Obninsk NEW 2026
IV International Youth Nuclear Forum Obninsk NEW 2026. Science. Education. Leadership.
June 26, 2026
Obninsk
About the Forum
On 26 June 2026, the city of Obninsk will host the 4th International Youth Nuclear Forum Obninsk NEW.
Obninsk NEW is a flagship one- to two-day international youth forum that brings together young professionals, students, early-career researchers and emerging leaders in nuclear energy and high-tech sectors. While senior experts, policymakers and industry executives take part as speakers and mentors, the core participants and primary audience are young people shaping the next generation of the global nuclear community.
The main audience gathers on 26 June — the central Forum Day — which unites all participants in a shared professional dialogue. The programme features keynote speeches by leading scientists, high-level government representatives and heads of major organisations, alongside panel discussions focused on the future of nuclear energy, technological development and international cooperation.
In the days before and after the Forum, a broader programme of thematic events takes place in Obninsk, including specialised sessions, workshops and meetings designed for more focused youth and professional audiences.
The central Forum Day is held on 26 June — the date when, in 1954, the First Nuclear Power Plant was commissioned in Obninsk.
In 2026, the Forum is organised as part of the anniversary programme dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the city of Obninsk, the 80th anniversary of Leypunsky Institute of Physics and Power Engineering, and milestone dates of the Russian nuclear industry.
Why Participate?
Join the next generation of nuclear leaders.
Engage in discussions that directly shape the professional landscape you will work in.
Learn from global decision-makers.
Interact with leading scientists, policymakers and executives in an open youth-centred environment.
Build an international peer network.
Connect with fellow young professionals from different countries and establish long-term professional relationships.
Strengthen your professional trajectory.
Gain exposure to current industry priorities, emerging technologies and international cooperation formats.
Be part of a symbolic location for global nuclear energy.
Take part in a youth forum hosted in the birthplace of civil nuclear power, linking historical legacy with future leadership.
IV International Youth Nuclear Forum Obninsk NEW 2026. Science. Education. Leadership
Program
Speakers
20 years of experience in senior HR positions. Alexey Likhachev has been working at Rosatom since 2011. During this time, the corporation has been consistently recognised as the best employer for engineering graduates in the Universum international rating system, and has also topped the ratings of Russia's best employers according to HeadHunter, the country's largest recruitment platform.
Rosatom's Corporate Academy won the Crystal Pyramid 2020 award in the Corporate University of the Year category and was recognised as the world's best corporate university by the Global Council of Corporate Universities Awards in 2019. Rosatom is the only state-owned company named ‘best employer’ in a survey by international consulting company AON Hewitt.
Alexey Likhachev pays great attention to the development of volunteering and corporate social responsibility. He has made a significant contribution to the development of federal and international initiatives. Under his leadership, Rosatom and the international WorldSkills movement started co-operation on a joint project aimed at improving the competences of workers and engineers of nuclear industry enterprises.
Перед этим с 1995 года г-н Чудаков занимал ряд руководящих постов в российском "Концерне Росэнергоатом", в том числе в апреле 1999 года был назначен на пост заместителя генерального директора "Росэнергоатома" и директора Билибинской АЭС. С 1993 по 1995 год г-н Чудаков работал советником ВАО АЭС в Москве и Лондоне. С 1983 по 1993 год работал на различных должностях на Калининской АЭС, в том числе в качестве старшего оператора реактора.
Г-н Чудаков имеет степень доктора наук по ядерной технике.
Окончила Московский государственный университет им. М.В. Ломоносова и Российскую академию народного хозяйства и государственной службы при Президенте РФ (Executive MBA).
Юлия имеет более чем 15-летний опыт работы в сфере управления персоналом. На протяжении многих лет возглавляла портал для HR и T&D-специалистов Trainings.ru, была управляющим партнером компаний «Амплуа» и «Малакут — HR-исследования и решения».
В 2013 году пришла в «Росатом» на должность руководителя департамента оценки и развития персонала. В апреле 2015 года назначена генеральным директором Корпоративной Академии «Росатома».
Vladimir Shevchenko worked at the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation "Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics" where he made his way up from a graduate student to an acting director of the Institute. In 2001-2003 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utrecht (Netherlands). Over the years he carried out research and professional activities at the Heidelberg University (Germany), the University of Pisa (Italy), the VU University Amsterdam (the Netherlands), the Annecy-le-Vieux Particle Physics Laboratory (France). He also headed the Scientific Coordination Committee at the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" for cooperation between the Russian Federation and CERN.
