Namibian learner joins international expedition to the North Pole aboard nuclear icebreaker

Staff Reporter

A NAMIBIAN learner has embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime scientific expedition to the North Pole after being selected from nearly 5 000 candidates across 22 countries to take part in Rosatom’s 2026 Icebreaker of Knowledge programme aboard the Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.

The expedition departed from Murmansk, Russia, and will take participants on a 10-day voyage to the North Pole and Franz Josef Land before returning to Murmansk. During the journey, students will explore the Arctic environment, observe the operation of a nuclear-powered icebreaker and learn about the role of nuclear technology in Arctic navigation and scientific research.

Namibia is represented by Tironenn Amutenya Kadhikwa, who secured a place on the international expedition after progressing through a competitive three-stage selection process that included a science quiz, expert webinars and a final presentation on the theme, “How Nuclear Technologies Are Changing the World Today.”