UKAEA Fusion Energy

Remote Operations in Challenging Environments Training Course
2026-09-14 08:30 - 2026-09-17 16:00 (Europe/London) | Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, United Kingdom
What does it take to maintain or decommission a plant using remotely operated robots and cameras?

This course aims to provide managers, designers and operators with a broad view of the Remote Operations specialism including:

design and specification of remotely operated equipment

rules for tool design

software infrastructure must-haves for efficiency, safety and accountability

risk reduction measures in high consequence environments

building a remote operations team – people, processes and culture

plant design considerations

Who this course is for?

This course is designed for professionals involved in strategy, design and operations from organisations:

at the concept design stage – seeking to understand how to ‘design for remote’ and its impact on commercial viability

without remote operations experience – needing to learn how to develop a functioning system and build a successful team

aiming to operate ‘safer, faster, more cost‑effectively’ – looking to introduce human-in-the-loop remote operations

looking to upskill their workforce in remote operations while leveraging existing remote infrastructure and facilities

Our approach

Interactive and engaging courses: discussions and hands-on sessions reinforce the core principles.

Use of industry-leading robotic equipment at RACE for firsthand experience.

Universal application of principles: While the principles taught have been developed in the fusion sector, they are relevant to any environment where remote equipment is used and mistakes could be costly.

Remote handling at UKAEA

RACE is the UKAEA’s centre for Remote Applications in Challenging Environments. Its Remote Handling Team has been remotely maintaining the Joint European Torus (JET), a fusion machine located in Oxfordshire, since the 1980s. Currently, in its decommissioning phase, JET is being stripped from the inside out using teleoperated equipment deployed on robotic booms.

With over 30,000 hours of in-vessel operational experience, RACE provides training and consultancy services to remote handling teams in the UK, the US, Sweden and Fukushima in Japan, spanning the fusion, big science and nuclear decommissioning sectors.

Utilising robotics to perform tasks ensures the safety of personnel by keeping them out of hazardous environments, speeds up task completion and reduces costs. Such specialised experience is rare in the industry due to the time required to develop it. Through this course, we aim to share our knowledge and equip professionals across various sectors with the essential skills for remote operations.

The Remote Handling Training Course – developing skills with UKAEA.

Event details

Dates

Location

63rd Culham Plasma Physics Summer School
2026-07-13 08:00 - 2026-07-23 17:00 (Europe/London) | Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, United Kingdom
The 63rd Culham Plasma Physics Summer School is a two-week introductory programme at UKAEA’s Culham Campus. It covers fundamental plasma physics and its applications, including fusion, astrophysics and low-temperature plasmas.

The Culham Plasma Physics Summer School features:

an introduction to the basic principles of plasma physics through lectures by experts and problem-solving sessions

sessions on fusion plasmas, solar, space and astrophysical plasmas, laser plasmas, industrial applications, and data analysis

tours of fusion facilities like the Joint European Torus (JET) and the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) Upgrade

social events

opportunities for networking and detailed discussions with course lecturers

The course director is Dr Michael Fitzgerald and the co-ordinator is Andrew Wise. Lecturers are from the UKAEA, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) together with leading European universities – all renowned experts in their fields.

Deadline for registrations: 19 June 2026 – Payment in full by 26 June 2026

Costs

RegistrationAccommodationTotal£440£1025£1465

Bank transfer details for payment
Sort Code: 83-27-23

Account No. 00102300

IBAN No. [REDACTED]

Swift/BIC Code: RBOSGB2L

Funding schemes
Students based in the European Union may be able to claim travel and accommodation funding for this summer school from FuseNet. Registration before the summer school is required. Visit www.fusenet.eu/funds for more details.

We may be able to waive the registration fee (£440) for a few students originating from countries with a Human Development Index (HDI) value below 0.85. Please send a CV and a supporting statement to our course co-ordinator from your academic supervisor before 31 March. Preference will be given to students from countries with the lowest HDI and most relevant background.

We will let applicants know of the results shortly after the deadline so that they can plan their travel.

Who can attend?

The Culham Plasma Physics Summer School is aimed at Masters and early-career PhD students. Students must be over 18 and generally will be in their final year of undergraduate or first year of post graduate study. We assume no previous knowledge of the subject, but familiarity with electromagnetism and applied mathematics at first degree level will be helpful.

