USUST joined the discussion on the development of nuclear energy in Ukraine

On May 12, 2026, researchers of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies took part in the round table ‘The Prospective Role of Dnipropetrovsk Region in the Development of Nuclear Energy in Ukraine’.
 
The event was organized by the Ukrainian Nuclear Society and the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, with the support of JSC NNEGC Energoatom, the Dnipropetrovsk Association of Local Self-Government Bodies, the Federation of Employers’ Organizations of Dnipropetrovsk Region, and the Ukrainian Nuclear Forum Association.
 
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Yevhenii Marchenko, advisor to the Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council; Pavlo Kovtoniuk, acting Chairman of the Management Board of JSC NNEGC ‘Energoatom’; Volodymyr Kholosha, President of the NGO ‘Ukrainian Nuclear Society’; Viktor Serhieiev, Head of the Federation of Employers of Dnipropetrovsk Region; and Yurii Proidak, Vice-Rector for Research of USUST.
 
In his speech, Professor Yurii Proidak noted that the university and its educational and scientific institutes are actively carrying out research in the field of nuclear energy, students take part in conferences and summer nuclear schools, contributing to the development of strong human resources potential for the industry.
 
The round table was moderated by a representative of USUST – Vitalii Zahilskyi, head of the Dnipro branch of the NGO ‘Ukrainian Nuclear Society’ and Acting Director of the Research Institute ‘Innovative Energy’ of the Scientific Center for Innovative Materials and Technologies of USUST.
 
The university was represented by a broad delegation of researchers, including:
  • Anatolii Radkevych, First Vice-Rector of USUST, Professor;
  • Yurii Proidak, Vice-Rector for Research of USUST, Professor;
  • Vladyslav Danishevskyi, Director of the SEI ‘Prydniprovska State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture’, USUST, Professor;
  • Vira Vakhrusheva, Professor of the Department of Materials Science and Materials Processing of USUST;
  • Yuliia Polishchuk, Director of the Scientific Center for Innovative Materials and Technologies of USUST;
  • Vladyslav Kovba, Associate Professor of the Department of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics of USUST, head of the educational and professional program ‘Construction and Operation of Nuclear and Thermal Power Facilities’, and Deputy Head of the Dnipro branch of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society.
  • Serhii Pereiaslavets, Head of the Laboratory for Research of Nuclear and Thermal Power Plants at USUST;
  • Vitalii Zahilskyi, Head of the Dnipro branch of the NGO ‘Ukrainian Nuclear Society’, Acting Director of the Research Institute ‘Innovative Energy’ of the Scientific Center for Innovative Materials and Technologies of USUST, and Associate Professor of the Department of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics.
The participants discussed prospects for the development of nuclear energy in Ukraine, the involvement of scientific institutions in the implementation of sectoral projects, the training of engineering personnel, the development of materials science, and industrial cooperation. Special attention was paid to the completion of power units at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), the formation of production chains involving enterprises of Dnipropetrovsk Region, and the role of regional science and education in introducing new energy technologies.
 
First Vice-Rector of USUST, Professor Anatolii Radkevych, emphasized the university’s strategic role in training engineering personnel for the nuclear energy sector. He highlighted USUST’s long-standing cooperation with JSC NNEGC ‘Energoatom’ and the NGO ‘Ukrainian Nuclear Society’, the availability of more than 200 educational programs, modern practical training for students, and the university’s participation in international and sectoral projects.
 
Director of the SEI ‘PSACEA’ of USUST, Professor Vladyslav Danishevskyi, focused on the academy’s long-term cooperation with JSC NNEGC ‘Energoatom’, which is based on strong scientific and technical developments. He spoke about the activities of the Laboratory for Research of Nuclear and Thermal Power Plants, which performs unique work on assessing the technical condition, durability, and safe operation of energy facilities, including all operating nuclear power plants in Ukraine and the Chornobyl NPP ‘Shelter’ object.
 
USUST Professor Vira Vakhrusheva presented the experience of researchers from the SEI ‘Dnipro Metallurgical Institute’  in developing tubes and claddings for fuel elements made of zirconium alloys for nuclear fuel assemblies. She emphasized the strategic importance of developing Ukraine’s own technologies and production of zirconium materials for VVER-type reactors as a component of the country’s energy independence.
 
Representatives of  NNEGC ‘Energoatom’ JSC, ‘Ukrainian Nuclear Society’ NGO, the Prydniprovskyi Scientific Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, as well as specialized enterprises and scientific organizations of the region, also took part in the discussion.
Following the meeting, the participants unanimously supported a resolution providing for the establishment of a working group on the development of nuclear energy in the region, the formation of a list of enterprises and scientific institutions to participate in promising nuclear projects, the strengthening of cooperation between government, business, and science, the improvement of the regulatory framework, and further expert consideration of the implementation of small modular reactors in Ukraine.
 
Today, the development of nuclear energy is viewed not only as a matter of power generation, but also as a component of the country’s technological independence, scientific and industrial development, and the training of a new generation of engineers. USUST is consistently strengthening its role in shaping the professional agenda of the sector by combining its educational, scientific, and practical potential for the future energy development of Ukraine.

More photos are available via the link.