Nuclear Education, Skills and Technology (NEST) Board assembles for 6th meeting in Paris

6th NEST Board Meeting (Paris)

The NEST Management Board held its sixth meeting at the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in Paris assembling members from 10 countries on 10-11 October.

The purpose of this meeting was for the Board to review the impacts of the six NEST projects, and discuss future planning in outreach and co-operation with partners and stakeholders.

NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV opened the meeting, highlighting the importance of the NEST Framework for ensuring the future development of the nuclear energy industry.

“As the energy crisis becomes more evident, the importance of the NEST Framework engaging the young generation in nuclear increases,” commented Director-General Magwood.

The NEST Framework helps to address important gaps in nuclear skills capacity building, knowledge transfer and technical innovation in an international context, and currently includes six projects:

  1. Hydrogen containment experiments for reactor safety (HYMERES)
  2. Small modular reactors (SMRs)
  3. Advanced remote technology and robotics for decommissioning (ARTERD)
  4. Radioactive waste management of i-graphite,
  5. Medical applications, nuclear technologies, radioprotection and safety (MANTRAS), and
  6. Building competence, Expert Knowledge, Applied techniques, Safe de-commissioning, Train fellows (BEAST)

These international and multidisciplinary projects serve as a platform to offer NEST Fellows (Master’s and PhD students, and young professionals) opportunities to develop their skills and acquire practical experience under the supervision of leading experts in the field, NEST mentors.

NEST Board meeting with NEA Director-General Magwood NEA Director-General William D. Magwood addresses the 6th NEST Board Management meeting in Paris.  

In addition to hearing from Board members, the group welcomed observers from the International Atomic Energy Agency, European Commission, European Nuclear Education Network and Generation IV International Forum, who presented existing co-operation initiatives in partner organisations.

Over the two days, the group discussed initial impact of the Fellowships, feedback from the projects, the expansion of the Framework – with Romania expected to soon become the eleventh NEST country - and the group’s plans to focus on attracting and supporting more women to the nuclear industry and to  increase synergies with the Global Forum on nuclear education, science, technology and policy

Discussions around the current NEST projects focused on the Fellows at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) as part of HYMERES, the SMR ‘Press Pitch’ held in October in Toronto, Canada, the extension of the project ARTERD until the end of 2024 and the inaugural BEAST summer school in Germany.

Management Board members will reconvene in the spring 2023 for their seventh NEST Management Board meeting.

To learn more about the NEST Framework, visit here.

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