Over 900 students from various Central Asian countries participated in the event 'Central Asia – Atom 2050,' which took place at the branch of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The meeting gathered 200 participants in person and over 700 online.
Attendees included Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom; Azim Ahmedkhadzhayev, Director of the Atomic Energy Agency of Uzbekistan under the Cabinet of Ministers; Timur Zhantikin, Deputy Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of Kazakhstan; Mirlan Parkhanov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Kyrgyzstan; and Abdulvakil Rasulov, CEO of TAUZ Hydro, a joint-stock company under the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan. Tatiana Terentyeva, Deputy CEO of Rosatom for Human Resources Management, moderated the meeting.
Leaders of the Impact Team 2050, Rosatom's international youth advisory council, presented the results of four national youth nuclear dialogues held in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, with the participation of youth from Tajikistan. According to the presented information, the main obstacles to entering the industry are a lack of practical experience and experienced mentors, as well as unclear career paths and training opportunities.
Safety was the main concern, especially among participants from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The strongest factors attracting young people to this field were identified as practical experience and mentorship (mentioned by 69% of respondents), clear career prospects (62%), greater openness in the industry (54%), and support at the start of a career (47%).
Speakers included Mukhiddin Umidov, a representative of Uzbekistan in the Impact Team 2050 council and a postgraduate student at the MEPhI Institute of Nuclear Energy; Diana Gamazova, a mentor from Kazakhstan and head of the project 'Nuclear Energy for Central Asia'; and Bektan Kydiyev, a representative of Kyrgyzstan in the council and chairman of the Kyrgyz Student Association.
After the presentations, industry leaders discussed the proposals of the young participants and provided feedback. The main proposal from the Atom 2050 participants was the creation of a Central Asian Youth Platform for Nuclear Cooperation as a permanent forum for exchanging initiatives and implementing joint projects. The events are planned to be held in different countries of the region to ensure regular meetings between youth and industry leaders.
Likhachev noted that one of the key ideas of the young specialists from Central Asia was to make this event annual. He added that this would allow future specialists in the field of nuclear energy from the entire region to exchange experiences, participate in additional educational programs under the guidance of leading MEPhI professors, and jointly work on projects for the development of nuclear energy and technologies. He expressed confidence that this initiative would lay the foundation for long-term and strong youth cooperation, allowing young specialists to shape the future of the Central Asian nuclear industry together.
Rosatom fully supports this format and is ready to cooperate with colleagues from the industry across the region to hold the next youth program under the auspices of the Impact Team 2050 in 2027. Tatiana Terentyeva emphasized the importance not only of informing youth about the opportunities the industry can offer but also of paying attention to what they themselves need from the nuclear industry. She highlighted the necessity of co-designing the future through dialogue and shaping an international agenda and strategy.
Terentyeva concluded that the young leaders described their desired future for the industry and demonstrated a readiness to take responsibility for building it, and the task of adults is to provide them with all the opportunities to do so. She characterized the meeting as an important part of these broader joint efforts.
The Impact Team 2050 is an international youth advisory council to the CEO of Rosatom. Its establishment was announced at the Global Influence Conference in 2021. The council serves as a platform for dialogue between Rosatom management and young international leaders on issues of nuclear technology, sustainable development, and international youth cooperation. The main objectives of the council include developing proposals for youth engagement, attracting young leaders to Rosatom's educational and partnership initiatives, and expanding support for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Members of the Impact Team 2050 conducted national youth nuclear dialogues from September to October 2026. Four dialogues took place in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (with the participation of Tajik youth), and Uzbekistan. These dialogues brought together 1050 participants from 18 universities, and the organizers collected 800 survey responses. Young people proposed measures to increase the attractiveness of careers in the nuclear sector and strengthen youth cooperation in the field of nuclear energy in the region.
The Atom 2050 project is scheduled to launch in 2027 with Rosatom's support. It will bring together 100 young people from different countries along with scientists, engineers, experts, strategists, and science fiction writers to study the question: 'What might the world look like in 2050 and what role will nuclear and related technologies play in its development?' Participants will take technical tours of Rosatom facilities, meet with leading experts, participate in 'knowledge labs,' and jointly develop scenarios for the future. By the end of 2027, the team will present its vision to decision-makers determining the development of technologies, industries, and countries.