Vladimir Shevchenko graduated from the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute with honors. He held research and teaching positions at MIPT, MEPhI, MISiS, FEFU.
“The nuclear energy will play a defining role in Russia’s future strategic development,” believes the rector of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. “The general global trend is to shift the energy mix towards low carbon generation. Why are the nuclear energy technologies so attractive? Because they combine carbon neutrality and absolute predictability,” notes Vladimir Shevchenko.
Vladislav Shapsha graduated from the Obninsk Nuclear Energy Institute with professional qualifications in applied mathematics. In 2003, he got a diploma of the State Management University with qualifications in public administration.
The Governor notes particular importance of the nuclear energy for the city since the Obninsk nuclear plant has become the first house for the peaceful atom. Vladislav Shapsha highlights that the nuclear industry continues to be a key sector in the region and in the country.
Sama Bilbao y León became the Director General of World Nuclear Association in October 2020. World Nuclear Association is the international organization that represents the global nuclear industry.
In this role Sama leads a team of experts, analysts and communicators working to enable the growth of the global nuclear sector by connecting players across the nuclear value chain, shaping and representing the industry’s position in key world forums providing authoritative information and influencing key audiences, organizations and media.
Sama is also the President of World Nuclear University dedicated to inspire and develop the future leaders of the global nuclear industry. Sama has more than 20 years of experience in nuclear engineering and energy policy. Sama has a very diverse professional experience having worked in the nuclear industry (Nuclear Safety Analysis Engineer, Dominion Energy, USA), in academia (Director of Nuclear Engineering Programs and Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), USA) and in international organizations (Head of the Division of Nuclear Technology Development and Economics at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), Head of the Technical Secretariat for the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), Head of Water Cooled Reactors Technology Development Unit, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)).
Sama, who is originally from Spain, holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Energy Technologies from the Polytechnic University of Madrid; a master's degree and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison; and an MBA from Averett University.
Sama is one of the seven founders of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN). Sama’s areas of expertise are nuclear thermal-hydraulics for both light water reactors and sodium cooled reactors, nuclear reactor design, nuclear safety, energy and environmental policy, and complex decision making.
Ignacio is a natural resources engineering student at National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. Currently Ignacio organizes Jovenes por el Clima, a youthled climate movement in Argentina, where he advocates for a just energy transition where workers and countries of the Global South are not left behind.
Ignacio takes an active stance locally and internationally. He leads the local government’s Youth and Climate Commission and promotes youth green energy employment. A number of his projects were created together with CNEA (Argentinian Atomic Energy Commission). In 2021, Ignacio was chosen as an Argentinian Delegate for the United Nations’ PreCOP26 Youth Summit known as ‘Youth4Climate: Youth Driving Ambition’ in Milan, Italy.
Elsie obtained her first degree in Social Work in 1989 at the University of the North. She furthered her formal education (part time) by obtaining a BA (HONS) in Psychology at the university of Pretoria in 1995 and an MSc – Business Engineering from Warwick University (UK) in 2004.
Elsie started her career as a Social Worker with the Public Sector and later the National Council for the aged. Six years later she worked for the University of Pretoria as a Psychology lecturer seeing the onset of Psychology being delivered in the English medium for the first time in 1995. Upon joining the Corporate sector in 1995, Elsie spent her career at Eskom during which she fulfilled various roles that spanned the entire HR value Chain.
In March 2010 Elsie became the Chief Officer Human Resources at the South African Revenue Services (SARS). Elsie returned to Eskom as the Senior General Manager in December of 2012. She acted as the Group Executive Human Resources as from November 2014 until she was officially appointed as the Group Executive Human Resources in June 2016, the role she currently occupies.
Bianca Carpinelli is an International Relations Graduate from Universidad de San Andrés (Buenos Aires, 2018) and has a master’s degree on Management Science in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University (Beijing, 2021), which she did as the first Argentinean woman to be selected as a Schwarzman Scholar.
Bianca is an expert in nuclear policy. She started her career as advisor to the Undersecretary of Nuclear Energy in the Argentinean Government managing a broad portfolio including multilateral engagement, bilateral negotiations, coordinating investment projects, liaising with different Embassies, and representing Argentina as the delegate to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). She continued her professional path as a private consultant to the nuclear industry and did an internship at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
Currently, she is serving at the IAEA coordinating the Division of Planning, Information and Knowledge Management in the Nuclear Energy Department as an Associate Coordination Officer, focusing particularly on highlighting the role of nuclear energy in the clean energy transitions in multilateral engagements such as the G20 and COP30 and other mechanisms, to which she acts as operative focal point and coordinator.
