Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering (Russian: Обнинский институт атомной энергетики, traditionally abbreviated ИАТЭ) is an institution of higher education located in Obninsk. It began as a branch of the Moscow Engineering and Physics Institute in 1953 to provide specialists in the field of nuclear physics, reactor physics and reactor engineering for growing nuclear industry of the former Soviet Union. The education was provided in a close cooperation with nuclear relating research institutions located in Obninsk. In 1985 the status was changed for Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering to be the leading educational institution to train specialists for rapidly developing nuclear power in the former Soviet Bloc countries. In 2002 it acquired the status of the state technical university. In 2002-2009 it functioned as the Obninsk State Technical University for Nuclear Power Engineering. (Russian: Обнинский государственный технический университет атомной энергетики). In 2009 the Obninsk State Technical University for Nuclear Power Engineering was incorporated into the MEPhI National Research Nuclear University.