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From September 2025 to March 2026, I had the fantastic opportunity to undertake my master's thesis internship at the Swiss Plasma Center (EPFL), with the support of a FuseNet grant. I joined the tokamak plasma control group working on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV), a highly versatile fusion device in Lausanne. The project focused on developing a more accurate and physically consistent method to prepare the coil trajectories of a TCV discharge.

For my master’s thesis, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, one of the United States’ national laboratories, where nuclear fusion is a key focus area of research. I spent a full year conducting research there, and it became an experience I will never forget. During this time, I was exposed to many new perspectives, met inspiring people from around the world, and learned a great deal about conducting scientific research and navigating a large international lab environment.

The Kudowa Summer School takes place in Kudowa-Zdrój, Poland. It takes place every summer in June and is organized by the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, a research institute based in Warsaw, Poland. The theme of the school is “Toward Fusion Energy” and all of the talks are related, in one way or another, to Fusion Energy.

When I found out I had been selected to attend the Joint IAEA/ENEA/EMFCSC Fusion School in Erice, Italy, I honestly did not know what to expect. I am a Master's student in plasma physics and nuclear fusion, and while I had attended lectures and seminars at my home university, nothing quite prepared me for what awaited on that medieval hilltop in Sicily.

I had the pleasure of participating, from June 7 to 12, 2026, in the Summer School organized by the IAEA, ENEA, and EMFCSC, with co-sponsorship from Eni, the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy, USBPO, and FuseNet. The school was held in the beautiful town of Erice (Sicily, Italy), at the Ettore Majorana Foundation headquarters, and featured researchers and experts from around the world as speakers.

My name is Martina Tesser and I am a Master’s student in Nuclear Physics at the University of Turin. I had the opportunity to attend the PlasmaSurf summer course at IPFN in Lisbon, from July 13th to 19th. It was an amazing experience on both an academic and a personal level. During my Bachelor’s studies, I was introduced to nuclear fusion, and this summer school was a perfect opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge and immerse myself in the fusion research environment.

This summer I had the chance to attend the 2025 PlasmaSurf Summer School, organized by the Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear (IPFN) at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon, from July 13th to 19th.

From 30 June to 4 July 2025, I had the privilege of attending the 14th ITER International School on Integrated Modelling of Magnetic Fusion Plasmas, held in Aix-en-Provence and hosted by the ITER Organization, with accommodation at Aix-Marseille University.