Greyton Kegler (NPTS ’24) participated in the J-Term global course to the Czech Republic and Austria. Below is his experience on this two-week trip.
Experiential Learning (EL): Describe the organization you worked for.
Greyton Kegler (GK): Czech Technical University (CTU) is one of the premier nuclear research entities in the Czech Republic. The Prague program offered access to facilities at the CTU Karlova campus, Charles University campus, Temelin Power Plant, and the National Radiation Detection Institute.
EL: Describe your project/what you did in your internship/practicum.
GK: As the program is formatted as an intensive learning experience, it featured classroom lectures coupled with applications of the lecture material at various facilities. We conducted delayed neutron detection, walked through PPE and safeguards, and operated the VR-1 training reactor. Touring the Skoda and Temelin facilities was incredibly valuable to get a proper sense of what goes into the nuclear power industry on both the front and back ends.
EL: What was the challenge/issue at the heart of what you were working on?
GK: Nuclear energy is an incredibly valuable scientific field but can have devastating consequences if misapplied or misunderstood. Ensuring the safe continued use of nuclear research technology is a globally relevant collective action problem.
EL: What was your biggest insight?
GK: My biggest insight and favorite takeaway was the exposure to these materials and having lessons taught from another cultural perspective. The Czech Republic has a very different relationship with nuclear science than the United States despite the scientific foundation and principles being the same.
EL: What was most eye-opening or surprising?
GK: What most surprised me was the accessibility of some of what I considered to be complex materials. The instructors did a fantastic job distilling nuanced material in a way that was palatable for those of us with no or minimal background in STEM.
EL: What was your personal highlight of this experience?
GK: One of the personal highlights for me was our visit to the Temelin nuclear power plant. This trip gave me a new perspective on and appreciation for the reality of nuclear power, scale of operations, and intricacies that we don’t always get in class.
EL: How did you draw upon your education and experiences at MIIS?
GK: I drew upon what I’ve learned at the Middlebury Institute by applying concepts from classes to real-life and hands-on scenarios. The prerequisite class, Power and Proliferation, helped me build a good foundation so when lectures in Prague became very complicated or used specialist terms and language, I felt well prepared due to my previous academic experiences at MIIS.
EL: How were you able to contribute to this organization’s work?
GK: My angle for contributing to this organization and field in general is by bridging the gap between policymakers and practitioners. This practicum allowed me to take my policy background and reinforce it with a more practitioner-side, science-based experience that I will carry with me into the professional world.
EL: What skills did you develop? How will this experience help you professionally?
GK: [I developed] soft skills like communication and intercultural competency, while hard skills included an understanding of the principles behind nuclear energy and atomic science. Both of these categories will be useful later in my career, as I currently aspire to work in nonproliferation in some capacity.
EL: What tips do you have for other students?
GK: Take consistent notes, even if you think you have a decent understanding of the material. I would also highly recommend learning some very basic Czech if possible, which can be very helpful.
EL: How could other students connect to organizations or projects at this organization or in this location?
GK: Czech Technical University is a very open and communicative institute with a long-standing relationship with MIIS. Previous MIIS students have conducted semester-long internships, and some MIIS alum live and work in Prague—they are a fantastic resource if you are considering careers or experience overseas.