Studying nuclear energy after Fukushima

March 11th, 2011. Nuclear engineering sector is hit by Fukushima's accident. A year has passed and it is now time to have a look on what has come out of this. The international institute of nuclear energy, I2EN, was inaugurated in France the same year.

Although this French government initiative was born before the Japanese accident, the institute, as all the actors in nuclear power industry, must integrate the lessons thought by the accident in its reflexion, its approach and its actions.

Claude Guet, I2EN's director, in charge of international affairs reminds us, during “Nuclear Power Asia 2012” conference last January, that “Three Mile Island accident made nuclear power stations' consideration and operator's formations evolve; Tchernobyl made safety culture the heart of nuclear power activity. Then the Japanese accident makes us have in consideration, in dimensioning plants, events considered as unthinkable. The critical challenge beyond us now is keeping qualifications, knowledge and skills steady to guarantee safety and reliability on the highest level.”

I2EN, based in Paris-Saclay Campus (France), nearby Paris, is the way to nuclear
formations for foreign countries. The challenge going with the formation is very important to the government. It has to make sure that lessons have been learnt from Fukushima's accident and that risks and responsibility are, more than ever, the heart of the Institute's teaching.

Formations in France and abroad
School delivering nuclear power courses proclaim that 100% of their students find a job after completing the program. Nuclear power is still essential in France as 75% of electricity consumed in the country is produced by the stations. In the world, this proportion, established around 10 %, is significant although it is not the first source of energy.

“Public opinion often links nuclear power stations to the probability of a major accident, the risk of a terrorist attack or the proliferation – Claude Guet explains while speaking in Kuala Lumpur. It is necessary to go about these questions with the sense of rigor, in a rational and open minded state of mind. Moreover, the balance between profit and risks must be in favor of the right side.”Next step, for the I2EN, in the concert of worldwide actors in nuclear formations: Warsaw.

Despite its German and Russian big neighbors, the country is about to launch its own
nuclear power production program, for independence. In this context, Warsaw University of technology will be hosting, in May 2012, the second nuclear power international congress.

As a proof of opening will and the activity's international dimension, the I2EN, for France, and the Oregon State University, for USA, are its official partners. Almost all of the related subjects will be analyzed as safety and formation, even public debate questions are going to be discussed.

Claude Guet, International Institute of Nuclear Energy