Programme Overview

 

Instruction

The WNU SI curriculum is designed to provide cutting-edge presentations on the full range of topics relevant to the future of nuclear technology. Presentations generally take place in the mornings, with topics falling into the following categories:

  • Global Setting, including energy supply and demand, global warming and climate change, nuclear technology in sustainable development, lessons in public acceptance, and key political issues and trends;
  • International Regimes, including safety, radiological protection, non-proliferation and security, waste management, transport, nuclear law, and global greenhouse emissions control;
  • Technology Innovation, including next-generation reactors, advanced fuel cycle, waste management, hydrogen production, desalination, advanced battery power;
  • Nuclear Industry Operations, including industry economics, knowledge management, fuel market, comparative risk assessment, and operational excellence.


Team-building and Leadership Development

In the afternoons, the selected participants or "Fellows" break into working groups composed of around ten people. A Fellow is likely to be assigned to three of these groups during the WNU SI, allowing him/her to work closely with a large number of people. Each group is overseen by a Mentor, one of a number of experienced academic or industry leaders that participate throughout the WNU SI. 

During working group sessions, Fellows engage in: Working Group meeting 

  • Review of the morning's presentations
  • Preparation of responses to challenging case studies assigned by faculty during the morning lectures
  • Presenting information about themselves, and nuclear programmes in their countries
  • Preparation of an in-depth presentation on a topic key to the future of the nuclear industry. Topics covered include: reprocessing, final repositories, international fuel banks, public perception.
  • Presentations are delivered at a Plenary session during the last week of the programme

As an integral part of the WNU SI leadership development programme, the Summer Institute includes presentations from "Invited Leaders" who have made notable contributions to the nuclear industry. As an adjunct to the established curriculum, Invited Leaders choose their message and are likely to discuss: 
* Their organization’s current and future work
* Major challenges they see unfolding in their area of interest and in the industry as a whole
* What particular characteristics future leaders should possess and how those traits can be developed.

 

Technical Tour

Fellows experience a one-week field trip to a variety of nuclear and industrial facilities. Technical tours include such facilities as:

  • Power reactors
  • Reprocessing plants
  • Research reactors
  • PWR primary circuit manufacturing plants
  • Fast breeder reactors
  • R&D facilities
  • Fuel manufacturing plants
  • Enrichment facilities
  • Nuclear fusion facilities
  • Interim and final waste storage facilities

 

Graduation

WNU Fellows graduate in a final ceremony, sometimes presided over by WNU Chancellor & IAEA Director General-Emeritus Hans Blix and/or WANO Chairman-Emeritus Zack Pate, as well as WNA Director General and WNU President John Ritch. Each WNU Fellow receives a certificate, which may be allowed by certain academic institutions as credit towards a degree.

 

 

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