Webinar for Teachers: “Opportunities for Youth in the Nuclear Industry”

Webinar for Teachers: “Opportunities for Youth in the Nuclear Industry”

On February 25, 2025, a webinar titled “Opportunities for Youth in the Nuclear Industry” was held for teachers. The event was organized by the Ukrainian Nuclear Society in collaboration with JSC “NAEC Energoatom” and specialized higher education institutions in the nuclear sector. The webinar aimed to promote awareness and provide reliable information on the key aspects of nuclear industry operations and development in Ukraine and worldwide. Additionally, it sought to familiarize teachers with career opportunities available to the youth they mentor in schools, helping guide students in their professional orientation toward further education and careers in the nuclear sector.

The event was part of the NURECAB project (EU-UA Nuclear Research and Education Capacity Building), which focuses on education, training, capacity development, and network creation to strengthen nuclear education and research in Ukraine and the EU.

More than 60 educators from various regions of Ukraine registered for the webinar. The speakers—Danylo Lavrenov, Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, and Roman Zibnitskyi, Head of Public Relations at Energoatom’s Strategic Communications Directorate—covered a broad range of topics. The webinar began with an overview of fundamental nuclear concepts, the current state of nuclear energy and industry, and prospects for its development in Ukraine and globally. A significant focus was given to professional education in nuclear-related fields, employment opportunities in the nuclear energy and industry sectors, and working conditions for nuclear specialists.

During the webinar, a new educational guide for conducting a digital introductory lesson on nuclear energy for secondary schools, titled “Navigating the Nuclear Industry,” was presented. The concept for such educational guides originates from the American Nuclear Society, which has successfully implemented them in elementary, middle, and high schools across the U.S. to introduce students to nuclear energy fundamentals, spark interest in the field, and encourage future specialization. One of these guides, specifically designed for 6th to 8th-grade students, has been adapted by specialists from NAEC Energoatom and the Ukrainian Nuclear Society for use by Ukrainian teachers. These materials are freely available on the Ukrainian Nuclear Society’s website at the following link:

Additionally, Inna Afanasieva, Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Physics and Plasma Physics of the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University and a representative of its Institute of Physics and Technology, participated in the event. She presented educational materials on plasma physics and controlled nuclear fusion from FuseNet, which have been translated into Ukrainian by specialists from the university’s Faculty of Physics and Technology.

All participants of the webinar will receive electronic certificates of participation and access to the event materials.