NONPROLIFERATION EDUCATION INITIATIVES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF SAFEGUARDS SPECIALISTS

Nuclear energy has played an important role in electricity production for the last half-century. Today, the United States (U.S.) has over 100 nuclear reactors providing almost 20% of its electricity in 65 locations, has 17 license applications to build 26 new nuclear reactors since mid 2007, and has plans to extend reactor lifetimes from 40 to 60 years to enhance economic competitiveness of plants. The present situation in nuclear power generation throughout the world is varied. As of March 2008 there are 439 nuclear power plants around the world. While 35 are under construction, the U.S. has the most with 104, France has 59, Japan has 55, and Russia has 31 and seven more under construction. Even in countries not now developing additional nuclear power, qualified people are needed to operate the existing plants and fuel-cycle facilities, manage radioactive waste, and prepare for future decommissioning of existing plants. Now and for generations to come, these activities will require expertise in nuclear engineering and science if safety, security, and nonproliferation are to be maintained and the environment protected. The ability of universities to attract top-quality students to high-quality nuclear technology programs, meet future staffing requirements of the nuclear industry, and conduct leading-edge research in nuclear topics is a key initiative for developing the next generation of safeguards specialists. However a number of concerns exist: x The decreasing number and the dilution of nuclear programs x The lack of young faculty members to replace ageing and retiring faculty members x Ageing research facilities, which are being closed or not replaced A broad and deeply rooted nuclear education competence is essential to properly master the wide area of science and technologies extensively used in the nuclear domain. This paper will describe areas of collaborations between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Global Nuclear Security Technology Division (GNSTD) subject matter experts, other national laboratories, nuclear facilities, and universities in the area of nuclear nonproliferation.