Over 40 Turkish fourth class graduates receive Russian certificates of higher education in nuclear power engineering

26.02.2021

Members of the fourth graduating class of students from Turkey who have completed their studies at the MEPhI National Nuclear Research University received certificates of higher education in nuclear power engineering.

Amid the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony took the form of a video conference. Participating in the online event was Mehmet Samsar, Turkey’s Ambassador to Russia, Ibrahim Khalil Dere, head of the nuclear power and international projects department under the Ministry for Energy and Natural Resources, Valery Karezin, Director of Educational Programmes at Rosatom Human Resources Department, Andrey Pavlyuk, Human Resources Director at JSC Akkuyu Nuclear, and graduates from Turkey, Vietnam and Bangladesh.

Congratulating the fourth graduate class of Turkish nuclear power specialists trained for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Mehmet Samsar said, “the Akkuyu NPP is one of the most important elements of cooperation between Russia and Turkey. As part of this project, many of our students are trained at the MEPhI National Nuclear Research University. Thanks to the excellent education in nuclear power engineering that our students receive in Russia, the Turkish graduates of MEPhI will work on the Akkuyu NPP project, building new bridges of friendship between Turkey and Russia. We are proud of the progress they make in their studies; we are proud of all our students. In this regard, I would like to thank the rector and all faculty and staff members for their constant care and support for our students. I congratulate all our graduates and wish them continued success in life.”

Ibrahim Khalil Dere also sent compliments to the young specialists: “We have already completed a number of important milestones on our way to implementing the Akkuyu NPP project and construction of the plant is making great headway. You believed in the prospects for nuclear power in Turkey many years ago and dared to embark on a long and hard journey studying away from your homeland, and today you are reaping the fruits of your courage. On behalf of the Turkish Ministry for Energy and Natural Resources, I sincerely congratulate all our young professionals and each of you individually. Just like your colleagues who graduated in the previous classes, you will soon join AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş. and become pioneers of the Turkish nuclear industry. We are proud that you will soon become part of this project. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has spared no effort to educate you — your teachers, the staff of AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş. and the Turkish Embassy in Russia, as well as your families who believed in you and gave you their support.”

Congratulating the Turkish graduates, Andrey Pavlyuk said: “It is especially important for our company that representatives of the fourth graduating class of young Turkish nuclear power specialists are today receiving their higher education certificates. You are to develop one of the most high-tech industries in the world in your home country. Your success will determine how fast Turkey adopts the experience of advanced Russian technologies and establishes the basis for its own developments in the field of nuclear power. I am certain you will learn much from your experienced managers and mentors. You will now be participating actively with us in implementing clean and safe power generation projects.”

The newly certified Turkish specialists expressed their gratitude to their lecturers. Hande-Nur Yakar said: “I came to Russia in 2014 and immediately started learning Russian at a preparatory school in Obninsk. I studied there for a year and then moved to Moscow. On the Moscow campus of MEPhI, I studied for 5.5 years to become a specialist. We were taught by experienced teachers. Training and laboratory classes helped us develop professionally. I especially remember our training in Volgodonsk, where we learned a lot of helpful things about the main equipment of nuclear power plants; in addition, I saw with my own eyes how that equipment was manufactured at Atommash. It was a very useful experience. I am happy to have received such an excellent education at MEPhI. During my studies, I had many unforgettable impressions, and now I am going back to Turkey to work as a specialist at Akkuyu NPP. I would love to keep in touch with MEPhI and with Russia, which has become my second homeland. I am grateful to our university, the dean’s office and especially the staff of the Automation School!”

This year, 43 Turkish students graduated from MEPhI; 18 of them studied in Obninsk, at the Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering, a MEPhI branch, and 25 at the Central MEPhI Campus in Moscow. The graduates specialize in “Nuclear Power Plants: Design, Operation, and Engineering”. They specialized in one of the three main subjects: “Design and Operation of Nuclear Plants”, “Radiation Safety of Nuclear Plants”, and “Monitoring and Control Systems of Nuclear Plants.” As soon as they return to their home country, the young specialists will receive job offers from JSC Akkuyu Nuclear and, shortly after that, take up their job duties at the construction site of the first nuclear power plant in the Republic of Turkey.

Source: JSC Akkuyu Nuclear Press Service