Izere was among high school students from 22 countries who took part in the seventh edition of the Icebreaker of Knowledge scientific and educational expedition, which returned to Murmansk, a city in northwestern Russia on August 13.
The expedition travelled from Murmansk to the North Pole and Franz Josef Land before returning to Murmansk. Rosatom said the voyage also marked the 200th expedition by a surface vessel to reach the North Pole.
For Izere, the journey provided an opportunity to experience the Arctic firsthand, meet students from different countries and see how science and technology are applied beyond the classroom.
“Reaching the North Pole was an experience I will never forget. Seeing the endless ice and snow with my own eyes made me realise how much of our planet remains to be explored,” Louise said.
“I was especially proud to make this journey representing Rwanda. The expedition showed me that science can take you to places you once thought were impossibly far away, and it has inspired me to dream even bigger about my future.”
The expedition included a scientific and educational programme designed to expose participants to advanced technologies and scientific research.
Among the activities was an aerospace laboratory aboard the nuclear-powered vessel. Working with scientists, participants conducted experiments including the launch of a radiosonde, which can provide information and support communication in hard-to-reach areas of the Arctic and along the Northern Sea Route.
They also took part in testing what Rosatom described as the world’s first recoverable stratospheric platform.
The captain of 50 Let Pobedy, Ruslan Sasov, said the expedition was intended to inspire the next generation by giving young people an opportunity to experience places and technologies they may otherwise only encounter in books or classrooms.
“The brightest and most talented young people join the expedition,” Sasov said, adding that many participants had dreamed of visiting the North Pole and seeing polar bears.
On the day the expedition reached the North Pole, participants also held what Rosatom described as the northernmost and most international circle dance around the 90-degree point.
Yegor Plakhotnyuk, an expert on the Icebreaker of Knowledge expedition and project manager at Rosatom’s Research Institute of Technical Physics and Automation, said the programme was designed to give young people direct exposure to technologies they might otherwise encounter only in theory.
“At Rosatom, we work every day on things that seemed like science fiction just yesterday. That’s why it’s especially important for us to show this to the kids in person,” he said.
The programme brought together students aged 14 to 16 and aims to promote interest in natural sciences and nuclear technologies, while identifying talented young people and providing career guidance.
About 5,000 students from 22 countries competed for places in this year’s expedition. The selection process included a science quiz, webinars led by nuclear industry experts and a final round in which participants presented projects on how nuclear technologies are changing the world.
The expedition is also part of broader cooperation between Rwanda and Rosatom in nuclear education and human-resource development.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in 2019. Rosatom said 18 graduates of Russian universities with nuclear-related qualifications are currently employed in Rwanda’s nuclear and related organisations, while nine Rwandan students graduated from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI in 2025.
For the 2026/27 academic year, Rosatom has allocated 20 places for Rwandan students to study nuclear and related fields at Russian universities.
More than 470 students have participated in Rosatom’s Icebreaker of Knowledge Arctic expeditions over seven seasons.
Russia operates the world’s only nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, with eight such vessels currently operated by FSUE Atomflot, a Rosatom enterprise.
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