Fifth Summer School on Nuclear Safety: New Knowledge, New Perspectives
The specialized training course for students of Ukrainian specialized universities Ukraine Summer Internship Argonne National Laboratory Program 2025 has come to an end. The Project was implemented at the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety initiated by Argonne National Laboratory and funded by the U.S. Department of State.
For the fifth year in a row, the Program has brought together the best students obtaining professions in engineering specialties. This year, the organizers scaled up the program and selected 25 students from 10 universities of Ukraine, while also expanding the specializations of the selected participants.
“We have significantly expanded the list of specialties and universities invited to participate in the Project. The students represent a wide range of fields: from nuclear and thermal power to renewable energy, hydropower, and hybrid systems (electricity, turbine technologies). This approach has allowed us bringing together within the course both the knowledge of nuclear experts and those involved in nuclear generation.”
“Today, it is clear that the power system must be decentralized with a focus on small-scale generation. In the context of developing small modular reactors (SMRs), there is a need to integrate different types of generation. That is why we are already starting to train young experts capable of working in the hybrid energy systems of the future,” said the Program Manager and SSTC NRS Press Secretary Tetiana Verbytska.
Over the course of three weeks of training, the participants immersed themselves in the world of cutting-edge nuclear technologies actively being developed in the United States, reinforced their knowledge through practical exercises and discussions, and worked in teams on group projects together with their mentors. Each student demonstrated strong motivation and keen interest in the lectures. According to the students’ feedback, the Program exceeded their expectations in both the intensity and the depth of its training modules — the lectures covered both fundamental concepts and modern technological solutions in the field of nuclear energy.
In addition to lectures by Ukrainian experts, the course participants attended a series of lectures by Argonne National Laboratory expert Roger Blomquist dedicated to the development of small modular reactors (SMRs). They became acquainted with modern nuclear technologies: from small modular and microreactor projects to principles of passive safety, water-cooled and non-water-cooled technologies, as well as the current state of SMR development.
The technical visit to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and ChNPP proved to be engaging, intensive, and informative. The students had a unique opportunity to see firsthand the site of one of the largest man-made disasters in human history and to learn more about the events of 1986, their causes and the long-term consequences for Ukraine and the world.
Particularly valuable was the opportunity to interact with experts currently working at the facility. They shared their experience, described ChNPP current state, decommissioning processes, management of radioactive materials and safety measures. The students received comprehensive answers to their questions, which allowed them gaining a better understanding of the complexity and importance of work in nuclear energy, as well as the role of the Chornobyl disaster in shaping the modern safety culture in the industry.
At the conclusion of the three-week training, the students presented group final efforts in the following areas: modern approaches to enhance safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants; assessing the suitability of small modular reactors (SMRs) for replacing coal-fired generation; advanced fuel for PWR-type SMRs; defense in depth concept for SMRs; and application of proven technologies for the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel assemblies from full-scale reactors to SMRs. All efforts were highly praised by the program mentors, and the students received certificates confirming the successful completion of the training.
“We have conducted truly thorough work together, which allowed deepening our knowledge and open new horizons in understanding modern energy. The Program was filled with a variety of lectures and practical sessions.
This course has the potential to become a reference point for you in choosing your professional path. I sincerely hope that the Argonne National Laboratory course has not only given you a new knowledge but also helped you in making a conscious choice of your area of activity in the energy sector.
Ukraine has a strong scientific and technical foundation, especially in the field of safety analysis research. Therefore, dear colleagues, the energy sector needs young and motivated experts and it is waiting for you,” the mentor and Head of SSTC NRS Neutronic Processes Department Yurii Ovdiienko greeted the students on the completion of the course.