Skip to content 
From Shared Ambitions to Concrete Cooperation: On October 19 in Bratislava, I2EN and the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic signed a memorandum of understanding focused on education, training, and the development of nuclear skills. This five-year cooperation framework opens up opportunities for students, researchers, and professionals by bringing together French and Slovak expertise to develop the skills of tomorrow.
During Minister Tomáš Drucker’s visit to I2EN last June, discussions centered on a simple question: Who will bring our renewed nuclear ambitions to life? Four months later, this discussion has taken its first concrete step forward with the signing of a cooperation agreement.The protocol was signed by Jan van der Lee, Executive Director of I2EN, and Róbert Zsembera, State Secretary for Higher Education and Academic Research, and the Slovak government’s plenipotentiary for human resources development in the nuclear sector. Established with the support of the French Embassy in Bratislava, it sets up a framework for collaboration to better align education and training with the sector’s needs.
This partnership is built on a long-standing relationship. Since 2009, the annual nuclear schools—which bring together French, Czech, and Slovak partners—have gathered students, researchers, and industry experts. Held in Pilsen in February 2026, the 11th winter school continued this momentum by combining technical instruction, industrial tours, and international exchanges.
Connecting classrooms, laboratories, and industry
The agreement covers higher education—from curriculum development to faculty support—as well as vocational training. It paves the way for student and researcher exchanges, internships at I2EN partner institutions, joint research projects, and access to scientific and technical facilities. Joint programs, including dual-degree programs, are also among the areas for cooperation.
“Our goal is to make Slovak universities among the most attractive destinations in Europe for nuclear studies,” said Róbert Zsembera. “Cooperation with I2EN will help us strengthen our programs, benefit from French expertise, and broaden the horizons of students and professionals.”
“Our goal is simple and clear: to prepare professionals for the jobs of tomorrow,” emphasized Jan van der Lee during the signing ceremony.
Identifying skills needs will help guide these activities. Cooperation covers facility operation, nuclear safety oversight, decommissioning, radioactive waste management, and radiation protection. The goal is to match the needs of these various fields with the institutions capable of meeting them. Slovakia brings to this partnership strong universities and an experienced nuclear industry. I2EN mobilizes French public institutions, higher education institutions, research organizations, and industrial partners to transform their complementary expertise into opportunities for cooperation. The agreement also contributes to the objectives of Slovakia’s national action plan for nuclear human resources and is part of the 2023–2027 Franco-Slovak Strategic Partnership Action Plan.
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
This commitment to collaboration has also been put into practice. On the day of the signing, Jan van der Lee and Thibaud Reysset, project director at I2EN, were welcomed by Prof. Vladimír Kutiš, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (FEI STU), Dr. Peter Bokes, head of the Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Physics, and Branislav Vrban, Associate Professor. Discussions focused on student mobility to France and the possibility of organizing a summer school with French experts. These initiatives support the development of a new curriculum dedicated to nuclear energy and build on the faculty’s existing ties with Framatome.
Passing on expertise and preparing the next generation of European nuclear professionals
The challenge goes beyond recruiting for new projects. It is also essential to ensure the next generation of professionals to replace those retiring, to pass on the experience gained in the field, and to preserve expertise accumulated over several decades. For France and Slovakia, both members of the European Nuclear Alliance, this initiative embodies a European ambition. Engineers, technicians, researchers, and nuclear regulatory officials must be able to learn together and forge professional ties across borders. These exchanges can also strengthen the supply chain while making careers in the nuclear sector more attractive.
The next step is to define the activities, partners, and resources required, with specific agreements to be established for each project. A nuclear training program scheduled to take place in Slovakia in February 2027 offers an initial opportunity to put this partnership into action. The framework is now in place: it is up to us to bring it to life through shared learning, hands-on experience, and lasting professional relationships.