Participants from 32 academic and research institutions across 12 countries attended the NEA Global Forum Rising Stars Workshop 2024 from 25-26 November at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Karlsruhe, Germany. As part of the NEA Global Forum on Nuclear Education, Science, Technology and Policy, the Rising Stars programme aims to connect participants with resources and people to help welcome and integrate them into the global nuclear community.
The two-day workshop was opened by NEA Director-General, William D. Magwood, IV, Dr Tatiana Ivanova, Head of NEA Division of Nuclear Science and Education, and Dr Ulla Engelmann, JRC Director for Nuclear Safety and Security. The female rising stars shared their own research through presentations and poster sessions, which covered a wide breadth of topics and disciplines across the nuclear science and diplomacy landscape.
The workshop programme features career development discussions and poster sessions.
A unique aspect of the workshop is the opportunity for participants to interact with senior experts in the nuclear field. Mentors at the workshop, including Prof Sarah Baatout from the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Dr Rachel Eloirdi and Willem Janssens from the JRC, Dr Tatiana Ivanova from the NEA, Prof Lisa Marshall from North Carolina State University and President of the American Nuclear Society, Dr Olivia Blackmon from Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), Dr Jennifer McKeller from Ontario Tech University, Dr Eun-Hee Kim from Seoul National University, and Dr Todd Allen from the University of Michigan, guided the rising stars through career development discussions and activities, and shared their own experiences during dedicated panel sessions. Mackenzie Warwick from the University of Michigan and Keziah Garba from IMT Atlantique, who were participants in the first Rising Stars Workshop in the United States in 2023, also served as mentors at the second Rising Stars workshop.
The event concluded with a tour of the JRC research facilities, where participants met scientists working across four different laboratories in areas such as material research, targeted alpha therapy and nuclear forensics. The two days fostered a network of comradery and support for the rising stars as they move forward to seek careers and development opportunities within the nuclear sector.
Workshop participants visit the JRC research facilities in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The Rising Stars workshops were launched in 2023, with the first edition held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. The 2025 edition will be hosted by the University of Michigan in parallel with the first NEA Global Forum Symposium during the week of 29 September - 3 October 2025. For more information, please contact risingstars@oecd-nea.org.
