Head of the National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute" Mikhail Kovalchuk took part in the "Inventing the Future" Symposium

On November 4, as part of the International Symposium "Inventing the Future" at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow, a series of interviews commenced featuring well-known figures in science and culture. One of the participants of the Symposium, Head of the National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", physicist, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Kovalchuk, spoke about the development of nuclear energy and the ways to start a career in science.

"Any capable and developed person is equally predisposed to any type of activity. In this sense, any capable person can engage in anything; they are always harmonious. Then something acts as a catalyst that directs you in one direction or another," emphasized Mikhail Kovalchuk in a conversation with member of the Council Federation for Culture and Arts under the President of the Russian and rector of the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg State Academy of Fine Arts Semyon Mikhailovsky.

Reflecting on the future in an open dialogue, the head of the Kurchatov Institute reminded that Russia has always held leading positions in key areas.

"We have always been the first. Today, we find ourselves in a situation where we must look around and properly choose priorities to become first again, while preserving all our basic principles and competencies. We have all the opportunities and data for this," he added.

Mikhail Kovalchuk also shared insights on how young people can start their professional paths in science.

"For young people, it is crucial to understand that the choice today must be the right one. People often ask — what are the scientific priorities? I will answer: for hundreds of years, scientific priorities have been the same. For instance, you are an artist; you’ve imagined something, a painting appears in your mind. But for that painting to become a treasure of society — you need to materialize it, which means you need an easel, paints, brushes. In other words, it is a material matter. This applies to composers, writers, and poets as well. Material is always a priority. But to create material, you need energy. So energy and matter are the two main materials that are always present in civilization. When I explained this to the President of the Russian Federation, he asked: 'What about the soul?' Well, the soul and intellect are the third and most important priority," summarized Mikhail Kovalchuk.

The International Symposium "Inventing the Future" is being held from November 4 to 6. Its participants include scientists, researchers, futurists, science fiction writers, and representatives from government bodies from 101 countries, including Russia, India, Italy, Iran, China, the UAE, Serbia, the USA, and France. The program features over 60 sessions across four tracks: "Future of Human," "Future of Technology," "Future of Multipolar World," and "Future of Civilizations." The program and event broadcasts are available at the website future.russia.ru.

The International Symposium "Inventing the Future" is the first event of the National Centre RUSSIA, which was established on July 1, 2024, by the order of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The Centre aims to preserve the legacy of the International RUSSIA EXPO and showcase the achievements of the country and its citizens. The work of the Centre involves federal authorities, state companies, corporations, and regions.