Cairo, Egypt – Global technology leader Rosatom kicked off its first week of science festival in Egypt. The opening ceremony took place earlier today. The science festival, co-organized by the Russian Center for Science and Culture, will take place in Cairo and Alexandria from February 21-25, 2021.
The opening ceremony took place on the premises of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Cairo. The event was hosted by Alexander Voronkov, Regional Vice President and Director of Rosatom for the Middle East and North Africa at Rosatom, and Alexey Tevanyan, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo (Russian Agency for Management of Foreign Foreign Aid Management and Cultural Exchange) in Egypt and Director of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Cairo. Students from universities and schools in Cairo attended the event along with their parents. It was in line with social distancing recommendations and all other measures taken by the Egyptian government to combat COVID-19.
The aim of the opening ceremony was to familiarize the audience with modern nuclear technologies and to involve them in various activities. An accompanying photo exhibition presented various peaceful applications of nuclear technology around the world, from the generation of clean energy in NPPs to nuclear medicine to nuclear icebreaker navigation along the North Sea route in the Arctic. During a special screening, the audience saw a documentary on the threats and challenges facing humanity around the world and the role of science and nuclear technologies in overcoming them. Rosatom also presented another unique documentary called Atoms for Humanity, which presented simple stories of human interest about how nuclear technologies are changing people’s lives and transforming their cities and regions for the better. This particular project revealed the breadth of opportunities for the peaceful use of nuclear technologies to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including clean and affordable energy, quality education, economic growth, scientific breakthroughs and social responsibility.
The event was followed by a discussion by Dr. Egor Zadeba, Associate Professor at the Russian National Nuclear Research University MEPhI (Moscow Institute of Technical Physics). The event was followed by a panel discussion led by Dr. Egor Zadeba, Associate Professor at the Russian National Nuclear Research University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), who gave a talk on the educational process in nuclear science faculties in Russia and opportunities for a degree in nuclear science. The audience showed particular interest when they spoke to the first Egyptian students to graduate in nuclear science from Tomsk Polytechnic University in Russia. These students shared their experiences of studying in Russia, reflecting on why they specialized in nuclear science, and answering questions from the audience.
Alexander Voronkov said, “The aim of organizing Science Festival Week was to introduce school children and high school students to the basics of nuclear science, its various applications and the role of nuclear technology in the development of a country, and to inspire them to think about nuclear engineering as an engineering future job. It is impossible to imagine modern science without the achievements of the nuclear industry and the new technologies that it has produced. In addition to scientific research, advances in nuclear science are applied to many areas of human activity, from industry to agriculture to medicine. We are convinced that the El-DabaaNPP project that Rosatom is implementing in Egypt will enable the country to enter a new phase of its technological and scientific development and to realize the full potential of [available] peaceful nuclear technologies for the prosperity and sustainable development of Egypt. “
Aleksey Tevanyan said, “I am sure that the science festival will be one of the brightest events in this year-long humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Egypt. This will not only give the younger generation of Egypt a chance to familiarize themselves with Russia’s advances in science, it will also give them a chance to learn more about the academic opportunities for foreign students in Russia. “
The Science Festival is a series of scientific and educational events that will take place this week at various academic locations in Cairo and Alexandria. The Rosatom Science Festival is held in many countries where the nuclear industry is developing, including India, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.
Rosatom is currently implementing the El Dabaa NPP project, Egypt’s first NPP project near the city of El Dabaa in the country’s Matrouh Governorate, about 300 km northwest of Cairo. The facility will include four power plants equipped with VVER-1200 reactors with a unique combination of active and passive safety systems. This makes Egypt the only country in Africa that operates Generation III + reactors. Four such power plants are currently operating successfully in Russia: two at the Novovoronezh NPP and two at the Leningrad NPP. Outside Russia, a unit of the Belarus nuclear power plant equipped with a VVER-1200 reactor was connected to the grid in November 2020.
About ROSATOM
ROSATOM is the only company in the world with the resources and skills to offer energy solutions for the entire nuclear supply chain. It has a wide range of assets, including assets for the design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants, uranium mining, conversion and enrichment, nuclear fuel supply, decommissioning, storage and transportation of spent fuel, and safe disposal nuclear waste. Rosatom is also engaged in the manufacture of devices and isotope products for the needs of nuclear medicine, scientific research and materials science, as well as the manufacture of digital and various innovative nuclear and non-nuclear products. The company’s strategy is to develop low-carbon power generation projects, including in the field of wind power generation. Today Rosatom brings together over 300 companies and organizations and employs over 250,000 people.
© Press release 2021
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