15.06.2026
From 10 to 12 June, the annual conference “Bulgarian Nuclear Energy – National, Regional and Global Security”, organized by the Bulgarian Atomic Forum (BULATOM), was held at Riviera Holiday Club.
At the invitation and with the sponsorship of the organizers, a group of 19 students from Sofia University participated in the conference under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Plamen Petkov from the Faculty of Physics. The participants represented three faculties of Sofia University – the Faculty of Physics, the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
The Faculty of Physics was represented by second-year undergraduate students enrolled in the Nuclear Engineering and Nuclear Power programme. The Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy was represented by second-year students from the Nuclear Chemistry programme. The Faculty of Economics and Business Administration was represented by second-year master's students from the Nuclear Technologies, Management and Innovation programme. The group also included two 11th-grade students from Uwekind Private School, who have a strong interest in physics and energy.
Traditionally, the first day of the conference was dedicated to welcome addresses and greetings from representatives of government institutions, businesses, and professional organizations. A greeting address from the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Iliyana Yotova was read to the participants.
During the second day, the plenary sessions featured technical and business presentations on the decommissioning of VVER-440 reactors, the management of radioactive waste in the Republic of Bulgaria, and the progress of the project for the construction of Units 7 and 8 of “Kozloduy” Nuclear Power Plant using Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology.
As every year, the third day was devoted to workforce development in the energy sector. A special panel was organized during which representatives of Westinghouse—the designer of the technology for Units 7 and 8 of “Kozloduy” NPP—and Hyundai Engineering & Construction, selected as the constructor of the new reactors, presented opportunities for student internships and future career development.
The company representatives answered questions from the students, and the discussion provided clarification on various technical aspects related to application procedures and participation in internship programs.