Every year, European research member organisations of EIROforum invite the winners of the EIROforum prizes at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) to explore leading research institutions across Europe. This summer, Maja and Julius, winners of the 2024 EUCYS prize sponsored by EUROfusion, travelled to the Culham Science Centre, in the UK, to experience the world of fusion energy up close.
During the visit, they met EUROfusion researchers and engineers working on JET (Joint European Torus) and MAST Upgrade (Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak), gaining insight into Europe’s collaborative efforts toward sustainable fusion power.
“We were able to talk to a lot of people and everyone we met was really nice,” said Maja. “Visiting JET and MAST-U was impressive — and playing around with the digital twin of the MASCOT robot was a real highlight.”
The students, who have just started their physics studies at university, described the visit as both inspiring and educational.
“I was astounded by how much work goes into making fusion possible,” added Julius. “It gave me valuable insight into what being a physicist looks like — and showed how international and collaborative fusion research really is.”
In addition to the scientific programme, the pair also explored Oxford and London — in their first trip to the UK. “It was great from both a scientific and a tourist perspective,” said Maja. “If I had to describe it in three words: impressive, interesting, and friendly.”
Through such awards, EUROfusion continues to encourage the next generation of scientists, offering a glimpse into how physics, engineering, and international teamwork come together in the pursuit of clean and limitless energy.
