Kazakhstan to train specialists for future NPP
This September, the Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University is set to begin training specialists for the country’s first nuclear power plant to be built in ten years, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The unique educational program for maintenance and operation of a nuclear power plant was developed with the support of the IAEA. It covers key disciplines ranging from nuclear reactor physics and radiation safety to the installation and modernization of equipment. Students will pass an internship at strategic sites, including the National Nuclear Centre in Kurchatov and Ulba Metallurgical Plant which produces fuel assemblies using Kazakhstan’s uranium.
The educational process fully conforms to international nuclear safety requirements. The graduates are expected to become not only engineers but also specialists able to ensure the reliable and safe work of nuclear power plants, program teacher Aizhan Baidildina said.
In April, the university held an international forum with the participation of the IAEA and the National Research Nuclear University Mephi. Program teachers passed an internship at the NPP in Hungary and in October are expected to attend the sitting of the IAEA-facilitated network (STAR-NET) in Vienna.
According to the university, the program will pass an international accreditation during the first year to ensure the diplomas are valued globally and strengthen workforce capacity of the country’s atomic energy.