Tanzania strengthens nuclear ties with Russia at Obninsk NEW’26

Obninsk, Russia: The fourth Obninsk NEW-2026 International Youth Forum concluded in Obninsk, Russia, bringing together participants from 85 countries to explore strategies for developing a skilled workforce for the global nuclear power industry. The event was supported by Rosatom.

More than 700 participants from 85 countries took part in person, making this year’s forum the largest to date.

The forum also welcomed the winners of the Atoms Empowering Africa video contest. The representative from Tanzania – Japhet Matekere – was among them.

“The competition was a valuable opportunity for me to explore nuclear science, gain new experiences, and interact with students from different countries. I decided to participate because of my interest in science and innovation, and I was excited to explore both the educational and cultural environment in Russia,” emphasised Japhet Matekere.

Tanzania’s engagement at the forum extended beyond the contest. At the meeting with new members of the Impact Team 2050 international youth advisory council – 13 young leaders from 13 countries, including Aloyce Paulo Kinemelo from Tanzania and representatives from Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Africa, and other countries – Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev noted:

“Our mission is to meet the global challenge of training qualified specialists for the nuclear industry. The world’s growing reliance on nuclear power requires not only new technologies, but also a robust international education system. In Obninsk – Russia’s first science city – we are building exactly that kind of open, modern, forwardlooking environment. The Obninsk Tech international education cluster is already taking shape here with IAEA support, and the agreements signed today will help us scale up Russian nuclear engineering education abroad.”

 Tangible outcomes included two agreements signed in the presence of Rosatom, Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, and Kaluga Region Governor Vladislav Shapsha. The documents are designed to promote Russian engineering education in nuclear technologies abroad and to give further momentum to the Obninsk Tech project, which is being developed with IAEA support.

For Tanzania, the forum was another milestone in its expanding cooperation with Rosatom. Tanzania is among the countries where major resource projects are advancing from planning to implementation: Rosatom, through Mantra Tanzania Ltd. (a subsidiary of Uranium One Group), is developing the Mkuju River uranium project in the south-east of the country.

Beyond resource development, the partnership also encompasses human capacity building and the promotion of nuclear science for peaceful purposes. Tanzania’s strong presence at Obninsk NEW’26 reflects the growing depth of bilateral cooperation and Rosatom’s sustained commitment to supporting the country’s long-term nuclear ambitions.