On 16 February 2026, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute welcomed a delegation from the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) of the Republic of Austria. The highlight of the visit was the ceremonial opening of a WINS Testing Centre at the Educational and Research Institute of Nuclear and Thermal Energy (IATE).
The foreign delegation comprised WINS Executive Director Lars van Dassen and Senior Project Manager Nataliia Klos. The university was represented by Rector Anatolii Melnychenko, Vice-Rector Andrii Shysholin, and IATE’s leadership and teaching staff.
The delegation visited Building No. 5, where it viewed the Research Centre for the Reliability and Safety of Nuclear Power Plants, centred on a multifunctional simulator of a VVER-1000 reactor unit. The visitors also toured the Educational and Research Centre for Nuclear Security Support.
The meeting culminated in the ceremonial ribbon-cutting by Rector Anatolii Melnychenko and WINS Executive Director Lars van Dassen, symbolising the official opening of the Testing Centre.
About the Testing Centre and cooperation with WINS:
– The Testing Centre was established with the support of WINS and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM).
– The Centre enables examinations for the WINS Academy certification module “Security Management of Radioactive Sources”, which had previously been adapted into Ukrainian as part of the cooperation.
– This training module covers the administrative and technical measures required to secure radioactive sources, mitigate threats and minimise risks.
– Testing is conducted on Pearson VUE’s Online testing with OnVUE platform.
– The Centre has operated in a pilot mode since December 2025, and five people have already passed the examinations.
