The ITER International School aims to prepare young scientists and engineers for working in the field of nuclear fusion and in research applications associated with the ITER project. The school format reflects the necessity of training future professionals on a wide range of interdisciplinary subjects, equipping them with a broad understanding of the skills required to contribute effectively to ITER’s success.

Normalized profile of plasma radiation (in logarithmic scale with respect to its average value) across the cross-section of an ITER deuterium-tritium (DT) high-Q plasma modelled with JINTRAC. The asymmetry of the radiation profile in the core is caused by the centrifugal effect of rotation on the density of tungsten in the plasma for the expected Mach number of ~ 0.15 in ITER. 

The subject of the 2025 school is "Integrated modelling of magnetic fusion plasmas," with a scientific program coordinated by Xavier Litaudon (CEA) and Alberto Loarte (ITER Organization). Reliable predictions of ITER plasmas, spanning the entire cross-section from the plasma core, scrape off layer up to the material surface, are key to the achievement of ITER’s fusion power demonstration goals. These predictions are essential for defining and preparing plasma operational scenarios and analyzing plasma pulses that will be executed in ITER, as well as for evaluating the required control schemes through the simulations of measurements, actuators, and the associated plasma responses. Given the strong non-linear coupling of processes governing burning plasma behaviour, separate modelling of individual processes and/or plasma regions is not sufficient. A holistic, integrated approach is therefore mandatory. The 2025 school will address the current needs and explore the integrated modelling capabilities and validation aspects on existing facilities necessary to prepare ITER operation and support ITER’s scientific exploitation.

The first ITER School was organized in Aix-en-Provence, France, in 2007 and focused on turbulent transport in fusion plasmas. Twelve successive schools have followed on a variety of subjects: magnetic confinement (Fukuoka, Japan, 2008); plasma-surface interactions (Aix-en-Provence, 2009); magneto-hydro-dynamics and plasma control (Austin, Texas, USA, 2010); energetic particles (Aix-en-Provence, 2011); radio-frequency heating (Ahmedabad, India, 2012); high-performance computing in fusion science (Aix-en-Provence, 2014); transport and pedestal physics in tokamaks (Hefei, China, 2016); physics of disruptions and control (Aix-en-Provence, 2017); the physics and technology of power flux handling (Daejeon, Korea, 2019); ITER plasma scenarios and control (San Diego, USA, 2022), the impact and consequences of energetic particles on fusion plasmas (Aix-en-Provence, 2023) and magnetic fusion diagnostics and data science (Nagoya, Japan, 2024).