Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology: Addressing Current and Emerging Development Challenges - Programme

Conference Programme

Conference Venue: Plenary (BR- B/M1), M Building, First Floor
 

MONDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2018

10:00-18:00     Registration

TUESDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 2018

08:00-18:00     Registration

WEDNESDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2018

09:30-10:30     OPENING SESSION

• Screening of film, Atoms for Life: Tackling global challenges with nuclear science
• Opening Statement by Co-chair, HE Ms Epsy Campbell Barr, Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica
• Opening Statement by Co-chair, HE Mr Kiyoto Tsuji, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan
• Opening statement by Mr Yukiya Amano, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• Inauguration of the new Nuclear Applications Laboratory in Seibersdorf
• Remarks by Mr LI Yong, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
• Remarks by Ms Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• Inauguration of the new Nuclear Applications Laboratory in Seibersdorf
• Keynote address by HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
• Keynote address by Mr Thomas Reiter, Interagency Coordinator, European Space Agency (ESA)

10:30-13:00     Ministerial Segment

13:00-14:30     Lunch break

13:00-14:30     Side Events

14:30-17:45     Ministerial Segment (continued)

17:45-18:00     Presentation of the Ministerial Declaration

18:00                Reception hosted by the Co-Chairs, Costa Rica and Japan, and the IAEA Director General (M Building, Ground Floor)

THURSDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2018

09:00-10:30     Ministerial Segment (continued)

10:30-10:35     Video message by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco

10:35-12:30     SESSION 1: Improving Quality of Life

The contribution of applications of nuclear science and technology to the wellbeing of society is visible all around. The IAEA has been at the forefront of enlarging the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology for sustainable development in Member States through capacity building, technology transfer and the dissemination of knowledge, mainly and especially through its Technical Cooperation Programme. In this session, the Conference will discuss factors that impact the quality of life such as energy, materials, industry, environment, food and agriculture, nutrition, human health and water resources, and the various techniques which contribute to socio-economic sustainable development, as well as their ever-expanding innovations in new areas with unprecedented possibilities. The discussion will include the role of the IAEA in the delivery of these techniques to its Member States.

     10:35-11:30     PANEL 1.1A: Essential elements of well-being

     Moderator: Mr Philippe Scholtès, Managing Director, UNIDO 

     Panellists:     

• Mr Ahmed A. Basfar, Professor and Director, National Centre for Radiation Protection, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, Saudi Arabia
  
  - Clean evironment: How can radiation help to reduce the burden of pollutants and hazards (Presentation)
   
• Mr Rabé Sanoussi, Direction Générale des Ressources en Eau, Niger
  
  - Water – the elixir of life! How can isotopic techniques help search for and manage water resources (Presentation)
   
• Mr Berhe Tekola, Director, Division of Animal Production and Health, FAO
  
  - Food security and essential elements of well-being (Presentation)
   
• Mr Ricardo Uauy, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, University of Chile/London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Chile
  
  - Nutrition – the role of nuclear techniques for health and disease management (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

     11:30-12:30     PANEL 1.1B: Human health

     Moderator: Mr Nicholas Banatvala, Senior Advisor on Non-Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization (WHO)  

     Panellists:     

• Ms Sylvie Chevillard, Head, Experimental Cancerology Lab, CEA
  
  - Metallic nanoparticles: Promising tools to enhance efficacy and dosimetry in radiotherapy (Presentation)
   
• Ms Mary Gospodarowicz, Medical Director, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Canada; former President, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
  
  - Harnessing new technologies for health (Presentation)
   
• Mr Jun Hatazawa, Professor and Chairman, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics; Director, Medical Imaging Center for Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
  
  - Nuclear medicine: Molecular medicine; unique tool for diagnosis and therapy of diseases (Part 1) (Presentation)
   
• Mr Jatinder R Palta, Professor and Chair of Medical Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University; Chief Physicist, National Radiation Oncology Program, Veterans Health Affairs, United States of America
  
  - Nuances and safe implementation of advanced radiotherapy (Presentation)
   
• Mr Mike Sathekge, Head, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria, South Africa
  
