FUW students visit Brno – learning nuclear energy in practice

Between 19 and 21 October 2025, students of the nuclear Energy programme and the nuclear reactor physics specialization (physics programme) at the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, accompanied by professor Agnieszka Korgul, took part in an educational trip to Brno. The purpose of the visit was to familiarize students with research infrastructure and the practical aspects of radioactive waste management in the Czech Republic – a country with a well-developed nuclear energy sector.

The visit began at the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, where the participants attended a show about the city of Brno and astronomy, and observed a cloud chamber demonstration.

The next stop was the surface repository for radioactive waste in Dukovany, located within the complex of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant. The facility covers an area of 1.3 hectares and consists of concrete vaults designed for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated during the operation of the Czech nuclear power plants in Dukovany and Temelín. The repository has been in operation since 1995 and is the newest of the three repositories currently operating in the Czech Republic. Students also had the opportunity to view the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant from the outside.

The final stage of the trip included a visit to the Bukov II Underground Research Laboratory, managed by the Czech Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (SÚRAO) in cooperation with the state enterprise DIAMO. The laboratory is located about 500 metres below the surface, in the area of the former Rožná I uranium mine. The facility consists of a system of corridors up to 95 metres long and 13 experimental chambers. Bukov II serves as an important research centre for the development of the future Czech deep geological repository for radioactive waste.

The study visit to Brno provided students with an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the safe handling of radioactive waste and to learn about the infrastructure supporting the Czech radioactive waste management system. The trip was organized with financial support from the project “University of Warsaw for Nuclear Energy: Creation of a New Degree Programme and Modernization of Existing Educational Paths Related to Nuclear Energy”, implemented under the European Funds for Social Development (FERS) 2021–2027 programme. The project supports the development of academic staff and the adaptation of educational programmes to meet the needs of the energy transition based on nuclear technology.

The Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, has long-standing experience in training specialists for the nuclear industry. Currently, FUW offers undergraduate studies in Nuclear Energy and a specialization in Nuclear Reactor Physics within the Physics programme. These study paths are conducted in collaboration with universities renowned for their expertise in nuclear education, including KINGS KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (South Korea), Czech Technical University in Prague, and the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava.