Abdullah Al Mahmud, a Bangladeshi student, has been selected as one of 20 international winners of the prestigious global competition “The Icebreaker of Knowledge,” earning a rare opportunity to join a scientific expedition to the North Pole aboard Russia’s nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory).

The final round of the sixth edition of the international scientific and educational project was held at the Atom Museum in VDNKh, Moscow, with support from Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom.

The winning students will take part in the Arctic voyage in August 2025.

This year’s competition saw unprecedented participation, drawing nearly 4,000 students aged 14 to 16 from 20 countries. Bangladesh recorded the highest number of entries at 841, followed by India (492) and Kyrgyzstan (471).

The three-stage competition, launched on April 28, 2025, began with a science quiz, followed by webinars on Rosatom’s cutting-edge nuclear technologies and Arctic shipping innovations. Participants were then required to apply their knowledge and complete creative tasks.

In the final round, top-scoring students submitted video presentations proposing how nuclear technologies could benefit their home countries. An international jury evaluated the entries.

The upcoming Arctic expedition will commemorate two major milestones—80 years of Russia’s nuclear industry and 500 years since the exploration of the Northern Sea Route began. A total of 65 students, including winners of both Russian and international contests, will take part in the journey.

Organized by the Nuclear Energy Information Centers (NEIC) and supported by Rosatom, the Icebreaker of Knowledge initiative promotes interest in science and nuclear technologies among youth, supports gifted students, and fosters early career orientation.

Russia remains the only country in the world operating a nuclear icebreaker fleet. Managed by FSUE Atomflot, a subsidiary of Rosatom, the fleet currently includes eight nuclear-powered vessels.

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