Representatives of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society participated in the inaugural Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network (BSWN) Regional Conference
The first BSWN Regional Conference “Empowering Women in Nuclear – We All Can Do It!”, took place on November 5-6, 2024, at Ovidius University in Constanța, Romania. The conference was organized in collaboration with Ovidius University and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
The conference aimed to promote global principles of nuclear security and gender equality, foster mentorship in the field, support regional nuclear security research, and ensure the peaceful development of the nuclear industry. Key topics included innovative nuclear technologies, the development of small modular reactors, nuclear safety culture, training young specialists, and making the nuclear sector more appealing to young people through innovations in nuclear education. Presentations and discussions highlighted nuclear security challenges in the current context, including the impact of military actions in Ukraine, as well as the fight against disinformation and propaganda targeting the nuclear sector. Other discussions addressed practical measures to enhance women’s roles in nuclear education and career opportunities.
Over 100 participants from more than 15 countries attended this year’s BSWN Conference, including students of relevant specialties, representatives from industry organizations, regulatory bodies, national operators, and universities. Speakers included representatives of the Joint Research Centre Petten of the European Commission; European Nuclear Education Network; leaders and representatives from the Romanian Ministry of Energy and Nuclearelectrica S.A., Romania’s nuclear operator; as well as heads of leading nuclear-focused higher education institutions in Romania and representatives from event partners like Candu Energy Inc.
At the invitation of the organizers, representatives of the women’s section of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society delivered presentations. Tetiana Zakrevska,
Head of the separate division of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, established on the basis of the branch of “SS “Atomprojectengineering”, Head of the licensing division, design and technical management
department SS “Atomprojectengineering” Joint Stock Company “NNEGC “Energoatom”, spoke on the panel New Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges for the Nuclear Sector, discussing Atomprojectengineering’s activities and new nuclear projects in Ukraine, highlighting the role of female specialists. In the panel Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Nuclear Energy in the Black Sea Region, Khrystyna Lylak, UkrNS Communications Manager, presented the activities of the UkrNS women’s section and the implementation of UkrNS’s Gender Equality Plan.
Alongside the UkrNS representatives, delegates from other Ukrainian nuclear organizations and educational institutions also participated, including NNEGC “Energoatom”, the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Department of Nuclear Power Plants and Engineering Thermophysics at the National Technical University of Ukraine Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, the Department of Nuclear Power Plants at Odessa Polytechnic National University, and the Odessa Center for Nonproliferation (I.I. Mechnikov Odessa National University), among others.
As part of the conference activities, participants also visited the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, Romania’s only operational nuclear plant. There, they explored its two CANDU reactors, a dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, and the construction site of a tritium extraction facility.
