Sustainable Education in Nuclear Science and Technology (L53003)

Education in nuclear science and technology for both power and non-power applications is relevant for a vast majority of countries. However the environment for nuclear education is changing. Teaching methods and techniques have evolved and trends in enrolment into science and engineering studies vary from country to country. Understanding the current tendencies and changing context of nuclear education is important, including identifying and sharing best practices, methods and tools, identifying present workforce supply and demand conditions, and proposing new strategic actions. Member States are interested in a better comprehension of the issues around nuclear education that might help in enhancing sustainability and quality of nuclear degree programmes, and in contributing to ensure safe usage of nuclear technologies by fostering efficacy and efficiency in the teaching / learning processes.

Academia is primarily charged with increasing the knowledge of students through education and is facing many challenges and opportunities created by the modern information and communication technologies. As well, nuclear universities have to address the changing needs of the nuclear sector. Understanding and assessing the current situation, tendencies, challenges and new available tools and methods in education can improve quality, sustainability and effectiveness of the process.

Efficiency will be augmented by making the information available worldwide and fostering cooperation. Qualification and competence of nuclear workers is critical for safe use of nuclear technologies. Current research is focusing on innovations for and tendencies in nuclear education, to ensure that graduate qualifications meet the requirements of the nuclear field. The research results will directly impact capacity development capabilities in countries that use and/or embark in using nuclear technologies.

CRP Overall Objective

To provide Member States' organizations involved in nuclear education and training with relevant and validated information, which will support them in advancing nuclear education. The knowledge obtained from the CRP should contribute in improving sustainability and quality of the teaching / learning process, and foster effectiveness and efficiency through increased cooperation and adoption of innovative practices.

Specific research objectives:

1. To understand the impact of adopting modern information and computer technologies in nuclear education 
2. To formulate main principles for cooperation and collaboration approaches and formats between industry, university and government, and among countries and regions (e.g. networking and resource sharing mechanisms) 
3. To collect outreach best practices applied by academia to address schools and society 
4. To understand and analyse demographic situation in nuclear education, including supply and demand issues 
5. To develop a set of benchmarking approaches for nuclear education 
6. To collect experience and methods of addressing challenges in “nuclearization” of non-nuclear engineers and scientists 
7. To map nuclear competences in nuclear education

Expected research outcomes

1. Impact assessment of contemporary practices in advancing nuclear education by adopting information and computer technologies 
2. Information on cooperation and collaboration approaches and formats between industry, universities and government, and among countries and regions (e.g. networking and resource sharing mechanisms) 
3. Survey results on outreach best practices applied by academia to address schools and society identified and assessed 
4. Better information on demographics and gender in nuclear education, including supply and demand issues collected and distributed 
5. Proposal about benchmarking and assessment of nuclear education programmes developed and applied in pilot cases 
6. Proposal on “nuclearization” of non-nuclear engineers and scientists developed 
7. Taxonomic competency map in nuclear education

The final outcomes would be defined in close cooperation with the participating organizations to provide better awareness on the most appropriate contemporary practices and clear understanding of trends and tendencies in nuclear education in different countries

Who should join the CRP?

All the stakeholders involved in nuclear education can present a research proposal. It is not expected that every organization posing a research proposal will touch all the topics. You can target your research scope to the topics of your interest, from the specific research objectives mentioned above. All participants will benefit by collaborating and sharing the research outcomes.

The potential CRP participants should be stakeholders or providers of education related to nuclear science and technology. These could be for example, universities and academia, research and development organizations, industrial organizations, governmental institutions, as well as educational networks and international organizations.

How to join the CRP?

Please submit your Proposal for Research Contract or Agreement directly to the IAEA’s Research Contracts Administration Section, using the form templates on the CRA web site (preferably via email): research.contracts@iaea.org, preferably before 20 June 2015.