Utilization of research and training reactors in the study program of students at Slovak University of Technology

Full text: Preparation of operating staff for nuclear industry is and also has to be one of the most serious education processes mainly in the Central-European countries like Slovakia, Hungary or Czech Republic, where about 40-50 % of electricity is produced in nuclear power plants (NPP). A possible impact of operator failure on safe an economically effective operation of NPP is very high. Despite the fact that the automation in NPP-control made a huge progress, the human activity on all levels of operation is the determining factor for safe and reliable operation of NPP. High level of the operating staff education is determined by: the expertise of the teachers, the motivation of the students; the practical exercises, the material conditions (textbooks, models, simulation programs), effectiveness of education and training process (realistic time table, linkage of knowledge etc.) and the high level of basic education, good relation to mathematics, physics, computers, technical orientation, theoretical knowledge and skills. Technical universities like Slovak University of Technology (STU) in Bratislava take responsibility for the level of technical education of graduates. Excellent students can surely find jobs in nuclear industry, but for the operating staff it is recommended to study Power Plant Engineering and Power electronics. There is a possibility (beside the obligatory subjects) to choose a batch of 12 optional subjects focused on peaceful use of nuclear energy. In general, there exists a very extensive and also effective international collaboration in nuclear industry. Similarly good situation is also on the level of universities and technical high schools. STU Bratislava established contacts with many universities abroad. Thanks to the support from Slovenske elektrarne Plc., student graduates in nuclear power engineering specialisation have had (hopefully will have also in the future) possibilities not only to visit and to get acquainted with VVER-440 NPP technologies, but also to travel to perform practical exercises at foreign training or experimental reactors as: TRIGA II Reactor in Atomic Institute of the Austrian Universities, Vienna, Austria (3 practical exercises per study for about 10 students yearly since 1990); School Reactor of the Technical University of Budapest, Hungary (one week per study, about 10 students yearly since 1983); Training Reactor of the CVUT, Prague, Czech Republic (3 days per study, about 10 students yearly since 1998); Experimental reactor ASTRA in Austrian Research Center Seibersdorf (1999-2000) A 4 weeks' IAEA Regional Training Course 'Safety management and utilisation of research reactors' on Safety, Management and Utilization of Research Reactors was held in Bratislava (Slovakia) and Vienna (Austria) during March 05-30th 2001. IAEA in co-operation with the Department of Nuclear Physics and Technology of the Slovak University of Technology and the Atominstitut of Austrian Universities Vienna prepared and realized this training course with the aim to train junior staff from research reactors in various aspects of safety, management and utilization of research reactors. All participants had to have at least 4 years experiences in operation, management, utilization or regulation of research reactors. Lectures covered the topics in nuclear design and operation, neutron physics, reactor physics, health physics, dosimetry, reactor instrumentation, fuel management decontamination procedures, preparation of experiments at research reactors and others. Beside theoretical part of the course, the practical exercises at TRIGA II reactor in Vienna constituted an important part of training. ENEN - European Nuclear Education Network: Feasibility Study for Central-European Region. In frame of this project, prepared for the Central-European region, students participating in nuclear engineering education will visit participating institute to carry out laboratory practices and student as well as diploma work. We plan also exchange of students or pedagogues between different Universities. In the Central-European countries as Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the distance between participating partners allows to plan an exchange of students interested in nuclear engineering education. In fact, there is a tradition of long-term cooperation between Slovakia, Austria, Czech and Hungary base on the short-term students visits. Participants of this education project will send their students involved in their curriculum in nuclear engineering to other countries to the following practices. To BUTE, /Budapest/: 8 practices; To CTU /Prague/: 9 practices; To IJS /Ljubljana/: 5 practices; To SUT /Bratislava/: 4 practices; To TUVienna: 10 practices. Several specific features characterize education system in nuclear power engineering in Slovakia. Many of them were caused due to previous development in this field. Nevertheless, this system achieved certain level of quality, which has been confirmed not only through IAEA missions, but also in technical activities of organizations functioning in nuclear area. Slovak University of Technology is ready and would like to contribute to this system also in the future and hopefully on the international level. (author)