On January 15-16, 2025, an international conference “Small nuclear reactors as a catalyst for change” was held in Warsaw, organized by the Association of the Institute of National Economy. The Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School was a substantive partner of the event.
The conference was attended by prominent scientists, specialists in the energy industry and representatives of the economic sector. The topics of the event focused on innovative nuclear technologies, particularly the role of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in the energy transition and their impact on the economy and the environment.
International experience in energy development
The conference was officially opened by SGMK Rector, Prof. Gertruda Uścińska. The opening session and the rest of the first day featured speeches by prominent experts, including Prof. Keung Koo Kim of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS), Pawel Turowski, a security expert, and Albert Borowiecki of the Institute for Contemporary China Studies.
A key highlight of the event was a debate “Lessons from abroad – how Poland can take advantage of the global experience of energy development”, attended by Dr. Agnieszka Korgul, Prof. UW, Jacek Reginia-Zacharski, Prof. UŁ, Paweł Turowski, security expert, and Karol Wenus, Vice President of the Responsible Energy Transformation Association.
The speakers discussed best practices related to the implementation of SMR and their potential adaptation in the Polish context.
Dr. Agnieszka Boettcher of the National Center for Nuclear Research, Prof. Yochanan Shachmurove of the City College of New York/SGKM and Prof. Fabrizio Giulimondi of SGMK also participated in the discussion.
The first day ended with a networking session, which provided an opportunity for participants to establish new relationships and exchange knowledge with the representatives of the industry and the scientific community.
The future of the energy industry
On the second day of the conference, the speakers included: Marcin Chludziński, an economic expert, Prof. Zbigniew Krysiak, PhD, of the Schuman Thought Institute/Copernican Academy, and Prof. Arkadiusz Adamczyk, PhD, of Jan Kochanowski University.
The debate entitled “Small nuclear reactors as a catalyst for change: opportunities and threats” dealt focused on key challenges in the development of SMR technology in Poland and around the world and its impact on the future of the energy industry. It was attended by Prof. Gertruda Uścińska, Rector of SGMK, Prof. Zbigniew Krysiak, Schuman Thought Institute/Copernican Academy, and Prof.Wacław Gudowski of the National Center for Nuclear Research.
During the second day, lectures were also given by Prof. Wacław Gudowski from the National Center for Nuclear Research and OSGE, and Dr. Renata Stefaniuk, SGMK.
The conference was co-financed by funds from the state budget granted by the Minister of Education and Science under the “Excellent Science II” program.
