Namibia has joined the growing African representation at Russia’s leading international youth nuclear forum, the Obninsk New 2026 International Youth Forum.
The event focused on building a skilled workforce for the global nuclear power industry. More than 700 participants from 85 countries took part, alongside high‑level delegations from 10 nations. Thousands more joined online through 25 partner broadcasting platforms, making this year’s forum the largest to date.
The programme was split into two parts. One part explored youth engagement: how young communities are reshaping the nuclear industry, what joint projects can emerge from international cooperation, and what role Obninsk could play in building a global network of young nuclear leaders. The other part consisted of expert panel discussions with representatives from various nuclear organisations.
The forum welcomed the winners of the Atoms Empowering Africa video contest – a Rosatom educational initiative held in partnership with the Brics Nuclear Platform. This year’s winners took part in the forum, combining participation in the forum with a specialised summer school for international students. Among the winners was Noble Eiaseb from Namibia.
Eiaseb says the competition is a platform to contribute to the future of nuclear science, innovation and sustainable development in Africa.
Eiaseb is the founder and executive director of the Association of Young Generation in Nuclear of Namibia.
“I decided to participate because I strongly believe nuclear technologies can play a transformative role in addressing energy security, climate resilience, education and industrial development across our continent. Of particular value was the opportunity to engage with international experts and young professionals in Russia, exchange knowledge, and gain deeper insights into advanced nuclear technologies and global cooperation,” he says.
The forum’s focus on young talent extended beyond the contest.
Rosatom director general Alexey Likhachev says their mission is to meet the global challenge of training qualified specialists for the nuclear industry.
“The world’s growing reliance on nuclear power requires not only new technologies, but also a robust international education system. In Obninsk – Russia’s first science city – we are building exactly that kind of open, modern, forward‑looking environment,” he says.
