Youth must shape future of global nuclear energy sector
Ziyana Gavazova, a member of the Impact Team 2050 Youth Council, said youth participation is essential as younger generations will be at the forefront of nuclear deployment in the coming decades
Young people must be actively included in global nuclear energy discussions if the sector is to grow sustainably and deliver long-term climate and development benefits, says a member of Rosatom’s international youth advisory body.
Speaking to ESI Africa on the sidelines of World Atomic Week in Moscow, Ziyana Gavazova, a member of the Rosatom Impact Team 2050 Youth Council, said youth participation is essential as younger generations will be at the forefront of nuclear deployment in the coming decades.
Why the youth needs to be included in the nuclear ecosystem
“Young people will be the ones driving nuclear development in the future, and we need to be part of the conversation now,” Gavazova said.
She sees nuclear energy as a reliable source of long-term, clean and affordable power with the potential to raise global education and skills levels.
Gavazova also reflected on a high-level engagement session with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders at the event, describing it as a rare opportunity to gain strategic insight into the future of the nuclear industry and global energy transition.
Africa’s youth encouraged to put their hands up
Addressing young Africans interested in clean energy, she urged them not to be discouraged by the perception that nuclear is limited to engineers and scientists.
“The nuclear sector needs professionals from media, business, agriculture, medicine and many other fields,” she said.
She encouraged young people to start by learning the basic principles of how nuclear energy works and then to apply their own skills and passions.
“Find your place in the nuclear ecosystem… we need everyone,” she said. ESI
Cover photo: Ziyana Gavazova – a member Rosatom’s international “Impact Team 2050” youth council. Source: ESI Africa
