On November 22, 2022 the International Mentoring Session “Women in STEM” organized by the Union of Women in Nuclear was held as part of the ATOMEXPO business program.
The event was held in the format of an open dialogue of women technology leaders, scientists, young professionals and students about the role of women in the development of nuclear technologies, opportunities for professional and personal development through the presentation of role models, the transfer of leadership experience and mentoring.
More than 150 female students from the main universities of Rosatom State Corporation and other technical universities in Russia and 16 foreign countries - Russia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Rwanda, Indonesia, Turkey, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Nigeria, Bolivia, Tanzania and Albania, as well as members of the Rosatom professional female community took part in mentoring sessions in face-to-face and online formats.
Why is the gender agenda important for the nuclear industry? How do gender stereotypes in nuclear education affect the career path of female students? Why is it important to popularize the role models of women leaders in the scientific and technological field? How to overcome the difficulties of choosing a profession and find opportunities for self-realization? These and other questions were answered by the speakers of the international mentoring session "Women in STEM".
The speakers of the event were experts from the Rosatom Corporate Academy and 8 countries of the near and far abroad: HIMNI (Indonesia), Uzatom Agency (Uzbekistan), Africa for Nuclear (South Africa), VinAtom (Vietnam), Nuvia India Private Limited (India), Mon-Atom State Company (Mongolia), Associations: Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan), NUTEK Energy Consulting Technology and Industry Inc. (Turkey).
The speaker from the Republic of Kazakhstan, Director of the Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan Association – Togzhan Seifullina shared the experience of the Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan in the development and popularization of the promotion of technical specialties in STEM areas among young people and touched upon the issue of generational continuity, -
“The main profile of the Association's work is public relations: with students, schoolchildren, veterans of the nuclear industry, specialists and everyone who wants to be close to the industry in one way or another. We attract specialists of the nuclear industry, female engineers who hold meetings with young people as part of career guidance, club activities work, as well as teachers-mentors of technical universities and industry veterans who share their experience to strengthen the popularization of STEM professions among girls. I would like to wish the participants: Go for it! Science is not difficult; it is interesting if there is a sincere understanding and desire to comprehend it!”
The participants of the discussion emphasized that in order to maintain continuity in the industry, it is especially important to ensure the transfer of leadership experience, and such events are an opportunity for an open dialogue about the role of women and challenges in nuclear power industry, personal development and mentoring programs that contribute to the development of female potential and successful career building in STEM professions.
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