Studying at FEEC opens the door to the energy sector. Students explored nuclear power at Temelín and Dukovany

Studying power electrical and electronic engineering at FEEC leads to a wide range of careers — from distribution grids and renewables to nuclear power. This summer, students of the faculty got a first-hand sense of what that path can look like at two events: the Summer School of Nuclear Engineering, with an excursion to the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, and the two-week Summer University of the ČEZ Group at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant.

Summer School of Nuclear Engineering with ČEZ 2026. | Author: FEEC Archive

Summer School of Nuclear Engineering with ČEZ 2026. | Author: FEEC Archive

Summer School of Nuclear Engineering: from theory to Temelín

The 19th Summer School of Nuclear Engineering took place from 28 August to 4 September 2026 at Fähnrich's Mill near Stráž nad Nežárkou. The week-long programme is organised by the Czech Nuclear Society (ČNS) in cooperation with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of CTU in Prague, FEEC BUT and the ČEZ Group. FEEC was represented on the organising team by Lukáš Nesvadba, and the organisers also included Jiří Skalička of ČEZ, a graduate of the Department of Electrical Power Engineering at FEEC.

This year's edition brought together 19 students from technical universities — eight women and eleven men. Five of them study at BUT, four of those at FEEC: Jiří Kožnar, Sebastian Bučo, Martin Schnitzer and Martin Cigánek. The programme offered dozens of lectures across the field — from the past, present and future of nuclear power in the Czech Republic to nuclear plant technologies, fuel-loading optimisation and full-scope simulators, as well as radioactive waste management, licensing, experimental reactors, radiopharmaceuticals and thermonuclear fusion. It culminated in an excursion to the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, where students toured the turbine hall and the unit simulator, tried out a cloud chamber and learned about radiation protection in operation.

Martin Schnitzer, a third-year bachelor's student of power electrical and electronic engineering, described what drew him to the field: "Nuclear power appealed to me because of its untapped energy potential in Europe." At the summer school, he most valued meeting people from the sector and gaining a broader view of nuclear applications — in energy, healthcare and materials research. After graduating, he would like to work as a designer on new nuclear projects.

Student Martin Schnitzer, FEEC BUT. | Author: Archive M. Schnitzer

Sebastián Bučo, from the same programme, appreciates the physics behind nuclear power — the release of energy through fission at the subatomic level — as well as the fact that it is a stable, emission-free source. "I enjoyed the lectures the most. I liked the all-round view of nuclear energy — not just how a plant works, but also safety, the social dimension and supply chains," he said. The summer school was also a chance for him to make new contacts, and it introduced him to so many career options that it prompted him to rethink his plans for the future — in a good way.

Summer University at Dukovany: two weeks inside the plant

The Summer University of the ČEZ Group offered a similar experience. Its 18th edition welcomed 35 students from technical universities across the Czech Republic in late August; BUT had the largest representation, including eight students from FEEC. Over two weeks at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, they went through the key technologies of the primary and secondary circuits, visited the turbine hall, the control-room simulator, the spent nuclear fuel storage facility and the reactor hall, and also stopped by the training centre in Brno. According to plant director Roman Havlín, extensive upgrades give Dukovany the prospect of at least 80 years of operation, meaning Czech energy will need hundreds of new specialists.

One faculty, many directions

Both events share the same message: they show students the specific fields they can move into after graduation and connect them with future employers while they are still studying. Nuclear power is just one of the paths open to power-engineering graduates from FEEC.