Impressions of ATOMEXPO-22

Utum Gunasekara, a student of the Institute of Energy, shared with us his impressions of ATOMEXPO-22 .

Why did you decide to attend the forum?

The reason why I decided to visit the International Forum ATOMEXPO 2022 is that as a ROSATOM ambassador I got an invitation through Energy Institute SPbPU. Then, I found out that there will be many opportunities for nuclear and energy companies at the event and it is also a good opportunity for my future career.

What were the most interesting events of the forum?

I took part in the round table "Improving Work with Foreign Graduates of Higher Education: New Formats and Solutions".
Many speakers from different countries took part, and they were all involved in the nuclear power industry and infrastructure. One of the most important things I observed was that all the alumni and diplomatic representatives participating in the session spoke excellent Russian, since they received their higher education in Russia in Russian. They are now working in their countries, which have strong ties to Russia and the Russian nuclear industry and infrastructure. It's just a great and amazing thing for me because the diplomats and representatives came from Asian and Arab countries, Latin America, and they all speak Russian; they all share the experience of being here, of going through the different challenges that they encountered during their studies. The speakers from different countries said that they wanted to keep a close connection with Russia and its nuclear companies, for example, with Rosatom; we also discussed barriers between Russia and other countries in the areas of nuclear infrastructure development and attracting international students who have graduated from Russian universities.

Why do you think such forums are necessary?

These events and discussions are especially useful for international committees that have a relationship with Russia in the nuclear power sector, and also for international students who got their education at a Russian university and are familiar with nuclear and thermal power. We discussed our skills and opportunities, what we can do for the energy industry as international students at Russian universities. I saw many perspectives, and I hope that the results of our discussions will be realized in the near future. Rosatom is always in contact with international partners, which will open up many new ways in the nuclear power sector in the near future.

What other events were you able to participate in and what did you discuss?

Additionally, after the roundtable session, we had a tea party with the guest speakers. I was lucky enough to talk with them about my scientific master's work, published articles, my role as a Rosatom Ambassador, and plans for the future. They gave me valuable advice and inspired me to move up the career ladder and improve my skills. The most motivating part of the event was that everyone gave their speeches in Russian; it marked a new goal for me to create strong ties between Russia and the international community through a Russian-speaking committee of international students. They have shown us a new way, and I think we should follow it.

And I would also like to thank Institute of Energy SPbPU for nominating me for ATOMEXPO-22. Rosatom and other partners organized this event very well.