Central Asian Schoolgirls Earn Spots on a North Pole Expedition
Schoolgirls from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are among the winners of the international educational project Icebreaker of Knowledge 2026.
In August, the winners will embark on an expedition to the geographic North Pole aboard the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory).
Central Asia will be represented by Anna Ragozina (Kazakhstan), Meerim Turdumakhamatova (Kyrgyzstan), and Ezoza Beshimjanova (Uzbekistan).
The international competition was open to school students aged 14 to 16.
The selection process consisted of three stages. After completing a science quiz and a series of educational webinars, the participants with the highest scores in each country advanced to the final round. There, the ten finalists from each country presented creative projects on the theme "How Are Nuclear Technologies Changing the World Today?". The international jury evaluated not only their knowledge of the subject, but also the originality of their ideas, the strength of their arguments, and the quality of their presentations before selecting one winner from each participating country.
The expedition will depart from Murmansk and last ten days. During the voyage, participants will reach the geographic North Pole and take part in an educational programme focused on Arctic research, advanced technologies, and nuclear energy.
For Central Asia, participation in the project is becoming a tradition. In 2025, the region's winners were Lidiya Ossennikova (Kazakhstan), Bermet Usenova (Kyrgyzstan), and Alina Chembaeva (Uzbekistan). For the second consecutive year, school students from the region have earned the opportunity to join one of the world's most unique science and education expeditions.
Kazakhstan once again showed the highest level of participation. According to the organisers, school students from the country submitted 945 applications for the 2026 competition – the highest number among all participating countries.
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