  - Nuclear medicine: Molecular medicine; unique tool for diagnosis and therapy of diseases (Part 2) (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

12:30-14:00     Lunch break

12:30-14:00     Side Events

SESSION 1: Improving Quality of Life (continued)

     14:00-15:15     PANEL 1.2: Nuclear technologies in industry, material sciences and beyond

     Moderator: Ms. Meera Venkatesh, Director, Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, IAEA 

     Panellists:     

• Mr Rachad Alami, Head, Division of Industrial Applications, Centre National de l’Energie, des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires (CNESTEN), Morocco
  
  - Nuclear technologies in industry: Nucleonic control systems (Presentation)
   
• Mr Tor Bjørnstad, Special Adviser and Professor Emeritus, Fluid Flow and Environmental Technology, Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Norway
  
  - They help us understand processes – we call them tracers (Presentation)
   
• Mr Pablo A. Vasquez Salvador, Research and Development Manager, Radiation Technology Centre, Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN-CNEN, Brazil
  
  - Radiation technology: From high performance materials to preserving cultural heritage (Presentation)
   
• Mr Ilham Mukriz Zainal Abidin, Head,  Non-destructive testing, Industrial Technology Division, Nuclear Malaysia, Malaysia
  
  - Non-destructive techniques (NDT) for safety, sustainability and economic growth (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

15:15-17:45     SESSION 2: Addressing Climate Change Challenges

Climate change is a global challenge that will impact all countries. Extreme temperatures, floods and droughts are becoming more frequent. Changes in food growth patterns are slowly becoming apparent. New human and animal diseases are appearing in regions where they used to be absent. In this session, the Conference will focus on the applications of nuclear science and technology to monitor environmental changes to the ecosystems and to adapt to new climate realities. Taking into account the discussions of the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century, held in Abu Dhabi from 30 October to 1 November 2017, the Conference will discuss the role of nuclear power in climate change mitigation, which many Member States consider to be an important option in this context. The discussion will include the role the IAEA should play in raising awareness and further enhancing the application of nuclear techniques in addressing climate change challenges.

     15:15-16:30     PANEL 2.1: Adaptation: Climate smart agriculture, water cycle and emergency preparedness

     Moderator: Mr Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Head, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Climate Adaptation Team 

     Panellists:     

• Mr Sevillo D. David, Jr. Ceso III, Executive Director, National Water Resources Board, Philippines
  
  - National water resources: Management and adaptation to challenges (Presentation)
   
• Ms Luz Rayda Gómez-Pando, Principal Professor, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Peru
  
  - The impact of improved crop varieties, adapted to harsh environments, on the livelihoods of the Andean natives of Peru (Presentation)
   
• Ms Ana Navas Izquierdo, Scientific Researcher, Department of Soil and Water, Estación Experimental Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain
  
  - Climate change and land degradation: The role of nuclear and isotopic techniques (Presentation)
   
• Mr Friedrich Schmoll, Director, Division of Animal Health, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Austria
  
  - Influences of climate change on emerging and re-emerging animal and zoonotic diseases (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

     16:30-17:45     PANEL 2.2: Monitoring and mitigation of the impact of climate change

     Moderator: Mr David Osborn, Director, IAEA Environment Laboratories, IAEA 

     Panellists:     

• Ms Marina Belyaeva, Director, Department for International Cooperation State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom", Russian Federation
  
  - Nuclear power: Increasing quality of life and addressing climate change challenges (Presentation)
   
• Ms Suchana Apple Chavanich, Associate Professor, Department of Marine Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
  
  - Taking actions to combat climate change’s impact on the ocean (Presentation)
   
• Mr Henrik Enevoldsen, Head, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae, University of Copenhagen; Technical Secretary of the IOC Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (IPHAB)
  
  - Challenges in monitoring biotoxins for seafood safety and the related needs for capacity development (Presentation)
   
• Mr Pavel Kabat, Chief Scientist and Research Director, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
  
  - Advancing our capabilities to monitor the climate system and climate change (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

18:00-21:00     Ministerial Segment (continued)

18:00-21:00     TEDx Event: Science, not fiction (Board Room A, M Building, Second Floor)

FRIDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2018

08:15-09:00     Side Events

09:00-10:00     Ministerial Segment (continued)

10:00-12:30     SESSION 3: Nuclear Science and Technology Applications: Sustaining, Enabling and Empowering

In this session, experiences related to, and options for, achieving the sustainable and safe use of nuclear technology will be shared and discussed. Education, training and an adequate institutional infrastructure are essential for the sustainable and safe use of nuclear science and technology in Member States, providing a strong knowledge foundation to enable research and development and to cater to a country’s specific needs to achieve its socio-economic development. For the effective use of the applications of nuclear science and technology, it is essential to have a holistic representation and participation of all segments of society, especially women and youth.

     10:00-11:15     PANEL 3.1: Women in nuclear science and technology

     Moderator: Ms Mary-Alice Hayward, Deputy Director General for Management, IAEA  

     Panellists:     

• Ms Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana
  
  - An overview of Ghana’s national science, technology and innovation (STI) system and strategies for implementing gender equality (Presentation)
   
• Mr Adi Paterson, CEO, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
  
  - Diversity and inclusion in action (Presentation)
   
• Ms Antonietta Rizzo, Head, Methods and Techniques for Nuclear Safety, Monitoring and Traceability Laboratory, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Italy
  
  - Lessons learned on the engagement of women in nuclear science and technology (Presentation)
   
• Ms Pilar Saborío de Rocafort, Former Resident Representative of Costa Rica to the IAEA
  
  - Promoting gender equality in science and technology: The view from the middle (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

     11:15-12:30     PANEL 3.2: Sustaining nuclear technology through capacity building

     Moderator: Mr Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director, Division for Africa, IAEA

     Panellists:     

• Ms Olga Lugovskaya, Head, Gosatomnadzor, Belarus
  
  - From post-Chernobyl to nuclear country: Belarus experience and Importance of radiation safety in all things nuclear (Presentation)
   
• Mr PR Vasudeva Rao, Vice Chancellor, Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), India
  
  - Nuclear science education and research – the Indian experience (Presentation)
   
• Mr Vladimír Šucha, Director General, Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Union
  
  - EU support to capacity building in the field of nuclear science applications (Presentation) 
   
• Mr Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto, Chairman, National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), Jakarta, Indonesia
  
  - Strategy of utilizing nuclear technology for people's welfare – Indonesia’s experience (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

12:30-14:00     Lunch break

12:30-14:00     Side Events

14:00-16:00     SESSION 4: The Way Forward

This session will highlight the central role of the IAEA to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. It will discuss the challenges and opportunities for the IAEA to enhance its support to Member States in meeting their development aspirations with the aim of contributing to their sustainable socio-economic development and helping to improve the quality of life and well-being of the people of the world. The discussion will include aspects such as resources for the Technical Cooperation Programme, leveraging opportunities for cooperative efforts with relevant international organizations and consolidating and exploring new opportunities for public and private partnerships.

     PANEL 4.1: Challenges and opportunities for the promotion of nuclear science and technology

     Moderator: Mr Vilmos Cserveny, Senior Advisor to the Resident Representative of Hungary to the IAEA 

     Panellists:     

• Mr William Maloney, Chief Economist, Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, World Bank
  
  - The innovation paradox: The unrealized promise of technological catch-up (Presentation)
   
• Ms Kathy McCarthy, Vice President for Research and Development, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Canada
  
  - Nuclear energy – key to climate change mitigation and quality of life (Presentation)
   
• Ms Fiona Rayment, Executive Director Nuclear Innovation and Research Office, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), United Kingdom
  
  - A UK perspective on the role of nuclear energy, the innovation imperative and importance of a sustainable diverse workforce (Presentation)
   
• Mr Khaled Toukan, Chairman, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, Jordan
  
  - Towards IAEA centers of excellence for regional cooperation in nuclear science and applications in the Middle East (Presentation)
   
• Mr Jianlong Wang, Vice President, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, China
  
  - Nuclear technology applications in China –  challenges and opportunities (Presentation)

Moderated Discussion | Q and A

16:00-16:30     Closing of the Conference and presentation of the Co-Chairs' summary