Events

Lectures

All lectures are in the Culham lecture theatre, with the exception of those on the Tuesday of week 2, which are on the Harwell site.

Problem sessions

Problem sessions are in the Culham lecture theatre.

Banquet

19:00 Thursday (week 2)St Edmund Hall Queen’s Ln, Oxford OX1 4AR

Thames boat trip

20:00 Friday (week 1)Boat departs from Folly Bridge, Oxford, OX1 4JU

Poster session

One of the main benefits of the Culham Plasma Physics Summer School is the exchanges between the students. To facilitate this, there is an informal poster session. The main objective is to enable students who are working in related areas to meet for discussions.

If you want to organise a poster session, there is no need to tell us the title in advance – just bring your poster along. For poster sessions you will need:

a brief outline of the area in which you are working – there is no expectation of original work.

a poster which fits the space 0.95 m wide and 1.2 m high – this is the only constraint for presentation

Note: It is NOT possible to print your poster at Culham Campus.

Timetable

Read the full timetable for the 63rd Culham Plasma Physics Summer School 2026.

Go to the timetable

Accommodation

Accommodation is provided at the William R Miller building, Dawson street, Oxford. This is a modern annexe building of St Edmund Hall (situated approximately 10 minutes walk from the main college) and has 45 en-suite rooms available.

You can view the facilities on the University rooms website – but please do not book accommodation through this site. We have a block booking including a continental breakfast (served in the common room at 07:50) for the summer school.

Transport

Getting to Oxford

By road

Exit the A34 at Abingdon. Travel East, through the town and exit on the A415.There are signs for Culham Campus / Culham Science Centre about 3 miles after crossing the river Thames.

By rail

Didcot Station is within 5 miles of Culham Campus on the main line between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads. Culham station is approximately 10 minutes walk from the site.

By air

Oxford Tube and Oxford Bus Company operate a frequent and inexpensive service from Heathrow and from Gatwick to Oxford.

Between Oxford and Culham Campus

Coach times

A coach will be provided for the daily return journey between Oxford and Culham Campus every weekday. Departure time is 08:30 from Oxford.

On the second Tuesday of the school, the bus will leave earlier at 08:00 for Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell.

Return time varies according to timetable. Latest return at 17:00.

On the final day of the school, the return coach will also stop at the central Oxford bus station. Students need to check out of the accommodation in the morning of the final Friday (unless staying for extra days)

On arrival

Registration will take place at the provided accommodation (the William Miller building) between 16:00 and 19:00 on the Sunday ahead of the first week. Please bring photo ID to registration as we need to issue Culham Campus passes at this time.

Students accommodated elsewhere (for example, students who live locally or who have made their own arrangements), or who arrive too late to register on the Sunday, should register at the summer school desk at Culham during the coffee and lunch breaks. Those registering on site will need to collect site passes from the Culham reception on the first Monday morning of the school (photo ID required).

63rd Culham Plasma Physics Summer School event details

Date

Location

Banner image: The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh. The pattern of light and dark in this image has been shown to closely follow the mathematical structure of turbulent flow. JL Aragón et al. Turbulent Luminance in Impassioned van Gogh Paintings J Math Imaging Vis (2008) 30: 275–283.

Image credit: MOMA, The Museum of Modern Art.

EPS Plasma Physics Conference 2026
2026-06-29 00:00 - 2026-07-03 23:59 UTC | Edinburgh International Conference Centre, The Exchange, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH3 8EE
The 52nd conference will be set in the stunning city of Edinburgh from 29 June to 3 July 2026. The Annual Conference will be held across spectacular and unique venues carefully selected to host guests.

Event details

Date

Location

FISPACT-II training course 2026
2026-06-23 09:00 - 2026-06-25 17:00 (Europe/London) | OECD/NEA Headquarters, 46, Quai Alphonse Le Gallo, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris), 92100, France
Minimum enrolment: 10 participants

Maximum enrolment: 15 participants

Course fee: 600 EUR

Registration deadline: 15 May 2026

This three-day training course at OECD/NEA headquarters in Paris will be taught in English with daily 6-hour sessions scheduled from 9:00 to 17:00, Paris time (CEST).

Participants need to hold a FISPACT-II licence. This licence can only be granted to eligible representatives of organisations of the NEA Data Bank participating countries.

FISPACT-II v.5 licence is available from the NEA computer programs collection: NEA-1890 FISPACT-II 5.X.

