Nuclear technology minded youths in Nigeria and Africa are getting the opportunity to visit the nuclear facilities in Russia by participating in the “Atoms Empowering Africa” video competition. In response to the huge demand, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, has also extended the deadline for the 6th annual competition of online videos to February 15th.
The “Atoms Empowering Africa” competition, enables African students and young professionals explore the potential of nuclear power in boosting industrialization in Africa. The participants from the age of 18 to 35 residing in African countries are encouraged to post their videos on Facebook, following the formal guidelines and based on wide range of nuclear related topics.
The topics or themes could include: Myths and fears about nuclear and how to overcome them; Nuclear in our everyday lives; How nuclear technologies can assist in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) in Africa; How non-power related nuclear science and technology can benefit your country or community.
With this in mind, participants are expected to produce a 75-second video, with either professional camera or smartphone with a video quality of at least 720p HD quality. The video can be live-action or animation, with narration language in either English or features English subtitles. The name(s) of the creator(s) and the name of the university they are attending or attended, must be written in the first frame of the video. The video can be done by either an individual or a team of up to 3 people, and must be published on Facebook with no restrictions on its visibility for any Facebook visitors. Then, the participants must tag @RosatomAfrica and @RosatomMENA Facebook page and contain hashtags: #Nucleardoesntwastetime, #AtomsforAfrica, #RosatomCompetition. There should be no copyright violations, no harmful or offensive behaviour or discrimination of any kind. Applicants must submit their applications before the deadline to the email atomsforafrica@rosatom.com or by the link to the online submission form https://tinyurl.com/RosatomAfrica.
The top three winning videos will be selected by an independent expert panel observing various criteria including original content and creativity, overall quality of the video and content, accuracy and relevance of technical content, as well as ability to clearly communicate the content to an audience. The makers of the top three videos will be rewarded with an all-expenses paid trip to Russia, where they will get the opportunity to visit several of the country’s world-renowned tourist attractions as well as as its advanced nuclear facilities and institutions.
Jury includes representatives of nuclear enterprises such as ROSATOM, Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA, Egypt), media practitioners like Influence Communications (Egypt) and regional nuclear NGOs Women in Nuclear South Africa (WinSA), African Young Generation in Nuclear (AYGN) and Nuclear Corporation of South Africa (NESCA).
Over the last five years of running the “Atoms Empowering Africa” competition, 51 winners have received the accolades and prizes and about 17 of them have visited Russian nuclear facilities in Moscow, Obninsk, Tomsk, and Voronezh. The competition was selected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) IAEA for its technical and practical using of social media for public communication and stakeholder involvement in nuclear programs. It has also been well featured in international and regional media.