As the world transitions towards new lines of energy consumption and ways to avert a climate crisis, countries around the globe are simultaneously working to forge innovative ways to face the situation while upskilling their populations. The PWC stated in a recent report that by 2050, renewables will account for more than 90% of energy, and fossil fuels will account for less than 10%, meanwhile, fossil fuels will be replaced by biomass and waste as creators of molecules used for heating of buildings, as well as power transport and industry. Recognition and identification of a starting point is essential to this process, and in this case, it is through education that younger generations in Egypt can be comfortably curious about the myriad branches of learning that these challenges require.
As part of the efforts towards cleaner, more sustainable energy, Egypt is taking serious steps in order to create a nuclear information and research hub within Matrouh province, home of the country’s first nuclear power plant in El Dabaa. Marsa Matrouh has a total population of 512,617, while the city’s pre-university students make up almost 27% of that number (141,832), according to Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). In order to acquire sustainable solutions, the city’s younger population needs a steady access to information early on, not only to spark a desire and build passions, but also to maintain an innovative approach to learning.
Talks to possess a source of nuclear energy in Egypt started as early as the 1960s then, to build a more significant foundation, the country’s Nuclear Power Plant Authority (NPPA) was established in 1976 and has, since then, been the body charged with managing, operating, and monitoring of nuclear power plants’ activities. Meanwhile, Egyptian education dedicated a focus to the field by introducing departments of nuclear engineering to different public and private universities, most significant of which is the department of Nuclear and Radiation Engineering at Alexandria University.
Moreover, the past decade has seen the beginning of Matrouh’s transformation into being a nuclear energy information and research hub; apart from the nuclear power plant currently under construction, Matrouh’s El Dabaa Advanced Technical School for Nuclear Applications, which began fully operating in 2017, provides programs that aim at training middle-level personnel while developing and monitoring their skills in the field of nuclear power. The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), and developer of the nuclear power plant in El Dabaa, is currently entrusted, under the partnership contract with the Egyptian government, to provide operation and maintenance training to about 2000 workers, preparing them to take over once the power plant is ready for operation.
These steps are essential to adopting innovative yet relevant ways of upskilling and laying a robust educational infrastructure in Matrouh; according to The World Economic Forum and PWC’s Upskilling for Shared Prosperity Insight Report, released earlier in 2021, it is expected that upskilling could lead to the net creation of 5.3 million new jobs by 2030. The path towards catering to the existing urgent need for accessible information to younger Egyptians, especially when it comes to nuclear energy and the different ways it can be of benefit to our society, starts with building an educational foundation that arms them with the right skill sets relevant to these times as well as the required technical competencies, ultimately and tremendously impacting the city’s economy and quality of life.
Working towards that objective, Rosatom has also recently published two illustrative books targeting Egyptian school children between the ages of 10 and 18. As part of its vision to foster deeper connections with the population of each country where it is developing projects, ROSATOM introduced the two books during the 52nd edition of Cairo’s International Book Fair, which featured 1,218 publishers from 25 countries. The first book, titled “Nuclear ABC,” walks readers through the basics of nuclear physics, radiation, design of nuclear reactors, and the principles of operating nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, the second title, “Nuclear Professions,” explores the various jobs that the nuclear industry offers, how each has a significant contribution to our society as well as the environment, helping readers learn about in-demand career paths within this industry and how other fields use nuclear energy to achieve progress. Both books were distributed, free of charge, across three of Marsa Matrouh’s libraries, including the city’s public library. Through using accessible language and illustrations to appeal to younger readers, the books also aim at helping young people in Matrouh familiarize themselves with the concept of living in the same area as the facility, what impact it can have on their lives, as well as eliminate concerns with facts and examples.