Course description

FISPACT-II (currently at release version 5.X) is an enhanced multi-physics platform providing a wide range of advanced simulation methods and employing the most up-to-date (TENDL-2019, ENDF/B-VIII.O, JENDL-4.0, JEFF-3.3, etc.) enhanced nuclear data forms for neutron, proton, alpha, deuteron, or gamma particles interactions. FISPACT-II has applications in:

magnetic and inertial confinement fusion

advanced fission Generation IV and beyond

advanced energy and fuel systems

high energy and accelerator physics

medical applications, isotope production

earth exploration, astrophysics

homeland security, materials science

and more

The workshop provides step-by-step demonstrations of FISPACT-II usage, backed up by application examples. The instructors introduce the newly developed FISPACT-II API (which was in beta release with version 5), which provides advanced interface options.

Practical information

You should bring a laptop with the code already installed. If you do not succeed in installing the code, please make sure that your device has access to Wi-Fi.

Information on how to get to the Nuclear Energy Agency and for nearby hotels.

Payment information

The registration fee is 600 EUR. This includes lunch and coffee breaks, but does not cover accommodation.

As soon as your registration has been accepted, you will receive the necessary information to proceed with payment, by bank transfer only. The payment deadline is on Friday 22 May 2026.

Registrations will be open until places run out. This course can only host 15 participants, so please do not delay in registering and paying the course fee.

Event details

Date

Location

UKAEA public open evening - May 2026
2026-05-20 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, United Kingdom
We’d like to invite the public to UKAEA’s open evening.

Our open evenings offer you a unique opportunity to see in person some of the amazing work we are doing to develop sustainable fusion energy. You will receive an introductory talk covering the basics of fusion energy, followed by tours of the world’s largest fusion experiment – the world record breaking Joint European Torus (JET) and our Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE).

Engineers, scientists and technicians, who are currently working on the experiments, will lead the tours. This guarantees a genuine insight into what it’s like to work in fusion and ask our passionate researchers about our work here at UKAEA.

Bring your questions and curiosity as you discover just how on Earth we are creating star-power and see two of the leading facilities responsible for this ground-breaking research, pushing us closer to delivering fusion energy for all.

Please note anyone attending this event is required to wear closed-toe shoes and a hard hat (a hard hat will be provided on the day).

Registration

You must register by completing the registration form. We encourage you to log in to Indico (the web-based event management system hosting this site) to register.

Who can attend

You are welcome to attend with friends and family up to a maximum of 10 tickets per group. There is a minimum age limit of 12 years old. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

There is high demand and limited availability for tickets. Please only register if you are confident you can attend. This helps us manage resources and places effectively.

Ticket and key dates

This event is in person. There are limited tickets so we may need to close registration earlier than the advertised deadline.

Event details

Date

Location

15th IAEA Technical Meeting on Control Systems, Data Acquisition, Data Management and Remote Participation in Fusion Research
2026-05-18 08:30 - 2026-05-22 17:30 (Europe/London) | Rhodes House, Oxford, Rhodes House, Parks Rd, Norham Manor, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3RG, United Kingdom
Go to the IAEA event page to:

Submit an abstract

This event aims to bring together junior and senior scientific fusion project leaders, plasma physicists, including theoreticians and experimentalists, and experts in the field of plasma control systems, data management including data acquisition and analysis, and remote experiments in fusion research.

Join the social programme

UKAEA is partnering with IAEA to organise the important social programme for this event. We are delighted to welcome you to the historic city of Oxford for the 15th Technical Meeting on Control Systems.

You need to have an accepted registration for the conference before registering for the social programme.

Register for the social programme

The venue is Rhodes House, a favourite with UKAEA. It opened in 1929 and is synonymous with the Rhodes Scholar. Fully renovated in 2021, it is a venue fit for the 21st century with a fast wi-fi connection and comfortable conference facilities.

In our opinion, it has the best catering of all the colleges, with a lovely lunch, sourced with fresh, seasonal produce being provided daily. All your dietary requirements are catered for.

Social programme events

We want to ensure your stay in Oxford isn’t all work and no play. We have put together a social programme with an activity every day to provide plenty of opportunity for networking.

Monday – 18 May

The welcome drinks reception will be at the conference venue, immediately after the final session of the afternoon.

