On 25th March, the University of Warsaw signed the memorandum of understanding with KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS), Pusan National University (PNU) and Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation (KNA). The agreement with South Korean institutions will result in the founding of a European training center of nuclear energy at the UW’s Faculty of Physics.

“In order to build a nuclear power sector in Poland, people with a solid educational background are needed. We have many talented students and doctoral candidates who can become experts in this field. This is possible thanks to the cooperation with Korean partners. I am grateful to scientists from the faculties of Physics, Chemistry and Oriental Studies and Korean universities for their openness, commitment and efforts to build mutual relations,” Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, the UW Rector, said during the ceremony of signing the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Collaborative Education Program.

“The founding of the Nuclear Collaboration Center at the UW will result in creating a hub, which will serve as a training center of Korean nuclear technology for the whole Europe. It is a great distinction but also an obligation because the Faculty of Physics will become the source of technological know-how,” Prof. Krzysztof Turzyński, the Vice-Dean for student affairs at the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, underlined.

Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Collaborative Education Program was signed by Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, the UW Rector, Ki-Pung Yoo, Ph.D., the President of KINGS, Jeong-In Cha, Ph.D., the President of PNU, and Min-Cheol Lee, the Vice-President of KNA.

Polish-Korean cooperation

The University of Warsaw has been educating specialists for the Polish nuclear sector since 2011. In the beginning, the offer at the UW included such programs as Nuclear Power Engineering and Nuclear Chemistry, which was followed by Radiopharmaceuticals and Nuclear Energy, and Radiogenomics. These programs were coordinated by the Faculty of Chemistry. Subsequently, in the program of Physics a specialization of Nuclear Reactors Physics was created. This year, the Faculty of Physics will start a three and a half years’ engineering program in the field of nuclear energy.

The UW has developed a didactic cooperation with KINGS university over the years. In July 2020, an agreement was reached to provide UW students with unique practical competences every year. “Thanks to this agreement, our students have semester-long stays in Ulsan, Korea, where KINGS is based. It is important to remember that we are talking about a university in the vicinity of which five nuclear reactors are located. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about physics and technologies directly at the source,” Prof. Krzysztof Turzyński emphasizes.

On 14th November 2022, the Memorandum of Understanding on Collaborative Academic Program on Nuclear Power Plant Engineering and Technology was signed between the University of Warsaw and KINGS. The agreement aims to enhance cooperation of the two universities on remote education. UW students can participate in online courses prepared by the Korean partner.

New program with FERS funding

The project University of Warsaw for Nuclear Energy. Creating a new program and remodeling existing educational pathways related to nuclear energy has received more than eight million zlotys of funding from the European Funds for Social Development 2021-2027 (FERS) programe.

The initiative will be coordinated by the Faculty of Physics and the project led by Prof. Krzysztof Turzyński and Prof. Agnieszka Korgul.

“The idea of creating the Nuclear Collaboration Center emerged during the South Korean President’s visit to Poland last year and his conversation with the Rector of the University of Warsaw. Together with Prof. Agnieszka Korgul, we prepared an application to the FERS program and received funding – more than PLN8 million – to launch a new course on nuclear energy. Almost PLN3.5 million will be earmarked for scholarships for students and the remuneration of student internships,” Prof Krzysztof Turzyński explained and added: “The internships will also be carried out in cooperation with national nuclear sector units, the National Centre for Nuclear Research, the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, the Radioactive Waste Neutralization Plant and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (EN: Polish Nuclear Power Plants).

The new study program will be created together with Korean partners. Furthermore, the specialization Nuclear Reactors Physics in the MA studies will be modified. Around 170 students will be supported, who will begin their studies between the 2024/2025 and 2028/2029 academic year.

The great value of the study programs under the project will be the involvement in their creation, and partly also in their implementation, of the extensive experience of the academic staff of the KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School. They specialize and apply their practical knowledge of reactors of the AP1000 and AP1400 type, i.e. those to be used in the nuclear power plants planned for construction in Poland,” Prof. Agnieszka Korgul, a co-creator and a deputy leader project, said.

“In addition to having the opportunity to go there for a semester, UW students will also be able to take part in summer schools. This will function as an intensified form of education. The schools provide unique contacts and expert knowledge. So far, they have been very successful,” Prof. Krzysztof Turzyński pointed out.

As part of the project, a science lab at the Faculty of Physics will be equipped with a new AmBe neutron source, which will enable a smooth implementation of high quality education. The equipment will be designed in a way that allows students to carry out individual laboratory exercises at the same time. The purchase will additionally make it possible to prepare new measuring stands.

The panoramic photo features representatives of the University of Warsaw and delegations from Korean universities and institutions, during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Collaborative Education Program.