COOPERATION OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND NUCLEAR INDUSTRY SOGIN ACTIVITIES May 2011
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Topics
Graduate and master courses in nuclear engineering in Italy The role of SOGIN
Graduate and master courses in nuclear engineering in Italy
What is at stake
Most observers believe that a rush in new orders of NPP’s will arise not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries This requires a strict attention to: • Number of technicians and engineers • Qualification of technicians and engineers This may be a barrier to the development of nuclear energy for a number of years, or there is the risk of reduced levels of safety and human performance Mobility across borders will become more than a need to fill the vacancies Important capacities in nuclear matters are needed also in other fields
Activities where nuclear engineers are needed
New reactors design and construction
International collaborations such as GenIV and GNEP
National Nuclear Laboratories
Decommissioni ng and cleanup
And so on ………
Fusion programme and ITER
Military reactors applications
Operation and life extension of existing plants
Waste Disposal and possible repositories
Mobility and Culture Standardization
In a globalized world the trend to standardize Nuclear Power Plants designs is becoming more and more evident There is also a trend to homogenize safety criteria worldwide Education, training and qualification of plant personnel (and, in general those involved in nuclear activities) should also be enhanced with: • QA of education and training courses • Standardization of key plant personnel positions • Definition of minimum qualification of key engineering personnel (e.g. computer code users) • Define the criteria to reach technical personnel mobility between countries • Maybe reach an international consensus on mutual recognition of university degrees, licenses, etc.
Actions at European level
Remove obstacles for the mobility of nuclear personnel within the European Union (Member, Candidate and Associated States) Harmonization of criteria and qualifications for mutual recognition of such experts (common denominator) Quality assurance of courses and final tests Standard definition of work posts associated with minimum requested capabilities Facilitate the transnational access to vocational education and training Identify excellence training centers open to international access
Nuclear engineering courses in Italy
In Italy, universities are maintaining nuclear engineering courses, they are not anymore separate courses, but they have been generally integrated into the Energy Engineering courses The following universities are maintaining nuclear engineering courses at Master and higher levels
Milano Torino
Bolognal
Pisa Roma
Palermo
Strategies of italian universities
Italian Universities succeeded to keep nuclear engineering courses in the last 20 years adopting the following strategy: From a didactical point of view: updating their curricula in order to assure the preparation of good engineers with enhanced knowledge in the basic disciplines, but also incorporating advancements in nuclear engineering, From a research point of view: operating mainly at international level, to compensate the reduction of domestic support, From an organizational point of view: gathering in organizations as CIRTEN (Consorzio Interuniversitario per la Ricerca Tecnologica Nucleare, at national level), the ENEN network (European Nuclear Education Network, at european level) and WNU (World Nuclear University, at international level), in order to have a more active, important and recognized role in all the initiatives taken at large in the nuclear field.
The course contents
As far as the didactical organization is concerned, in the last five years the Board of the N.E. Courses in each of the previously mentioned Universities decided: to increase/introduce in the courses the presences of topics concerning innovative reactors and nuclear fusion engineering, as well as to improve/ enlarge coverage of the most updated radiation protection and engineering issues, to keep the former N.E. courses content which gave the students rather good basic preparation and a system oriented approach to problems generally applicable, to apply the so called “Bologna scheme�, that foresaw the introduction of rather large changes in the whole previous university education type, trying to adapt it at best to the peculiarities of the N. E. Degree
Current courses
The N.E. Degree denominations are different in the 5 mentioned Universities, at present as follows Energy Engineering in Roma – La Sapienza, Nuclear Engineering in Milano Polytechnic, Energy and Nuclear Engineering in Torino Polytechnic, Nuclear and Safety Engineering in Pisa University Nuclear Safety & Technology Eng. in Palermo (soon it will become Energy Engineering) Nevertheless, in spite of the different denominations, the contents and the specific nuclear topics in the various N.E. Degree modules/curricula activated in the Italian Universities are rather close
Trend of new graduated students in NE
Masters on nuclear issues
Many italian universities have maintened and updated nuclear issues also through specific Masters, often in agreement with industrial and research centers. • Pavia: Master in Nuclear and Ionizing Radiation Technologies • Genova: Master in Science and Technology of Nuclear Plants (in cooperation with Ansaldo and INFN) • Bologna: Master in Design and Management of Advanced Nuclear Systems (in cooperation with Edison, ENEA, ENEL and SOGIN) • Pisa: Master in Nuclear Engineering Technologies • Roma, La Sapienza: Master in Safety and Protection • Roma, Tor Vergata (in cooperation with La Sapienza and INFN): Nuclear Techniques for Industry, Environment and Artistic Assets
