Status of Nuclear Science Education and the Needs for Competency Based Education at the Beginning of Nuclear Power Programme in Turkey

Full text: In Turkey, in recent years, public opinion is mostly positive towards the establishment of NPPs because electricity demand is ever-increasing with a growing population and developing economy. For peaceful nuclear energy use, Turkey ratified the NPT in 1979 and has had a safeguards agreement, and its Additional Protocol since 2001. However, Turkey has not accumulated the essential nuclear knowledge and experience until now. The present nuclear education and training programmes are not focused on nuclear safety and power technology. There is lack of competencies concerned with measuring and monitoring, instrumentation and control for a safe operation of a reactor, and other specific nuclear equipment and facilities on site. The urgent needs should be determined to commence a competency based education in which the younger generations will instill confidence to nuclear technology. In nuclear training and education programs, it should be given a priority to nuclear safety and security culture. This should be a key requirement for newcomers to nuclear technology. In this presentation, the present status of nuclear science education in Turkey is discussed briefly and the fundamental arguments are dealt to focus on competency based nuclear education. Within international community, Turkey can seek collaborations and can consider the new challenges to tackle with the present difficulties in nuclear education programmes as a newcomer country. (author