History of the WNUSI

The Summer Institute was conceived during a meeting of WNU stakeholders hosted by the IAEA in Vienna in June 2004. The participants agreed on the advantages of such an institute not only for the selected participants, but also for industry, government, and institutions of higher education. According to the Vienna report:

The purpose of the WNU Summer Institute is to provide a unique educational experience aimed at building future global leadership in the fields of nuclear science and technology.

The Summer Institute will do so by providing, to a select group of graduate students and young professionals from throughout the world, a period of intense high-quality education designed to:

• Present cutting-edge knowledge and broad international perspective on the full range of political, environmental and social issues surrounding the peaceful application of nuclear technology; 
• Expose participants to the world's leading thinkers and educators in topics relevant to nuclear applications;
• Enable participants to experience practical teamwork, and to establish lasting bonds, with peers from many nations;
• Inspire participants to commit themselves to advancing the global contribution of nuclear science and technology.

The original concept for the WNUSI was for it to take place in a different part of the world each year. After the first Summer Institute in Idaho Falls, USA, the event then moved to Stockholm in Sweden in 2006. In 2007, it was South Korea's turn to host the event, while in 2008, the event returned to North America (Ottawa, Canada).

Starting from 2009, the idea is to host the event permanently at Oxford University in the UK. Oxford's proximity to the WNU Coordinating Centre in London, and the continuity achieved through holding the event in a single location underlie this decision.

The table below provides statistics on previous WNUSI. Click on a location to see the WNUSI programme for that year.

To date a total of 367 Fellows from 58 countries have attended the WNUSI. Of the 58 countries, 33 have operating nuclear power plants (NPP), four have NPP programmes but do yet have operating reactors, four have had NPP programmes in the past, while 17 do not have NPP programmes. Of the 367 Fellows, 280 have been sponsored by their company, while 87 have been supported by the IAEA.