Given the central location of the venue, it’s just a short walk into the centre of the city, following the reception, to find somewhere for a dinner. Oxford is blessed with a wide range of restaurants to cater for all tastes and pockets.

This event is free to attend for all delegates.

Tuesday – 19 May

Walking tour of Oxford

We have a great relationship with Oxford Walking Tours. They only use guides with an intimate knowledge of the city who can show you a selection of Oxford’s highlights.

The tour will take place after the final session when, unfortunately, entry to the colleges has closed, but there will still be plenty to see and with the sun not setting until around 9pm, it’s a lovely way to spend the evening, rounding off with some ‘pub grub’.

Cost: £15

Wednesday – 20 May

Silverstone museum

We’ll finish early, so we can have an early lunch before getting the coach to the Silverstone museum about an hour away. The British Grand Prix was first held in Silverstone in 1948 and it has been synonymous with Formula 1 ever since.

The museum covers off motorsport, the history of the circuit and has loads of interactive activities. We’ve even booked the Scalextric for those of you of a more competitive disposition.

We’ve arranged for an extra hour after it closes to the public to ensure you have enough time to see and do everything.

Cost: £50 – which includes coach transfers, entry and the Scalextric.

Thursday – 21 May

Final night conference dinner

We’ll be holding a BBQ at the lovely Cherwell Boat House, which as the name suggests, overlooks a river, the River Cherwell. Another favourite of ours simply because of its location, ambience and food.

Cost: £50 – which includes your first drink of beer, wine or a soft drink

Image credit: Cherwell Boathouse

Register for the social programme

You need to have an accepted registration for the conference before registering for the social programme.

Weather

England is famous for its weather and you will be visiting in spring when you can expect at least two seasons in one day! The temperature can be anything from 8 centigrade to 18 centigrade, so bring layers, and, of course, a waterproof coat or umbrella.

Accommodation

We do not have any arrangements with hotels in Oxford, however there is a wide range of options, including Airbnb and budget hotels.

Getting to Oxford

Buses run directly from London Heathrow Airport to Oxford and take less than 90 minutes.

From Gatwick you can travel to Oxford directly by bus, or via London by train.

Trains run to Oxford via London Paddington and take around the same length of time.

There is a direct train with no changes from Birmingham Airport to Oxford which takes an hour.

There is a bus that runs from Birmingham Airport to Oxford Bus Station and takes around 1hr 20 mins.

You can travel by train from London St Pancras International, the terminus for Eurostar in 90 minutes.

Things to do in Oxford

If you’re thinking of arriving early, or extending your stay, you will not be bored. Oxford and its surrounds has plenty to keep you busy.

Find things to do in Oxford from Oxford Tourist Information

Planning your journey

It is recommended that ALL conference delegates check the UK government website to determine whether they need a visa.

The UK government has introduced the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for visitors from visa-exempt countries. Visitors must obtain an ETA before travelling to the UK, even if they do not require a visa. Please check your eligibility and apply via the UK government website.

Ensure that your ETA is approved before your travel date as it is linked electronically to your passport.

If you have any queries regarding this, please contact us.

Event details

Date

Location

UKAEA Virtual Open Evening - May 2026
2026-05-06 20:00 - 21:30 UTC | Online – Microsoft Teams
Welcome to UKAEA Virtual Open Evening.

To celebrate Fusion Energy Week, we are hosting a virtual open evening and a tour of our facilities. This will offer you a unique opportunity to see some of the amazing work we are doing to develop sustainable fusion energy from the comfort of your own home.

You will receive an introductory talk covering the basics of fusion energy, followed by a virtual tour of the world record breaking Joint European Torus (JET). Finally, we will introduce you to RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), which is our robotics division. This is where we develops advanced robotic systems used to maintain and operate fusion machines in environments too hazardous for people.

Engineers, scientists and technicians will lead the tours. They are are currently working on the facilities – so you are guaranteed a genuine insight into what it’s like to work in fusion. You will also have the opportunity to directly ask our passionate researchers anything about our work here at UKAEA.

Bring your questions and curiosity as you discover just how on Earth we are creating star-power and see two of the leading facilities responsible for this ground-breaking research, pushing us closer to delivering fusion energy for all.

Registration

You must register by completing the registration form. We encourage you to log in to Indico (the web-based event management system hosting this site) to register.

