Topics on Education Activities in Japanese Nuclear Industries

The progression of an aging society with fewer children or a foreseeable decrease in population has caused the nuclear power plants under planning canceled or delayed. As a result, the number of students graduating with a nuclear degree began to decrease, while the development of the next generation light water reactor or of the practical use of the fast breeder reactor requires many skilled engineers. Atomic Energy Commission of Japan realized this potential impact of human resources. The Commission submitted the Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy including this issue to the government. The report says that without future talent development, Japan will lose its competitiveness against other industrialized countries, and that without replenishment after a large number of baby boomers retire, the shortage of specialists in the radiation field will occur. In conjunction with the Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry carried out the Nuclear Power Human Resources Development Program in 2007 fiscal year. The program focused on i) Support of educational activities, such as basic nuclear education and research, internship, and preparation of core curriculums and texts for nuclear power, ii) Implementation of research in the basic and infrastructure technology fields supporting the nuclear power (ex. structural strength, material strength, welding, erosion/corrosion, heat transfer, radiation safety). This program will continue till the end of 2009 fiscal year. Besides in order to promote nuclear power acceptance and to secure diversity, effective measures should be taken to support young, women, and foreign researchers and to promote their utilization. Mitsubishi accepts overseas students and researchers as an internship every year, and accelerates the safety architecture in the world. (author)