August 14, 2026 UW–Madison builds international collaboration through fusion energy workshop Written By: Lili Sarajian Departments: Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics Categories: Event | Research The University of Wisconsin–Madison strengthened their research collaboration with Japan’s National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) and the Plasma Research Center at the University of Tsukuba last week, hosting visitors for a three-day workshop on fusion energy. “International collaboration is critical for the realization of fusion energy,” says Adelle Wright, an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics (NEEP) who organized this year’s workshop. “It is so important for UW–Madison to build and maintain strong research partnerships with international stakeholders.” This is the third annual workshop, following renewed commitment to the research partnership in 2024. UW–Madison and NIFS both have a strong history of fusion research leadership, and this workshop provides a forum to share the cutting-edge work each institution is engaged in. Associate Professor Stephanie Diem gives participants a tour of the Pegasus-III Experiment Rogerio Jorge, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics, delivers a talk during the workshop Notes written by participants who were asked to record underutilized innovations in fusion energy research during a group activity Breakout group discusses methods and technologies that are underutilized in fusion energy research The event included research presentations and tours of fusion research facilities across campus including the Helically Symmetric eXperiment (HSX), UW Ion Beam Laboratory, and Pegasus-III Experiment in NEEP, as well as the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST), Big Red Ball (BRB), and Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) in the Department of Physics. To conclude, participants engaged in group activities to build foundations and establish next steps for future collaborations. “This year, the workshop successfully connected the broader research communities in Japan and Wisconsin with interactive sessions to brainstorm and plan joint projects across this network,” Wright says.