Education for the atomic age

The rapid development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy has necessarily led to an increasing demand for manpower trained in the various branches of nuclear science and technology. The expansion of education and training in these fields has not always been able to keep pace with the steady rise in demand, and many countries have been faced with the problem of an acute shortage of trained personnel. Training in nuclear science and technology is one of the major problems that are being tackled by the International Atomic Energy Agency. But obviously a problem of this magnitude cannot be solved solely by the direct effort of international organizations; its solution would call for the concerted effort of every nation interested in the development of atomic energy. Besides, there must be a suitable educational base for the success of any kind of advanced training. In other words, general educational institutions will have to complete the groundwork that must precede any kind of specialization in nuclear science and technology. The need has long been felt for an exchange of expert views on the subject, for a detailed discussion of the problem as a whole. This was recently done at an international seminar organized jointly by IAEA and UNESCO, the two international bodies which have major responsibilities in this field. The opening session of the seminar was followed by four main sessions. The first session dealt with the role of the universities in nuclear education, the second was concerned with education in nuclear technology in the engineering colleges, the third one discussed the education and training at nuclear research centres and the fourth session was devoted to the role of international organizations in this field. The four main sessions were complemented by panel discussions on (a) nuclear education at the secondary school level, (b) nuclear education at the advanced University level, (c) training in health physics, and (d) special problems. During the seminar, the participants were shown round the Saclay Nuclear Research Centre. They also visited the French National Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, where the available facilities and training methods were explained.