Following the tradition of previous years, Ministry of Energy and NCBJ in cooperation with the Faculty of Physics of Warsaw University and State Enterprise Radioactive Waste Management Plant organize 9th International School on Nuclear Power, which will take place in Warsaw, in Swierk and Rozan on November 14-17, 2017. The School will deal with the problems of the future of nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle, influence of low radiation doses on human health, management of radioactive waste, safety issues in III generation nuclear power plants and nuclear power application for propulsion of the rockets going to Mars.

Similarly as in the previous years the majority of lectures will be presented by international experts from many countries. They will share with the listeners their real expert knowledge in chosen areas, especially interesting for Polish community at the present stage of development of Polish Program of Nuclear Power. The lectures will be presented mainly in English, but with competent simultaneous interpretation in Polish.

Experts from abroad include:

• Dr. H-Holger Rogner, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (Austria). Between 1997 and 2012 Head of the Economic Planning and Studies section in International Atomic Energy Agency (Austria), where he directed the „Capacity Building and Nuclear Knowledge Maintenance for Sustainable Energy Development” programme.
• Dr. Mohan Doss, M.D., Chairman of the Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information (SARI) NGO and leading physician in Fox Chase Cancer Centre in the USA. Author of a number of papers on a need to revise radiation protection regulations to take into account the beneficial influence of low radiation doses.
• Dr. Grzegorz Rzentkowski, Director, Division of Nuclear Installation Safety, International Atomic Energy Agency (Austria).
• Ms. Zara Hodgson, National Nuclear Laboratory (UK), involved in development of nuclear-power propulsion systems for space rockets.
• Dr. U. H. Straube, M.D., European Space Agency, space medicine expert.
• Andrei Goicea, the FORATOM international organization.
• Magnus Mori, Marketing and Sales Manager in URENCO, globally the largest manufacturer of nuclear fuel.

Lectures to be given by attendees from nuclear industry sector (China General Nuclear Power Corporation, EDF, General Electric Hitachi, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, SNC-Lavalin, Westinghouse) will be addressing basic issues concerning safety of the nuclear power plant to be constructed in Poland. Each lecture will be focussed on key issues for the type of reactors offered by the given manufacturer.

It is hoped that the „Direction: Mars” session will be an exceptional attraction of this year edition of the School. Ms. Zara Hodgson from National Nuclear Laboratory (UK) will be talking on possibility of using nuclear power to propel space rockets. Dr. U. H. Straube, M.D., European Space Agency space medicine expert, will present methods to protect astronauts travelling through space and/or working on board of the International Space Station against ionizing radiation, as well as will outline potential health hazards during travel to Mars and stay on that planet.

Polish highly-competent lecturers that will address listeners of the opening session include:

• Dr Józef Sobolewski, Director of Nuclear Energy Department in Polish Ministry of Energy, will outline current status and perspectives of the Polish Nuclear Energy Program.
• Krzysztof Sadłowski, President of the PGE EJ1 company, will present environmental studies for the first Polish nuclear power plant and will outline preparations made to announce a tender to construct the plant.
• Zbigniew Uszyński from Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne S.A. (Polish Power Grids) company will discuss topics related to integration of the nuclear power plant with the national power system.

This year marks 150^th anniversary of Maria Curie-Skłodowska's birthday. On that occasion Professor Andrzej K. Wróblewski (Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw), author of the “Historia Fizyki” (History of Physics) book, will talk about our famous winner of two Nobel Prizes.

The two experts from NCBJ include Professors Grzegorz Wrochna and Andrzej Strupczewski. The former will talk on the role of high temperature reactors (HTR) in the strategy to implement nuclear power in Poland. The latter will talk on spent fuel processing and will compare cost-effectiveness of nuclear power plants and sea wind farms.

Ms. Aneta Korczyc from Division of Radioactive Waste Disposal will discuss safety issues for the planned location of the central repository of low- and medium-activity nuclear waste.

9^th International School on Nuclear Power is targeted at high-school teachers/students, personnel of government agencies/local authorities/public administration institutions/uniformed services/nuclear power plant investor, people from companies/universities/research institutes engaged in the programme to develop the first nuclear power plant in Poland, as well as at all other persons interested in the subject.

The School will take four days. Two days will be devoted to lectures presented to all attendees. Besides, two rounds of workshops will be organized, each for two groups. The workshops will be held on NCBJ premises in Świerk (the MARIA research reactor and some research labs), State Enterprise Radioactive Waste Management Plant premises in Świerk, and National Nuclear Waste Repository premises in Różan.

Technical meeting of the VISE (Visegrad Initiative for Nuclear Cooperation) project partners will be held on November 17. Lectures during that specialised workshop will be given in English only without any translation to Polish. The to-be-covered topics are related to development of the HTR technology.
The lecture part of the School will be organized by Ministry of Energy and NCBJ at premises of the University of Warsaw Biological and Chemical Research Centre (the Ochota campus of the University).

NCBJ partners include China General Nuclear Corporation, EDF, General Electric Hitachi, IRtech, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne S.A., SNC-Lavalin, URENCO, and Westinghouse. Their support made possible to organize two workshop days in Świerk and Różan.

The International School on Nuclear Power event is an element of the promotional campaign conducted by NCBJ and Ministry of Energy to educate society on various topics related to development/construction/operation of nuclear power plants and their impact on national economy and environment. In particular, topics related to the first nuclear power plant planned in Poland will be scrutinized.

All interested are invited to participate. See www.szkola-ej.pl for detailed information on the School. You may apply on-line.