The ITER Podcast

A hands-on introduction to ITER, the world’s largest nuclear fusion experiment that is taking place in the south of France, where the host, Kruti Mawani Fayot goes on a tour on-site with her personal guide from ITER Communications - Anna Bondyreva, and gets to speak with experts that work at the heart of this organisation.

This episode explores the multicultural community at ITER and what it takes for people from 35 nations to succeed in collaborating together on such an incredible and complex project. We speak with Eric Welch, the head of HR, the Welcome Office team from the Agence ITER, as well as Ms. Laura Benjannin, head of the unique international school in Manosque that was specially created for the ITER families' children. 

This is a special episode where we really dig deep into science! I, your host, Kruti will be speaking with five young, intelligent and frankly hilarious scientists that have come to ITER through the Monaco Post-doc fellowship program. These scientists break down the basics so that no matter who you are, you will better understand the physics behind this groundbreaking technology that everyone is looking forward to. 

 I am with a special guest on this episode: a physicist, politically savvy negotiator, caring manager, and fascinating speaker who has been a supporter of fusion energy since his university days, and with ITER since its birth. We will be speaking with Akko Mass about the history of ITER: how it was conceived, how it is developing today and what his hopes are for the future of this organization. 

There’s simple, there’s complicated, there’s complex and then, there’s ITER.  This episode delves into why and how an international organization can function on an In-Kind Contribution system, and how does it deliver all its highly technical promises – literally. We interview experts on how they transporting massive, one-of-a-kind components on-site after having agreed on such a unique In-Kind economic system, rather than the common product and service payment system.