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On February 2, 2026, I2EN traveled to Slovenia for two days of high-level meetings with government officials, universities, research institutes, industry representatives and regulators, and presented its review of the new Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Maribor.
In a country of just over two million inhabitants, the debate on nuclear power is no longer theoretical. Slovenia is preparing to build a second reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant site, while extending the life of its existing plant. Behind the engineering and financing issues lies a more structural challenge: rapidly rebuilding, on a large scale, the human capital needed for a nuclear program that could shape the country’s energy mix for decades to come.
It was against this backdrop that an I2EN delegation visited Slovenia for a full day of high-level meetings with government officials, universities, research institutes, industry and regulators. The visit by I2EN Executive Director Dr Jan van der Lee and Expert Committee member Frédéric Plas marks a new phase in Franco-Slovenian cooperation on nuclear education and skills development.
The day was preceded by an exchange with Her Excellency Madame Fabienne Runyo, French Ambassador to Slovenia, who presented the regional and political context and provided active support to facilitate dialogue between Slovenian stakeholders and their French counterparts. In a field where institutional coordination is decisive, this diplomatic support is essential for structuring partnerships and maintaining momentum.
A national nuclear moment
The existing Krško power plant supplies over 20% of the country’s electricity. Plans for a second unit (JEK2) are moving forward, with key milestones fast approaching. According to State Secretary Danijel Levičar and Tomaž Nemec, representative of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy (MOPE), the aim is to select the reactor technology and supplier by 2028 and make the final investment decision in the same year. At the same time, the authorities are planning to extend the life of the current unit: at the end of 2023, the Krško NPP’s operating life had already been extended to 60 years. The operator has launched an assessment of the feasibility of a further extension to 80 years.
A dedicated government working group, headed by State Secretary Danijel Levičar and bringing together ministries, industry, research institutes and universities, was set up to coordinate preparatory activities related to the new project. The most pressing issue raised at every meeting was that of manpower capacity. Beyond the construction phase, the life extension of Krško alone, as well as the replacement of retiring staff, will require around 1,500 additional recruitments between now and 2032.
These figures underline the structural challenge: Slovenia must simultaneously maintain the operational excellence of its current plant, prepare for the licensing and construction of a new unit, and rebuild an ecosystem of engineers, technicians, regulators, legal experts and support staff. The national task force has launched a preliminary gap analysis, and the Jožef Stefan Institute is delivering a training program to “nuclearize” professionals from other sectors via short, targeted modules. However, the participants agreed that the scale of the challenge calls for a full academic curriculum.
Exporting a quality framework
In September 2024, two cooperation agreements were signed: one between EDF and the Jožef Stefan Institute on research and development, and the other between I2EN and the University of Maribor to support the creation of nuclear engineering degrees at the Faculty of Energy Technology in Krško.
The I2EN Label is a quality certificate certifying that a program meets rigorous academic standards while remaining aligned with the needs of industry. This dual requirement – scientific excellence and professional relevance – was at the heart of discussions in Slovenia. Since January 2025, the I2EN Expert Committee, made up of academics and industry specialists from all nuclear fields, has been assessing the alignment of the new Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Maribor with I2EN standards. The process has been iterative, with regular exchanges to translate abstract quality principles into concrete course structures. From the outset, the University of Maribor integrated I2EN criteria into the design of its program, rather than seeking accreditation at a later date. This approach, according to several participants, reduced development risks and ensured consistency.
The three-year Bachelor’s degree, scheduled for October 2027, targets 30 students a year and will be delivered in a new building under construction at the Krško Faculty of Energy Technology. Accreditation is underway according to updated Slovenian higher education rules, with the national quality agency informed. The first year lays the scientific foundations in mathematics, physics and chemistry, as well as programming and digital tools. The second year introduces reactor physics, radiation protection, safety culture, fuel cycle studies and materials science. The third year focuses on thermal-hydraulics, electrical systems, advanced modeling including Monte Carlo, and project management within a nuclear regulatory framework. Sustainability and life cycle assessment are integrated throughout the curriculum.
The program is designed as a springboard to a Master’s degree and doctoral research. Discussions are underway with French institutions such as IMT Atlantique and Mines Paris for cooperation at Master’s level and possible double degrees. Collaboration with the University of Ljubljana, notably via the SARENA master’s program, is also envisaged to ensure national coherence and a multidisciplinary dimension.
I2EN Seal candidate status
At the end of the evaluation, the I2EN Expert Committee expressed a “very positive” opinion of the Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering offered by the University of Maribor. The program was deemed credible, timely and strategically aligned with Slovenian national objectives and international standards.
As a result, the I2EN has awarded the program ” Label I2EN candidate status “.
This distinction does not constitute the full Label. It certifies that the program has been designed according to I2EN quality principles, and that all essential components are in place to meet current and future industry needs. The full labeling process – requiring at least two years of implementation, detailed examination of syllabi and feedback from students and teachers – can be launched after the first classes.
In practical terms, candidate status sends a strong signal to potential students, industrial partners and public authorities. It indicates that the program is aligned with international standards and is part of a wider network of academic and industrial cooperation. For Slovenia, it represents a first step towards positioning Maribor as a regional hub for nuclear training in Central Europe.
Regulators and governance: doubling capacity
The delegation also met with the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) and the radioactive waste agency ARAO. Here again, human resources dominated the agenda. With 43 employees today, the SNSA expects to reach 66 by 2030 to manage life extension reviews and the licensing of the new reactor. The urgency of the situation is accentuated by the ageing of the current workforce.
SNSA and ARAO both expressed an interest in French recruitment and training methodologies, particularly those of ASNR and Andra. I2EN offered to facilitate the exchange of best practices between Slovenian and French authorities, extending cooperation beyond the academic sphere.
Both SNSA and ARAO expressed interest in French recruitment and training methodologies, particularly those of ASNR and Andra. I2EN offered to facilitate exchanges of best practices between Slovenian and French authorities, extending cooperation beyond academia to the regulatory sphere.
If the BSc program at the University of Maribor successfully launches in 2027 and evolves toward a full License-Master-Doctorate track, the country will have laid one of the essential foundations for its nuclear future. The attribution of I2EN Seal Candidate Status is not the end of a process but the formal recognition that this foundation is structurally sound-and that the next phase, implementation at scale, can begin.
Conclusions
Slovenia’s nuclear program is based on a solid technical and industrial foundation (GEN Energija and the Krško power plant), which has now been reinforced by political support. Today, the challenge is systemic: legislation, financing, public acceptance and, above all, skills must converge. The I2EN delegation’s visit demonstrated that building new reactors is as much an educational and institutional project as an industrial one. By integrating international quality standards into the creation of a new academic pathway, Slovenia is anticipating the skills bottleneck that has held back other nuclear programs.
If the University of Maribor’s Bachelor’s program is successfully launched in 2027 and evolves into a full Bachelor’s-Master’s-Doctorate program, the country will have laid one of the essential foundations for its nuclear future. The awarding of candidate status to the I2EN Seal is not an end in itself, but the formal recognition that this foundation is solid, and that the next phase – full-scale implementation – can begin.