he international youth forum has been held since 2011. The format of the Boost-2014 is a camp, i.e. young workers of ROSATOM and other Russian and foreign companies live in tents. The Spartan conditions destruct from household problems and working routine and submerge into the atmosphere of creativity. This year, more than 800 specialists attended the Boost-2014. There were eight educational flows. Each flow has an educational program of its own, which includes lectures, role plays master classes given by leading experts, mini-trainings and workshops. Besides, all programs are integrated in the general part, which includes addresses of most catching lecturers, sports and entertainments. This year about 150 invited lecturers – top managers and experts from the energy industry, large businessmen, prominent scientists, training market stars, and representatives of “strange” trades – shared their experience and expertise with the forum delegates.
The event was supported by Minister of Energy of Russia Alexander Novak. He addressed the organizers and participants of the International Forum of young energy specialists and industrialists, saying: “Energy is the most important constituent of the Russian economy. This country’s tomorrow, wellbeing of its citizens depends in many respects on how TEC [the fuel and energy complex] will develop. We have to solve global economic, production and social tasks,” he noted. “To respond appropriately to the current challenges, we need your young energy, fresh eye, and ambitiousness. We can move forward only by exchanging ideas. The forum “Boost” is a unique ground for discussion, generator of ideas and practicality.”
Mind the values
The educational program has been started by Lars Gunnar Larsson, a Swedish scientist and prominent nuclear safety expert and a Global Energy 2014 prize winner. He delivered a lecture on the role of a team in getting prominent results in research. Larsson touched upon prospects of nuclear power development, policy impacts on NPP closure and underestimation of values in nuclear companies.
Larsson noted that the nuclear industry is a perfect opportunity for young scientists and engineers. Certainly, there are decisions to shut down nuclear reactors, but in any country of the world they have to be considered in terms of electoral periods. Politicians think by different categories, while the nuclear industry leaves by broad horizons, the scientist noted.
He also urged the forum participants to focus on topics such as traveling wave reactors (fast neutron reactors which use uranium-238 with production of plutonium-239 thereof) and modular small power reactors. He underlined the significance of safety. The safety prerequisite is when you treat an accident, incident in another country so as if it has happened in your place. In spite of a country’s specifics, we should look at each other, at common world standards, the Swedish scientist said.
Back in the day we underestimated the role of values. We relied too much on the technology. We should have been more critical. We didn’t think much of the people. Don’t make our mistake of “the technology for the sake of technology”. Think about values, Lars Larsson urged the audience.
On July 15 Grigory Volchek, the head of press service of the international division of the oil company LUKOIL, LUKOIL Overseas, took part in the Boost-2014. In his address Grigory Volchek told about features of the company’s operation in difficult conditions, citing the case of its operations in Iraq. Volchek noted that the energy and oil industries had many things in common, for instance, a long investment cycle, high political impact (all projects should be mandated at the top level), and huge investments. The speaker vividly described the Iraq operation specifics and how LUKOIL Overseas had managed to gain trust of the local population and built an effective protection system of the enterprise.
“I liked everything at the Boost-2014,” Volchek said. “Both the format and organization and the participants. I was glad that the questions were deep and multi-faceted. They were interested even in oil mining features,” he said.
Playing with the CEO
On July 17 Sergey Kirienko, the head of ROSATOM, came to the international forum. He delivered a lecture on six core values of the public corporation: safety, consolidated team, responsibility for the result, efficiency, respect and “thinking ahead”. The latter dictates the employees the goal of not just being one step ahead of the competitors but to anticipate expectations of customers and consumers. So to become a leader in the nuclear build market, ROSATOM developed an integrated offer. Its specialists can not only build a nuclear power plant but also help the customer license it, take part in its further operation etc.
Then Kirienko held business role-plays with the forum participants. They were to build a pyramid of provided items: tubes, balloons, threads etc. The CEO played the construction customer who the builder could address their questions. After the role play he noted that young nuclear professionals were very attentive to their customer in both the role play and the real work and they strive to meet its requirements and justify its confidence. They can work in team, clearly plan their activities and always meet the due dates.
