Partnership for the future: How youth is shaping the future of education for a nuclear energy corporation?

1 December, Nizhny Novgorod. Global Impact Conference 2022 – an expert platform with a multi-million audience – hosted the discussions on the future of education, innovative edtech and strategies for building a sustainable knowledge ecosystem.

The special part was given to Members of Impact Team 2050, who moderated the panel sessions and presented results of their own study – Education X: Catalyst for the Future – that included key recommendations for Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear energy techleader, about leveraging their education and skills training globally.

A year ago, the global partnership with youth – Impact Team 2050 – was launched by Rosatom’s Director-General Mr. Alexey Likhachev in order to address key issues of corporate management and its transformation in accordance with demands of the younger generation. The partnership is implemented in a form of CEO’s Advisory Council of 11 young men and women from 11 countries (China, India, Brazil, Egypt, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Argentina, South Africa and Russia). Behind each of the team members is the youth of their own country with its own set of values and vision of world development trends.

The partnership with youth was introduced within Rosatom’s efforts – a Member of the UN Global Compact – to enhance its sustainable business in accordance with the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development. “Young people must be recognized around the world as drivers of change” and empowered to become “fully engaged in decisions affecting their future,” said Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. António Guterres at the World Youth Skills Day.

According to the report "Education X: Catalyst for the Future", the nuclear education has primarily a scientific and technological profile tightly connected with energy sector and this does not reflect the needs of the time. Among initiatives recommended by youth were bringing instruments of advocacy through educational platforms that would help explain to the public the basics of nuclear energy and its applications. The nuclear education has to make a transition from a one-way to a multi-way approach, where science is seen as a nuclear basis, however, followed by programmes into new nuclear businesses.

“World needs a common vision and targets that leave no one behind as well as an urgent shift in economic and social strategies to overcome common problems,” said Ms Princess Mthombeni, Member of Impact Team 2050 and Founder of Africa4Nuclear (South Africa). Ms Nisanur Kepceler, Member of Impact Team 2050 from Türkiye, has drawn attention to a huge lack of information on the subject of nuclear technology in many parts of the world: “We need to raise the level of public awareness: first, this should be done through the educational structure. Rosatom, as a corporation with vast experience in this area, can take the lead in resolving this issue.”

Even more international originations and global-focused corporations reach out to younger generation for their advice about building strategies towards a sustainable future. These are predominantly youth groups under IGO or corporate leadership. Among the most famous ones is the United Nations Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. This trend has also reflected in regional and municipal management, i.e. the Youth Parliament of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan or New York’s Civilian Complaint Review Board’s Youth Advisory Council. Rosatom is not a single business example of a tight cooperation with the younger generation: Ernst & Young has established a Youth Advisory Board under its charity foundation.

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