On September 15, on the sidelines of the 70th anniversary session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) organized a side event titled "Human Capacity Building for the first Nuclear Power Plants in Kazakhstan"
The meeting brought together leading experts from the global nuclear industry to discuss the key task facing the upcoming construction of the first power plant: the training of reliable specialists.
Gumar Sergazin, Deputy Chairman of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Atomic Energy, and Pedro Porras, Head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Knowledge Management Section, addressed the participants with welcoming remarks. In their speeches, they noted that the timely training of qualified specialists is a key prerequisite for the safe and sustainable development of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan.
Askhat Bekbayev, Deputy Director General for Science, presented the scientific, technical, and educational potential of the Institute of Nuclear Physics as the primary national hub for the practical training of personnel for the nuclear industry.
Particular attention was paid in the report to the need to begin training specialists simultaneously with the implementation of nuclear power plant construction projects. The Institute of Nuclear Physics is prepared to serve as a base organization for practice-oriented training of students, young scientists, engineers, and technical personnel, in collaboration with Kazakhstani universities and international partners. For this purpose, the institute possesses a well-developed research and technological infrastructure:
WWR-K research reactor and critical facility for practical training in reactor physics and operation of nuclear installations;
accelerator complexes and laboratories for radiation and nuclear safety, dosimetry, and radiochemistry;
a technological base for the production of medical radionuclides and the applied use of nuclear technologies.
International experts and university representatives shared their experience and strategies: Jan van der Lee, Executive Director of I2EN (France); Tatyana Terentyeva, Deputy Director General for Human Resources of Rosatom and Kanat Baigarin, Advisor to the President of Nazarbayev University. The speakers agreed that it is crucial for Kazakhstan to establish a unified talent ecosystem — from university studies to regular internships at actual sites.
Representatives of relevant agencies, research organizations, and companies from France, China, Hungary, Russia, and other countries took part in the discussion. The event reaffirmed the status of the Institute of Nuclear Physics as a key national center of competence and a reliable international partner in training personnel for Kazakhstan's nuclear industry.
