ASTANA – Kazakhstan has opened a training classroom featuring a simulator of the SMR-300 small modular reactor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty on Oct. 30 to provide practical training for specialists in the nuclear energy sector.
Photo credit: Aleksandr Pavsky / Kazinform.
The training complex was established under the FIRST program, in which Kazakhstan has participated since 2022, becoming the program’s first partner in Central Asia. Launched in 2019 under the U.S. Department of State, the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program harnesses the power of the nuclear industry and innovation to expedite deployment of SMRs worldwide.
According to Sayabek Sakhiev, director general of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the facility builds on the institute’s longstanding work in training professionals for the nuclear industry, reported the Kazinform news agency.
“According to the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), specialists with higher professional education for nuclear power plants should be trained on research reactors such as the one at the Institute of Nuclear Physics,” Sakhiev said.
The institute’s training centers have prepared more than 5,000 specialists for Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. The new facility is also expected to serve as a regional training center.
Based on the SMR-300 simulator, the complex is designed to support educational and practical training in small modular reactor technologies. The equipment has been installed and tested, with the facility intended to help students, young professionals, engineers and researchers develop practical skills.
Asset Makhambetov. Photo credit: Aleksandr Pavsky / Kazinform.
Asset Makhambetov, deputy chairman of Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy, said nuclear energy was becoming a strategic area of the country’s development.
“The significance of the new training complex goes far beyond equipping it with modern technology. It will help improve the knowledge of Kazakh specialists and develop their practical skills,” he said.
The next stage will involve developing training programs, scenarios and practical exercises in cooperation with the simulator’s developers.
More than 1,300 students studying for nuclear sector
Gulzat Kobenova, vice minister of science and higher education, said 12 universities in Kazakhstan train specialists in nuclear energy, including through partnerships with research institutes and foreign universities.
Gulzat Kobenova. Photo credit: Aleksandr Pavsky / Kazinform.
The new classroom will support not only lessons but also research projects, master’s programs, doctoral research and scientific internships.
More than 1,300 students are currently enrolled in relevant programs at Kazakh universities, 96% of whom study under state-funded educational programs, according to Kobenova. The country’s annual demand for new specialists is estimated at approximately 200 to 300 people.
The Institute of Nuclear Physics is also preparing a separate classroom for senior-year students specialising in nuclear energy. The opening of the facility forms part of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United States on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the development of modern nuclear technologies.
