Press release

UKAEA partners with EqualEngineers to mentor students

Three-year partnership will see United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) provide free mentoring to 75 university students from minority backgrounds

Applications now open to join the 'Pathways Programme' to be mentored by engineers from UKAEA's robotics division.

Leading engineers from UKAEA鈥檚 robotics division will embark on a three-year mentoring programme to inspire university students from underrepresented backgrounds to help make fusion energy part of the world鈥檚 future energy supply.

UKAEA鈥檚 partnership with EqualEngineers will connect 25 students per year with engineers from RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments) to provide invaluable guidance and advice for navigating a successful career.

Fusion energy has enormous potential to deliver safe, sustainable, low carbon energy for generations to come, but achieving this is a major technical challenge that involves working at the forefront of science, engineering, and technology.

Professor Rob Buckingham, UKAEA鈥檚 Executive Director of Robotics, Repurposing and Decommissioning, said:

鈥淓ngineering and technology will need to become more diverse and inclusive to help us solve the challenges in the delivery of sustainable fusion energy.

鈥淯KAEA is delighted to support the Pathways Programme and welcome students from underrepresented groups to join our team of leading engineers in cutting-edge research areas including mechanical engineering, electronics, and cybernetics. They will have the opportunity to learn about exciting projects in robotics and AI research and development.鈥�

Dr Mark McBride-Wright MBE, the Founder of EqualEngineers added: 鈥淲e are thrilled to have UKAEA join us in Cohort 4 of the programme, as their expertise and industry knowledge will undoubtedly contribute to the development and growth of aspiring engineers.鈥�

Applications now open to join the 鈥楶athways Programme鈥� which is free of charge and will start from November 2023. Applications should be submitted by 17.00, 13 October 2023. Please visit

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Published 6 July 2023