REGISTRATION:

Please send the registration form to:

Patrizia Gazzi, ENEA
tel. +39 0516098442
fax +39 0516098770
Email: patrizia.gazzi@enea.it

Deadline for registration: 10 September 2009

ORGANIZATION:

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Franca Padoani
ENEA
tel. +39 051 6098 496
Email: franca.padoani@enea.it

1. BACKGROUND

A significant number of countries worldwide have already expressed their interest in expanding or embarking for the first time on nuclear programmes. A number of these countries have currently limited nuclear activities and a demonstrated need for well qualified personnel to initiate and sustain a safe and secure nuclear power programme.

Well-trained and highly qualified human resources, together with comprehensive Education and Training (E&T), are key elements for planning and implementing sustainable nuclear programmes in all areas of nuclear applications. Specialists and experts in this area will ensure the setting up of the necessary national safety and security infrastructure and the required high level of safety and security within a framework of control and supervision. Efforts are needed to establish an effective process for the development and transfer of knowledge and to ensure the preservation and availability of resources in universities, research facilities and the nuclear industry, in general.

As a result, national and international Education and Training (E&T) activities in the nuclear field are urgently needed in order to ensure the development and strengthening of nuclear safety and security infrastructure in the countries concerned. On the one hand, major efforts must be directed towards attracting sufficient numbers of bright and highly motivated students to the field. On the other, it is essential to support States and universities or other educational institutions in their efforts to establish and provide high quality E&T in the area of nuclear safety and security. These measures will enable the next generation to prepare for the challenges the future will bring in this area, and at the same time promote the development of sustainable human resources, thus contributing to capacity building at the institutional and State level, including an adequate and sustainable regulatory framework.

Major efforts are required by the countries embarking on nuclear power to develop the infrastructures and capabilities needed for the legislative and regulatory framework, nuclear safety, security, emergency preparedness and response and radioactive waste management planning. A number of initiatives are already in place or planned at international and bilateral levels. These initiatives include the efforts underway to increase the number of well trained specialists and highly educated experts in this area through a variety of education and training programmes. The sharing of knowledge, best practices and lessons learned is essential in order to enable emerging nuclear power countries to make informed policy decisions, and to develop the required institutional capacity building in relation to safety, safeguards and security.

The international workshop organized by the NSSG Italian presidency, under the auspices of the Italian government and in close cooperation with the IAEA, the European Commission, and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment (ENEA) aims to provide an international forum to address the importance and urgency of capacity building at an institutional level in the area of nuclear safety and security education and training.

The international workshop is also intended to identify concrete actions reflecting current and future needs, which will assist States to establish or improve their nuclear safety and security framework, through effective and efficient capacity building in education and training on nuclear safety and security in their countries in order to strengthen the global nuclear safety and security framework.

2. OBJECTIVES

1. To provide an international forum to address the importance and urgency of capacity building at an institutional level in the area of nuclear safety and security education and training.
2. To discuss human resources development, including education and training, required to establish and maintain a sustainable institutional infrastructure for the safe and secure introduction and expansion of nuclear power programmes and to identify current and future needs in this area.
3. To promote effective coordination and cooperation among international organizations, governments, and industry and academic communities needed to ensure synergies and avoid overlapping in the efforts to establish, maintain and evaluate sustainable capacity building at an institutional level for emerging and expanding nuclear power countries and to promote educational partnerships and networks that will contribute to the global nuclear safety and security framework.

3. TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience is senior professional staff of regulatory bodies and other relevant government organizations, human resource managers from the nuclear industry and nuclear power utilities, senior staff from law enforcement agencies (e.g. customs and police, defence forces and intelligence services), radwaste management organisations, relevant international organizations (e.g. World Nuclear Association, World Association of Nuclear Operators, the World Nuclear University) as well as academic staff from universities in countries that are interested in promoting academic programmes focusing on nuclear safety and security.

4. VENUE AND PLACE

Date: 8-9 October 2009
Location: Bologna, Italy

5. PROPOSED TOPICS

Topic 1: International framework for capacity building on nuclear safety and security.

This session will present the essential elements for the development and establishment of a national nuclear safety and security framework based on the international instruments and the IAEA safety standards and Nuclear Security Series, with a view to capacity building in the area of nuclear safety and security education and training. It will include, inter alia, an overview of the following points:

- IAEA safety standards and IAEA Nuclear Security Series;
- The human resource development requirements for the establishment of a sustainable national nuclear safety and security framework;
- The connection between nuclear education and knowledge management;
- Quality assurance in education and training, benchmarking and possible improvements.

Topic 2: Lessons Learned – Necessary national infrastructure and capacity building efforts at an institutional level for the introduction of safe and secure nuclear power programmes.

In this session, nuclear power countries and international organisations will share knowledge and experience gained in establishing and sustaining capacity building at an institutional level in nuclear power programmes, focusing on lessons learned in the development of the required institutional, organizational, human and technical capacity building in relation to safety and security.

It will include experiences from industrialized countries with established and continuing nuclear power programmes, and countries with small-scale nuclear power programmes, thus prompting discussion of the challenges relating to human resource development and education and training for countries embarking on nuclear power programmes or for countries undertaking new builds after a long interval.

Topic 3: Human resources development aspects of capacity building in nuclear safety and security programmes.

This session is intended to examine the existing education and training initiatives by the EU, IAEA, OECD/NEA and other international organizations, universities, and national and regional training centres. It will also deal with national, regional and international cooperation in education and training, including networking and current trends of the human resource development aspect of nuclear safety and security capacity building, including education and training.

Topic 4: The way forward

Session 4 is a discussion panel in which the chairs of the three previous sessions outline the conclusions of each session and point the way forward.

This session is intended to identify prioritized and tangible actions reflecting current and future needs at an institutional level to assist States in establishing effective and efficient capacity building in education and training on nuclear safety and security in their countries, ultimately contributing to strengthening the global nuclear safety and security framework.

6. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The workshop will consist of an opening session, three technical sessions and a panel discussion as well as a concluding session.
The opening session will consist of opening addresses and a keynote speech to highlight and prioritise urgent education and training policy issues for sustainable development and implementation of nuclear safety and nuclear security for countries embarking on or expanding nuclear power programmes.

The three technical sessions will focus on the individual topical issues outlined above. Finally, conclusions will be drawn and recommendations will be put forward.
Each session, except for the concluding session, will consist of:

• Opening of the session by chair
• Invited paper(s)
• Open discussion.

The concluding session will consist of a discussion panel with the chairpersons of each technical session. Each chairperson will present a summary and the conclusions of the respective session. The discussions will identify concrete actions to be taken and possible future initiatives and/or strategies that will support the development of effective and efficient institutional capacity building in education and training in the area of nuclear safety and nuclear security in States that will ultimately lead to an enhanced global nuclear safety and security framework.

7. EXPENDITURES/GRANTS

No registration fee is charged to participants.

8. WORKING LANGUAGE

The working language of the workshop will be English. All communications must be sent to the organizers in English.

9. ACCOMMODATION

A number of hotel rooms will be blocked by the organizers. The information and the deadline for obtaining negotiated hotel rates will be made available in due time.

10. VISA

Participants who require a visa (Schengen visa) to enter Italy should submit the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular representative of Italy as soon as possible. Please note that this process could take up to one month.