University media have already reported that last September, on the sidelines of the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, KPI Rector Anatoliy Melnychenko signed a joint document with Rafael Grossi, Director General of this leading international organization on atomic energy, outlining practical agreements between the organization and the university regarding cooperation in the field of nuclear and physical safety and technologies, as well as the development of educational programs in these areas, etc. It should be added that during the conference, the rector also met with the heads of a number of international organizations in the field of nuclear energy, in particular the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS). And on February 16, a new meeting took place with one of WINS’ leaders—its Executive Director Lars van Dassen, who headed the World Institute’s delegation that visited Igor Sikorsky KPI that day.
The meeting began with a discussion of the cooperation between WINS and KPI within the framework of joint projects and its future prospects. And this is no coincidence, because in fact, the university’s cooperation—specifically that of its Educational and Scientific Institute of Nuclear and Thermal Power Engineering—did not begin in 2025, but earlier, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in educational and research activities at the end of January 2023. These intentions were eventually put into practice: in collaboration with KPI faculty, a training module on the safety of radioactive sources was translated into Ukrainian; three online cohort courses (i.e., online courses for group learning) with mentoring support for students and young professionals were launched; a Testing Center was set up at the IATE Institute to administer online exams for WINS Academy modules, etc.
However, the meeting participants—including KPI Rector Anatoliy Melnychenko, Vice Rector for International Cooperation Andriy Shysholin, Acting Director of the IATE Institute Olga Chernousenko, and others—focused primarily on the further development of Ukraine’s nuclear energy sector and the role of Igor Sikorsky KPI in this process. Of course, the discussion also covered improving the training of specialists for this sector at KPI and other Ukrainian universities, including, naturally, aspects of nuclear safety.
Given that Russia is waging a war of annihilation against our country, issues of ensuring energy and, above all, nuclear safety are extremely pressing.
The night of February 16, when this meeting took place, served as a stark reminder of this. “Even last night, Russia attacked part of Ukraine’s infrastructure with ‘Zircon’ hypersonic missiles,” the rector noted. He added: “Given that Ukraine currently has three nuclear power plants in addition to the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, nuclear safety issues require very serious attention—both in terms of technology and in terms of the new competencies of specialists being trained to work in the nuclear energy sector. And we are counting on your support in training these specialists."
The meeting participants also discussed in detail the prospects for the development of small modular reactors in Ukraine. Work on such projects is currently one of the main trends in the development of nuclear energy worldwide. However, they are still in the development, experimental, and licensing stages. Moreover, Lars van Dassen noted: “There are many companies around the world that want to develop and build such reactors. Do you know what they have in common? It’s that none of them wants to be the first. Everyone wants to be number two.” And it’s clear why: as long as there isn’t a single completed project in the world, the actual cost of building and launching such reactors will remain unclear. So potential investors don’t want to take the risk, since the cost of building such a relatively small plant—especially the first in the world—could be quite high. There are also some technological challenges remaining, which, however, experts believe are entirely solvable. And it is Ukraine that could be the first to lead the way, the WINS Executive Director is confident: “There is a country that fears nothing. It is not afraid to be number one. That is your country!" He also expressed the view that KPI, along with other universities, could become pioneers in the implementation of small modular reactors. Anatoliy Melnychenko and other participants in the discussion agreed with him, while expressing hope for support for the development of this field at the university from the World Institute for Nuclear Safety.
This was further reinforced by the information shared with the guests by Olga Chernousenko, who noted that small modular reactors could play a significant role in ensuring the viability and resilience of the domestic energy system and reminded everyone that Ukraine already has substantial experience in this area. Furthermore, she reported that Ukraine has accumulated sufficient reserves of spent fuel from large power plants, which can be used as fuel for small modular reactors and will be more than enough for a pilot project. In other words, everything necessary to launch such a project is already in place, including specialists—such as those from the IATE Research Institute—who are currently working on extending the operational life of the Khmelnitsky NPP and thus possess considerable experience in this type of work.
In addition, she noted that the IATE Institute is attempting to bring physical security experts from various institutions, including those affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
It is clear that the participants in the conversation repeatedly returned to various aspects of improving educational courses on nuclear safety.
"For Ukraine in wartime, the module on the security of radioactive sources is extremely important. And yes, this is only part of physical nuclear safety. But it is, perhaps, one of the most important. It is also significant for us to recognize our partners’ presence in all processes taking place not only within the country but also directly at the university as a hub where future professionals are trained,” noted Andriy Shysholin. “Since our last meeting, the university has deepened its cooperation with the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety. And it is very important to us that, with their support, relevant educational programs will be restored in accordance with the requirements set forth by them and Energoatom.” Andriy Shysholin also informed the guests that the World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development operates at KPI, serving as a powerful analytical center, and proposed involving WINS specialists in preparing a joint analytical review with KPI and the WDC on ensuring nuclear safety in the context of military conflicts – a proposal that Lars van Dassen readily accepted. The second part of the meeting took place at the premises of the IATE Institute. WINS representatives toured the Research Center for NPP Reliability and Safety – a multifunctional simulator of a VVER-1000 reactor unit, the equipment for which was provided to KPI in 2022 by Argonne National Laboratory with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, and which has been fully utilized in the educational process since early 2023.
In addition, Lars van Dassen familiarized himself with the work of the Educational and Scientific Center for Nuclear Security Support, which was established and opened with the support of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, concurrently with the presentation of the master’s degree program “Physical Protection, Accounting, and Control of Nuclear Materials.”
To conclude this part of the visit to KPI by the leadership of the World Institute for Nuclear Security, the official opening of the WINS Academy Test Center took place. The center features an autonomous power supply, soundproof booths, and modern equipment, and was established with the support of WINS and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM). This Center allows for the administration of exams for the WINS Academy’s certification module “Management of the Security of Radioactive Sources,” which covers the administrative and technical measures necessary to protect radioactive sources, mitigate threats, and minimize risks.
The Center began operating on a trial basis in December 2025, and five specialists have already taken exams there, but it was officially opened on February 16: following tradition, Lars van Dassen and Anatoliy Melnichenko cut the symbolic ribbon at its entrance.
Incidentally, as Olga Chernousenko explained, this Test Center will, if necessary, accept not only students from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, but also employees of NNK “Energoatom” and other institutions who have completed the relevant training. Just like the Research Center for Nuclear Power Plant Reliability and Safety and the Educational and Research Laboratory “Physical Nuclear Safety.”
“This meeting with one of the WINS leaders is part of positioning our university as a key institution of Ukrainian higher education that trains specialists for work in the nuclear energy sector,” said Rector Anatoliy Melnychenko, summarizing the results of this visit at the request of “Kyiv Polytechnic.” “And, of course, it was important for us to discuss new directions in energy development, particularly small modular reactors, certain modernizations of educational programs in the field of nuclear safety, and other issues.”