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The Reactor Research & Education Center leverages its MOU with KHNP to build a new 826 m2 lecture hall and improve existing facilities, showcasing its world-class educational capabilities

The Kyung Hee University Reactor Research & Education Center is embarking on a comprehensive facility reinforcement and improvement project. This initiative was catalyzed by the “MOU for Nurturing Future Nuclear Energy Experts” signed between Kyung Hee University and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) in 2020.

Leveraging Korea’s Only Educational Reactor to Become a Global Nuclear Education Hub

In 2020, KHNP donated construction funds for the expansion of the Reactor Research & Education Center, recognizing the center’s track record in nuclear energy education. Funded by both the university’s budget and this donation, a new 826 m2 lecture hall will be constructed on vacant land adjacent to the current center. The new building, featuring one underground floor and three stories above ground, is scheduled to break ground this July with the goal of completion by April 2027. Concurrently, the university will upgrade existing facilities at the center.

The Reactor Research & Education Center spearheads advanced nuclear technology research and talent cultivation based on AGN-201K, South Korea’s only educational nuclear reactor. In 2017, it became the world’s first university facility to be officially designated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as an institution for Internet Reactor Laboratory (IRL) education, gaining global recognition for its training capabilities. To date, the center has met the growing demand for reactor experiment training, drawing participants from 19 domestic universities, three industrial and research organizations, and 16 overseas universities and research institutions to train a total of 1,620 alumni.

Following the facility expansion, the center plans to focus its world-class educational capabilities on nurturing specialized talent in the nuclear energy sector. In addition to regular courses for nuclear engineering departments nationwide, the center will support the training of specialized professionals by designing unique reactor experiment programs for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and next-generation reactor development.

Furthermore, the center expects to expand its educational programs to non-majors and industry professionals, while partnering with universities in countries where South Korean nuclear power plants operate to contribute to the globalization of “K-Nuclear Power.” Welcoming the expansion, Ho Jin Park, Director of the Reactor Research & Education Center stated, “As the demand for nuclear energy—a carbon-free power source—surges due to eco-friendly initiatives, AI development, and global conflicts, we will use this facility expansion to strengthen the Korean nuclear ecosystem and nurture future experts in the field.”