Mumbai, Aug 06: Indi an student Lucky Rawat is among the participants selected for the seventh international Icebreaker of Knowledge expedition, representing India on the educational voyage to the Arctic aboard the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.
A solemn departure ceremony for the international Icebreaker of Knowledge expedition was held in Murmansk. Ruslan Sasov, captain of the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy, issued the order to set sail, and the ship set off on its route from Murmansk to the North Pole, Franz Josef Land, and back to Murmansk.
“The Arctic is a place of power, where the most ambitious ideas are born and brought to life. This is where bold and active people who are ready to build a better future come. The Icebreaker of Knowledge is taking exactly these kinds of children to the North Pole. And we are proud that our nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet — the only one of its kind in the world — provides them with this opportunity. On board the nuclear-powered ship 50 Let Pobedy, the students will learn about technologies they won’t see anywhere else. We want to harness the energy of the best young minds to advance science and protect the planet. “This energy is the main driver of progress,” said Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom.
The total duration of expedition will be 10 days. After leaving the port, the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy will sail across the Barents Sea to the high latitudes of the Arctic, proceed to the Franz Josef Land archipelago, reach the geographic North Pole, and then return to Murmansk. During the voyage, participants will explore the nature of the Far North, observe the operation of a nuclear-powered icebreaker, and learn more about the role of nuclear technology in the development of Arctic shipping. The students will bring their countries’ flags to the North Pole, making the moment of reaching the 90° mark particularly symbolic.
The voyage aboard the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy will give students from around the world a unique opportunity to see the Arctic with their own eyes, experience the vastness of the northern territories, and become part of an international community of young researchers united by an interest in science, technology, and the future.
About 5,000 students from 22 countries competed in the international selection process to participate in the voyage: India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Brazil, South Africa and several other countries across Asia, Africa and South America.
Representing India on the expedition, Lucky Rawat shared his excitement ahead of the Arctic voyage: “Right now, I have so many emotions that it is difficult to gather them into one feeling. On one hand, I am very excited because something completely incredible and unknown lies ahead of me. On the other hand, I want to start this journey as soon as possible and see the North Pole with my own eyes, learn something new and become part of something truly great and memorable.”
A packed educational program kicks off on the very first day on board. Participants can look forward to lectures, workshops, discussions, scientific experiments, career counseling, creative activities, as well as memorable symbolic events — from postcards sent from the northernmost post office to a “round-the-world journey” at the point where all meridians intersect.
Leading international experts will work alongside the expedition participants aboard the nuclear-powered icebreaker. Among them are Egor Plakhotnyuk, Project Manager at the Laboratory of Genomic Technologies and Tissue Engineering of JSC NIITFA; Andrey Smelov, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Beloyarsk NPP; Ilya Kholkin, General Director of CONSIST-OS (IT integrator for Rosatom’s Electric Power Division); Jairu Silva Bastos, Director of Communications at the Brazilian Association of Nuclear Energy; Dr Noel Rajabu Mabele, physician, science communicator and expert of the Mwanachuo Family Foundation of Tanzania; and Dr Bijoy Nandan, Professor at the Department of Marine Biology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, India.
Popular performers and bloggers, as well as the well-known Russian science fiction writer Sergey Lukyanenko, will be special guests on the voyage. During the Arctic expedition, he will lead a creative workshop for the participants: the author will provide an intriguing opening for a science fiction story, and the students will propose their own versions of the ending. Following the expedition, the complete collaborative work will be officially published.
Fact Sheet:
The scientific and educational project Icebreaker of Knowledge is organized with the support of Rosatom. It is aimed at promoting natural science disciplines and technologies of the nuclear industry, finding and supporting talented and gifted children, developing their abilities and offering career guidance. The project brings together school students and students of secondary vocational education programs aged 14–16 from around the world. The top performers join a scientific and educational expedition to the North Pole aboard the nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.
The international selection process began on May 5 and consisted of three stages. During the first stage, participants answered questions in a science quiz, testing their knowledge of natural sciences, breakthrough technologies, nuclear energy, and Arctic exploration. The second stage included a series of webinars delivered by nuclear industry experts. Participants learned about Rosatom’s advanced solutions, including technologies used to ensure the safe and sustainable development of Arctic shipping, as well as the role of nuclear energy in the future of the global economy and science.
Based on the total scores for both stages, ten finalists in each country were selected. They advanced to the final round, where they presented creative projects on the theme “How Nuclear Technologies Are Changing the World Today.” In the final round, it was important for the participants not only to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic but also to demonstrate their ability to think outside the box, construct a compelling argument, and present the material in an engaging manner. The finalists’ works were evaluated by an international jury composed of representatives of the nuclear industry, science, education, Arctic affairs, and science communication.
The highest number of applications came from Kazakhstan, with 945 participants, followed by Kyrgyzstan with 827 and Belarus with 464. Bangladesh and Myanmar also ranked among the most active countries this year.
Over the six seasons of the Icebreaker of Knowledge project, more than 400 talented schoolchildren from around the world have participated in Rosatom’s Arctic expeditions to the North Pole. The project offered them a unique opportunity to see an operational nuclear-powered icebreaker up close and learn about advanced scientific and technological developments in Russia’s nuclear industry.
The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is the shortest shipping route between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region and a historically developed national transportation artery of Russia. Russia’s history of developing the Northern Sea Route spans more than 500 years and dates back to 1525, when Russian diplomat Dmitry Gerasimov proposed the idea of using a shipping route through the seas of the Arctic Ocean.
In 2018, the Government of the Russian Federation granted Rosatom the authority of infrastructure operator of the Northern Sea Route. The corporation supervises the federal project “Development of the Northern Sea Route” and also participates in implementing the Northern Sea Route Development Plan through 2035 and the Russian Federation’s socio-economic development initiative through 2030 entitled “Year-Round Northern Sea Route,” approved by an instruction of the Government of the Russian Federation.
Russia is the only country in the world with a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet. The fleet is operated by FSUE Atomflot, a Rosatom’s enterprise. At present, FSUE Atomflot operates eight nuclear-powered icebreakers.
Rosatom and its enterprises pay special attention to supporting and developing educational, scientific, enlightenment and cultural initiatives. They also participate in creating industrial partnership departments in Russian universities, implementing scholarship support programs, major educational projects, and arranging internships and apprenticeships for students with subsequent employment opportunities.
