World's trends in nuclear education

Since the exhort of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in 1955, to promote the pacific uses of nuclear energy, countries that had developed military nuclear programs extended their research and training programs to cover pacific uses. Consequently, many programs on Nuclear Engineering and Nuclear Chemistry were established in those countries as well as in many others interested exclusively in the civil applications. Obviously, the new graduated curricula had the purpose to fulfil the manpower requirements of the growing nuclear market, so much in the power as in the applications fields, always keeping the high academic level required by the research and development of this technology. The slowing down in the nuclear power demand, evident in the nineties, caused a diminution in the matriculation in Nuclear Engineering degrees while that in Nuclear and Radiochemistry remained almost constant. Anyway, countries with defined nucleo electric programs took the necessary steps calling, frequently, for foreign personnel. Besides the nuclear power stagnation, the global growing of environmental pollution compelled several countries to transform their old Nuclear Centers in new Centers for Energy and Environmental Research, with the purpose to promote the research and development of all types of primary energy; in general, these new centers maintain their support to Nuclear and Radiochemistry activities. An important characteristic of these organisations (discussed in this work) is the collaboration they offer to universities for thesis work and experimental courses in these increasingly related fields. In fact, before the immediate world's problems of greenhouse and water scarcity, as well as the future demand of electricity, nuclear power returns as the long term solution and a bridge toward the Hydrogen Economy; however, better reactor's designs are required to fulfil such objectives. By now, analytical nuclear methods have proved their usefulness for pollutants determination and industrial quality control. As well, the use of tracers in Industry, Medicine, Biochemistry, etc., has long been established requiring, at its turn, an increasingly fine radiochemical preparation. Finally, the use of radiation sources in industrial and research activities calls too for highly qualified personnel. Even more, the growing regulations of nuclear energy demand a higher number of specialists in Health Physics. Unlike Basic Science, Applied Science must necessarily follow present and future market needs. This is of course valid for the applied branch of Nuclear Science, who has two components: the applications of radioisotopes and radiations and the power generation; the first one shows a very foreseeable development but the power one not yet. Therefore, educational systems need cover, in general, both aspects with an emphasis in that one considered the more relevant to every country. This work analyses the development and present situation of nuclear education in several countries (USA, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, China, etc.) as well as the collective efforts promoted by the IAEA and other organisations such as the WNA. Statistical data of matriculation are presented. Some particular curricula are discussed and the main experimental facilities are mentioned. Conclusions are obtained regarding present lacks in training programs and some fore sights are made about probable trends derived from foreseeable scenarios.