June 17, 2023, Büyükeceli, Türkiye – Implementation of the Akkuyu NPP Personnel Training Program continues in Türkiye. The list of students who will join Russian universities to major in nuclear engineering was announced at the coordination meeting in video conference format between representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Türkiye and AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC.
53 bachelor graduates from Turkish universities have successfully passed admission examination and will continue their study in nuclear and nuclear-related areas under master’s degree programs at the best Russian technical universities, namely the National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute” (NRU MPEI) and the National Research Nuclear University “Moscow Engineering Physics Institute” (NRNU MEPhI).
In 2022, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Türkiye, State Atomiс Energy Corporation ROSATOM, AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC, Russian and Turkish universities signed the Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of development of joint educational programs in higher education. The document envisages that the program participants will study engineering Russian at the NRNU MEPhI for one academic year. Upon completion of the language course the students, after successful confirmation of their language level, will be admitted as freshmen of the joint two-year master’s degree program of the NRNU MEPhI and the Istanbul Technical University (ITU). The first admission to NRNU MEPhI preparation course with subsequent enrollment in a joint master’s program is held in 2023.
The students will study under the joint education program developed by the universities, with the first academic year to take place at the ITU, and the second one at the NRNU MEPhI. Upon successful completion of the master’s degree program, the graduates will obtain two diploma – Russian and Turkish ones. Also, traditional enrolment to Russian universities for energy sector branches to work at the Akkuyu NPP continues.
AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC Chief Executive Officer Anastasia Zoteeva noted the importance of the oncoming student enrolment: “The Training Program for highly qualified Turkish specialists for Akkuyu NPP continues in full swing. 269 youth engineers have already graduated from the Russian universities and are gaining interesting professional experience at the world’s largest nuclear construction site. In the coming years, another 300 Turkish specialists will have been trained to join the Akkuyu NPP project team. Studying in Russia includes not only theoretical training, but also practical internships at the operational nuclear power plants. It allows youth Turkish engineers to gain not only knowledge, but also invaluable work experience at NPP to successfully develop nuclear technologies in their home country”.
At the meeting, the students were addressed by Salih Sari, Head of the Nuclear Infrastructure Development Department of the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources as follows: “Thanks to the Akkuyu NPP project, Türkiye’s long-nurtured dream of building its first nuclear power plant is now being set in reality. You, students who have passed admission examination, are going to study in Russia, and I am confident that you are the future of Turkish nuclear industry. A bright and eventful student life awaits you, which will be followed by an opportunity to create your own project in Türkiye’s young nuclear industry”.
Cigdem Yilmaz, AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC Chemical Analysis Specialist, shared her impressions on her study in Russia. “Nuclear industry is only emerging in Türkiye, so it is crucial to complete study in Russia and apply the obtained knowledge at home, i.e. in the Republic of Türkiye. Over several years, we were studying nuclear technologies, undergoing internships at the operating NPP and participating in specialized contests. In 2022, I managed to win the industry contest “Rosatom’s Person of the Year”. I proposed a chemical laboratory improvement project. My case has been successfully implemented at Akkuyu NPP. My family is proud of me, and I am glad that I can be useful to my country”.
During the meeting, representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Türkiye, as well as employees of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC, namely Educational-Program and Cooperation-Program Directorate and HR Directorate, gave exhaustive answers to numerous questions from the applicants. They assured the applicants of the guaranteed employment with the Akkuyu NPP project upon successful completion of the training in accordance with the acquired majors.
The targeted personnel training program for Akkuyu NPP has been implemented since 2011. Future Turkish engineers of the first Turkish nuclear power plant study at the expense of the Russian Federation budget in accordance with the allocated study quotas. AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC pays its future specialists a stipend, provide them with visa assistance, and pays for their medical insurance and annual flight from Istanbul to Moscow and back. Detailed information on admission to the joint educational program is available at the official AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC website.
For reference:
Akkuyu NPP is the first-ever nuclear power plant in the Republic of Türkiye. The Akkuyu NPP project includes four power units equipped with Generation 3+ VVER reactors of Russian design. The capacity of each NPP power unit will be 1200 MW.
Akkuyu NPP is the first project in the global nuclear industry being implemented according to the Build-Own-Operate model. According to the terms and conditions of the Inter-Governmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Türkiye, the NPP’s first power unit is supposed to be commissioned within 7 years after obtaining all construction authorizations. Given that the construction license for the Unit No. 1 was obtained in 2018, the deadline is 2025. At the same time, the project stakeholders are making their best efforts to ensure the readiness for start-up and adjustment works on the Unit No. 1 in 2023, a jubilee year for the Republic of Türkiye.
The National Research University “Moscow Energy Institute” is one of the leading Russian higher-education institutions in the field of energy, electrical engineering, radio engineering, electronics, and information technologies The NRU MEI has its own material and technical base. It comprises 12 institutes, and has more than 100 scientific-and-research laboratories, a specialized experimental plant, a unique training Combined Heat-and-Power Plant (CHPP), the country’s largest scientific-and-technical library, and a renewable-energy testing ground. Over 20 000 undergraduates and postgraduates study in 25 training fields at the university. A high quality of training and scientific activities is ensured by more than 1600 teachers and scientists, including 184 Doctors of Sciences and 597 Candidates of Sciences.
National Research Nuclear University Moscow Engineering Physics Institute is one of the best universities in Russia. It trains elite professionals for science, IT, and other high-tech sectors of the economy. The NRNU MEPhI is a strategic partner and a base university of Rosatom for staffing and scientific and innovation support of the nuclear industry. The university consists of 11 institutes and has modern research infrastructure: laboratories, a library, and a technopark. Thousands of students are trained in 29 areas of training under the guidance of the best tutors and scientists in the country.