Tokyo, Japan -- The IAEA Nuclear Energy Management (NEM) School opened up its doors on 27 May 2013 for a second consecutive year in Tokyo, Japan. This year's course follows NEM schools that served young professionals since 2010 in Italy, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
The purpose of the NEM schools is to transfer nuclear knowledge and practical experience to educate future leaders in managing nuclear energy programmes. Young professionals with managerial potential from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sudan, Thailand and Vietnam are attending the programme in Japan. The majority of the 32 participants come from developing countries that are interested in generating nuclear power to enhance sustainable development.
The first part of the three-week course will be conducted in Tokyo, focusing on the essential information required for managing nuclear power safely, securely, sustainably and profitably. The school will then move to Tokaimura, concentrating on the practical aspects of the IAEA's mandate in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
The NEM course curriculum covers a range of topics on the peaceful uses of nuclear technology that are relevant to the participating countries. More than 30 experts from the IAEA and other institutions will provide their expertise and experience to the course participants. The course also serves to build nuclear technology capacity in Member States and is a networking platform for the attending young professionals.
Background
A successful nuclear programme requires the establishment of a sustainable national infrastructure that provides governmental, legal, regulatory, industrial, technological, administrative and human support throughout its life cycle. In 2010, the IAEA, together with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, instituted a dedicated "school" to provide specialised knowledge for managing a national nuclear programme, supporting Member States acquiring broad knowledge and understanding of the main issues in all areas of nuclear energy management.
After an invitation and an offer of funding from the Government of Japan, the IAEA, jointly with the University of Tokyo, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF), organized the first NEM School in Japan in 2012 for young nuclear managers from Asian countries. Asia is the region where nuclear energy is projected to grow rapidly in the 21st century.
This year's NEM School in Japan is again funded by the Government of Japan and is organized by the IAEA in cooperation with the JAEA, JAIF, Japan Nuclear Human Resource Development Network and the University of Tokyo.
The Japanese partner organisations are interested in hosting future NEM schools in Japan and act as a regional provider for specialised training for young professionals in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.