate and master’s student at the Almaty branch of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, an engineer in instrumentation and automation, asked Almasadam Satkaliev what a modern specialist needs to do today in order to be ready to take a leadership position in 10–15 years.
In response to the question, Almasadam Satkaliev noted: “Young professionals who are receiving education today must acquire not only excellent basic knowledge but also work experience in research centers and scientific organizations. In the framework of training personnel for our nuclear power plants, together with our partners, including the Rosatom State Corporation, MEPhI, and its branch in Kazakhstan, we will be able to form the necessary cohort of specialists who will be capable of effectively operating nuclear power plants. This presupposes the presence of deep professional knowledge and work experience at existing nuclear facilities.”
The participation of the Almaty branch of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI in the forum demonstrated the interest of the branch’s young specialists in the development of Kazakhstan’s nuclear industry and confirmed the branch’s role in training the next generation of engineering personnel for peaceful nuclear energy.