Masters on energy and safety issues
There are other Masters whose contents deal with nuclear subjects and can be interesting also for nuclear industry. Milano, Bocconi: Master in Environmental Economy and Management Torino, Polytechnic: Master in Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis Roma, La Sapienza: Master in Energy and Environment Management Bari, Polytechnic: Master in Safety Engineering
The role of SOGIN
Industry initiatives
It is worth mentioning that there are industry initiatives also in Italy related not only to training, but also to education and re-education One of these initiative is carried out by SOGIN, which recently opened a Training Center in Caorso NPP on radioprotection and nuclear safety, aimed primarily to SOGIN personnel, but open also to other national and international students
Types of agreement between SOGIN and university General features • In order to invest on highly skilled human resources SOGIN can interact with university through several ways: Financing fellowship for PhD Company provides PhD students resources to carry out research activities of interest for both parts. Offering training periods for students ante or post lauream Company provides its own structures and tutors to nuclear students and graduates to carry out thesis on issues of interest for both parts. Duration of training period is between three and six months
Agreements between SOGIN and universities
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Training period for Master students Company offers its own structures and tutors to nuclear Masters students, tocarry out thesis about issues of interest for both parts. Duration of training period could be since three to six months.
Now there is an agreement with University of Bologna that establishes teaching by SOGIN experts and availability of training period in SOGIN in the frame of the Master in “Design and Management of Advanced Nuclear Systems”. Since many years, there is a collaboration with IUSS, the High Studies University in Pavia. This collaboration establishes teaching by SOGIN experts, inside International Master in “Nuclear and Ionizing Radiations Technologies” and availability for training periods to carry out final thesis.
Radiation protection and nuclear safety training center in Caorso
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Internal courses In order to keep italian experience in nuclear field and improve specific know how on decommissioning features, SOGIN has created a training center on radiation protection and nuclear safety in Caorso, site of the biggest italian NPP. In this center, internal and external teachers, coming from companies and university, offer technical and management courses about several issues concerning
Safety analysis ALARA Quality assurance Safety culture Nuclear security D&D techniques VISIPLAN and MICROSHIELD Etc.
Radiation protection and nuclear safety training center in Caorso
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Projected external courses Another important goal of Caorso training center is to establish agreements with universities to offer together master courses on radiation protection and nuclear safety, recognized at national and international level. Besides, mission of Caorso TC is also to spread international best practices in nuclear field in Italy and, at this aim, italian public authorities as Carabinieri, Vigili del Fuoco and ISPRA participate to courses. In particular, nuclear security features are becoming more and more important and, in the next future, courses will concern also industrial safety.
Future goals
Sogin is going to set further agreements with universities involved in nuclear studies •Actions: Providing experts for university courses Offering partecipation to masters in SOGIN Training Center of Radiaton Protection and Nuclear Safety set in Caorso (North Italy) Offering technical support to thesis in SOGIN Organizing visits to plants in decommissioning Partecipating to italian scientific community to give highest exposure to decommissioning issues Finding out talents to introduce in nuclear sector and give career opportunities in SOGIN
Specific issues
SOGIN is going to start up fellowships together with universities on specific issues of interest as: • Decontamination and dismantling techniques • Risk analysis • Waste characterization and management • Waste treatment and conditioning • Project management • Radiation prtoection models and calculations • Development of codes for decommissioning activities • Nuclear laws • Etc.
Conclusions
Education and training are key elements to assure the necessary human performance levels. The future of nuclear power will facilitate the tasks of many operators, however, the extremely high safety and performance targets will require even smarters operators. The “globalization� works also in the nuclear fields and the international dimension of eduction and training shall be more and more exploited. Industry, Universities, Regulatory authorities, research centers and others shall work together to assure the proper number and the necessary quality of personnel for a safe and optimized nuclear power generation