Public opinion research, supporting dialogue with the local community and shaping effective communication are the key tasks of the University of Gdańsk under the cooperation agreement with Bechtel, signed on June 30, 2025. The construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant in Pomerania is a major event for the entire region and an invaluable addition to the resources of the Pomeranian Energy Hub. The University of Gdańsk possesses the necessary expertise to provide support in this complex process, having been involved in research on energy transformation for many years, both in the social sciences and in STEM fields, technology transfer, and the education of future staff.
‘It is a great satisfaction for me that today we can announce the beginning of cooperation between the University of Gdańsk and Bechtel, a global leader in engineering and construction, responsible for preparing the implementation of Poland's first nuclear power plant,’ said UG Rector prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski. ‘This event is not only formal in nature, but also symbolises the good cooperation between the worlds of science and industry. These are communities that can work together effectively and responsibly to respond to the challenges of today.’
As emphasised by Dena Volovar, President of Bechtel's NS&E (Nuclear, Security and Environmental global business unit), the construction of a nuclear power plant in the region will have a huge impact on future generations, and the entire process must take place in open dialogue with the local community and with sensitivity to its needs and possible concerns. President Volovar expressed her delight that the main contractor for the project can count on the support of the largest university in Pomerania, which is organically embedded in the social fabric. Dena Volovar also praised the ‘modern, world-class university campus’. The president of Bechtel Polska, Leszek Hołda, also took the floor, thanking the university for this further gesture confirming the region's support for the investment and emphasising the importance of relations with the local community.
‘I am glad that Bechtel, the company responsible for preparing the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Poland, has decided to establish cooperation with the University of Gdańsk,’ added prof. Piotr Stepnowski. ‘Our university has been conducting social and cultural research on nuclear energy and its public perception for many years. We have the expertise which, combined with Bechtel's experience, can contribute to the construction process being carried out in dialogue and with sensitivity to the needs of local communities.’
Although the main tasks of the University of Gdańsk under the signed agreement concern social issues and support for investors and contractors of this unprecedented project in dialogue with local stakeholders, it should be remembered that the university is already involved in the energy transition.
For several years, the interdisciplinary study programme Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection (BJOR) has been preparing students to pursue nuclear safety policy and maintain radiological protection, as well as to work in the supervision and control of the trade and use of radioactive substances and ionising radiation. Postgraduate studies in Education for Sustainable Development: Offshore Wind Energy are also offered. UG is comprehensively involved in the Offshore Wind Energy programme - renewable energy from offshore wind farms is one of the pillars of the Pomeranian Energy Hub. Already in 2023, as part of the Daniel Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, the University of Gdańsk signed a cooperation agreement with Polish Nuclear Power Plants, whose main objective was to provide qualified personnel for the first nuclear power plant to be built.
During the signing of the agreement, representatives of the provincial and local authorities of the region also took the floor: Pomeranian Governor Beata Rutkiewicz and Deputy Mayor of Gdańsk Monika Chabior. Both emphasised the importance of cooperation between the University of Gdańsk and Bechtel for the region and the community of Pomerania.
‘Without dialogue with the local community, no investment has a chance,’ said Beata Rutkiewicz. ‘No one is better placed to support this dialogue than the University of Gdańsk.’
‘I look at these flags and our wonderful University of Gdańsk in the background. Everything fits,’ added Monika Chabior, referring to the Polish and American flags. ‘The arrangement of these flags gives hope. Hope for energy security, which is so badly needed in Europe, and hope for climate security.’
Simultaneous interpretation in two languages, Polish and English, was provided during the event.
