DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM FOR ACADEMIC TRAINING OF PERSONNEL ENGAGED IN NUCLEAR MATERIAL PROTECTION, CONTROL AND ACCOUNTING IN RUSSIA.

Main attention in the present paper is focused at discussing the educational problems in area of nuclear materials physical protection, control and accountability (MPC&A) in Russia. General scheme of Russian educational system is considered with main emphasis on the directions under implementation now, namely academic training system, retraining system and specialists qualification upgrade system in MPC&A area. Russian academic training system consists of the educational programs at various levels: Bachelor of Sciences, Master of Sciences, Specialist (also referred to as an Engineer Degree), and professional re-training of the personnel already working in the nuclear field. Currently, only the Master of Sciences Graduate Program is completely developed for the students training. This is taking place at Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (State University, MEPhI), where the fourth generation of Masters has graduated from in May 2003. The graduates are now working at nuclear-related governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities, and nuclear facilities. Development of the system to produce academically trained Russian MPC&A personnel is therefore well underway. MEPhI’s MPC&A Engineering Degree Program which currently under development is considered in the paper. Analysis of MPC&A needs at Russian nuclear facilities has demonstrated the Engineering Degree Program is the best way to satisfy these needs and the resulting demands for MPC&A specialists at Russian nuclear enterprises. This paper discusses specific features of the Engineering Degree training required by Russian education legislation and the Russian system of quality control as applied to the training process. The paper summarizes the main joint actions undertaken during the past three years by MEPhI in collaboration with the US Department of Energy and US national laboratories to develop the MPC&A Engineering Degree Program in Russia. These actions include opening a new Engineering Degree specialty, Safeguards and Nonproliferation of Nuclear Materials, in the Russian register of specialties; licensing two Russian universities for academic training in the new specialty; developing the curricula for the specialty, including tracks for physical protection and material control and accounting; and recruiting the first student group in 2002.