Event details

Date

Location

16th Suppliers' Event: Executive Overview
2026-04-23 10:30 - 15:30 UTC | Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, United Kingdom
UKAEA’s Commercial Department runs a year‑round programme of market engagement to help suppliers understand our pipeline, prepare for upcoming opportunities and work with UKAEA more effectively.

Our next Suppliers’ Event will provide an executive overview of UKAEA’s updates, and major programmes and projects.

What the event includes

A morning of presentations from UKAEA’s Executive team and other key speakers.

An afternoon focused on engagement and networking, with exhibition booths hosted by UKAEA teams, The Fusion Cluster and UKIFS.

Direct access to UKAEA Commercial and technical representatives.

Opportunities to connect with delegates from SMEs, large organisations, and industry leaders involved in the fusion sector and related technologies.

Clear insight into how your organisation can support UKAEA’s mission and upcoming work.

Who should register?

This event is open to suppliers representing large organisations or SMEs whose capabilities align with the fusion energy sector and related technologies. If your organisation is contributing to or exploring opportunities in this field, we encourage you to register and take part.

A maximum of two tickets per organisation will be permitted.

Tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, in line with the criteria outlined above.

Ticket options and key dates

This event will be hosted in a hybrid format so you can attend in person or virtually.

Suppliers in-person ticket. You can book this ticket until 8 April 2026. Places are limited due to auditorium capacity, so early booking is recommended. This ticket includes: access to morning presentations, lunch and the afternoon programme.

Suppliers virtual ticket. You can book this ticket until 22 April 2026. This option gives you access to the live presentations online.

UKAEA ticket. This ticket is for UKAEA staff who are supporting the event or attending as delegates.

Event details

Date

Location

UKAEA public open evening - April 2026
2026-04-22 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, United Kingdom

Tritium Training Course
2026-04-21 09:00 - 2026-04-22 16:00 (Europe/London) | Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, United Kingdom
Overview

Since its launch in April 2023, UKAEA’s Tritium Training Course has provided world-class development to more than 250 fusion industry professionals.

We have designed this 2-day course to give participants a strong foundation in tritium science and safety, with advanced modules covering its interaction with materials, facility operations, and lifecycle management.

The Tritium Training Course is at Culham Campus and includes a tour of the Active Gas Handling System, UKAEA’s tritium processing plant. This played a vital role in the record-breaking campaigns at the Joint European Torus (JET) and continues to manage the tritium being off-gassed by the tokamak.

This is a paid, in-person training course.

Registration closes: 13 April 2026. Registration will close early if all places are filled.

Fee: £1100 + VAT – includes two days training, lunch and refreshments

Who can attend

This two-day, classroom-based course is applicable to industry, academia, start-ups, graduates, new starters, scientists, engineers, and operators with a range of tritium knowledge.

Event details

Date

Location

Register for the training

To attend this training, you need to register by filling in the registration form. We recommend signing in to Indico, the event platform hosting this page, before you register.

UKAEA public open evening - March 2026
2026-03-18 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, United Kingdom
We’d like to invite the public to UKAEA’s open evening. This event is part of the ATOM Festival of Science and Technology.

Our open evenings offer you a unique opportunity to see in person some of the amazing work we are doing to develop sustainable fusion energy. You will receive an introductory talk covering the basics of fusion energy, followed by tours of the world’s largest fusion experiment – the world record breaking Joint European Torus (JET) and our Materials Research Facility (MRF).

Engineers, scientists and technicians, who are currently working on the experiments, will lead the tours. This guarantees a genuine insight into what it’s like to work in fusion and ask our passionate researchers about our work here at UKAEA.

Bring your questions and curiosity as you discover just how on Earth we are creating star-power and see two of the leading facilities responsible for this ground-breaking research, pushing us closer to delivering fusion energy for all.

Please note anyone attending this event is required to wear closed-toe shoes and a hard hat (a hard hat will be provided on the day).

Registration

You must register by completing the registration form. We encourage you to log in to Indico (the web-based event management system hosting this site) to register.

Who can attend

You are welcome to attend with friends and family up to a maximum of 10 tickets per group. There is a minimum age limit of 12 years old. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

There is high demand and limited availability for tickets. Please only register if you are confident you can attend. This helps us manage resources and places effectively.

Ticket and key dates

This event is in person. There are limited tickets so we may need to close registration earlier than the advertised deadline.

Event details

Date

Location
