Outstanding leaders and experts from 45 countries shared their experience during the festival events. Speakers at the opening ceremony and panel discussions included Sidronius Okaasai Opolot, Uganda's Minister of State for Energy; Judith Obina Okumu, Private Secretary to H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda in charge of Political Affairs; Davis Akampurira, Advisor to the President of Uganda, and Dr Gyitu Moses among others.
The first day of the event held in the Ugandan capital began with a special session titled “Nuclear Power for Africa: How to harness the potential of youth to address global energy, health, education and environmental challenges through the lens of the nuclear industry”. The session discussed how nuclear technology can be used for sustainable development on the continent. Alexey Semenov, representative of Rusatom International Network, took part in the session. A special part of the programme was a scientific stand-up, during which young scientists presented their developments.
On the second day of the festival, which was held in the city of Jinja, the event ended with a grand musical show featuring popular African and Russian performers. More than 5,000 spectators gathered at the venue, which annually attracts young people from across Africa.
“The International Youth Festival unites young people from diverse backgrounds, giving them a platform to collaborate and shape the future they envision. At Rosatom, we are deeply committed to engaging with youth. We continuously offer a wide range of educational opportunities for foreign students and young professionals, empowering them with knowledge in various scientific fields. We support the aspirations of talented young individuals, as their success is important to us. Rosatom’s mission extends beyond constructing nuclear power plants; we are a multifaceted organisation, just like the young people we work with. Our goal is to help them learn, grow, and make meaningful contributions to society,” said Ryan Collyer, CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa.
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The International Youth Festival was designed to foster connections between youth around the world, providing them with a platform to improve cultural expertise and business skills, networking and collaborating to develop innovative solutions to global challenges. The event highlighted the importance of supporting young talent in Africa and beyond to meet future challenges and promote peaceful cooperation.