Vietnam

Background: 1923-1924: Beginning of use of radioactive sources for cancer treatment in Vietnam (namely in the L'Institut de Radium de L'Indochine, which was founded in Hanoi on 19 October 1923; 1960-1969: Nuclear physics began to be studied in the following education institutions in the country: - University of Natural Sciences (in Hanoi); - Institute of Physics (in Hanoi); - Hanoi University of Technology (in Hanoi); - Saigon University and Nuclear Reactor in Da Lat (South Vietnam). Since the early 1960s, nuclear techniques were applied in Vietnam for searching coal mines and minerals. Since then there were more and more demands in nuclear engineer for industrial applications. According to idea of the first Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education of Vietnam, the Late Prof. Ta Quang Buu, on introducing Nuclear Engineering Education into the country, preparation for establishing the Department of Nuclear Engineering Physics (DONEP) was started at the end of 1967. This process led to the establishment of the DONEP at Hanoi University of Technology (HUT) in 1970. The objectives of nuclear engineering education programme of HUT are as follows: - To develop peaceful applications of atomic energy in Vietnam; - To prepare initial engineering manpower for introduction of nuclear energy into Vietnam. The number of students enrolled in the nuclear engineering education programme at HUT was 10-15 people every year during 1970-1990. The period 1990-1999 was the most difficult post-Chernobyl time for nuclear education in the country. During this time, the HUT's DONEP could not enrol any new students to follow its education programme. In order to overcome the severe difficulties in this period, DONEP had to adapt its programme considerably. The education programme of DONEP was adapted by keeping its above mentioned traditional objectives without any changes but successfully realizing a fruitful combination of the field of nuclear engineering and the field of environmental physics, thus keeping nuclear engineering education alive at HUT. Right after DONEP took such adaption and simultaneously renamed the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Physics (DONEEP) in February 2000, many students came to follow the education programme in Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Physics (NEEP) at HUT. Since 2000-2001, new students continuously come to follow the HUT's NEEP-programme and every year a group of 6 to 13 students receive a Diploma of Engineering degree in NEEP. There were very important landmarks for nuclear engineering education in Vietnam in 2006 and 2007. The strategy for peaceful uses of atomic energy in the country up to 2020 was approved by the Prime Minister on 3 January 2006. It is in this strategy that the introduction of a nuclear power plant into the country was officially pronounced for the first time. The Master Plan for implementation of the strategy was approved by the Prime Minister of next term on 23 July 2007. According to the Master Plan, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has the main responsibility in setting up education projects in nuclear engineering HRD. These events bring strong impulses for nuclear engineering education in general and particularly for nuclear power engineering education in the country. To meet the demands for nuclear engineers and for introducing nuclear energy and other peaceful applications of atomic energy into the country, the DONEEP made great efforts towards upgrading itself. Its two-year persevering preparation full of difficulties has resulted in the establishment of the Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Physics (INEEP) at HUT according to the decision of the Minister of MOET of Vietnam on 4 April 2008. In the academic year 2008-2009, the INEEP established its new education programme which has come into force in 2009-2010. The new education programme at NEEP at HUT consists of three parts as follows: - The first part of the NEEP-Programme consists of 130 credits considered for the first four years of study; - The second part of the NEEP-Programme consists of 30 credits for the fifth year of study; - The third part of the NEEP-Programme consists of 36 credits for applications field or 43 credits for research field, which are considered for one year of study. Having finished the first part, a student can receive a Bachelor degree. The Diploma of engineering degree will be issued to students who successfully finish 160 credits including 130 credits of the first part and 30 credits of the second part. The NEEP-engineers, having successfully completed the third part of the programme, will receive a Diploma of Master degree. The students who are involved in NEEP-Programme for a master degree but are not NEEP-engineers should complete a number of supplementary credits. In order to meet the demands of the country in development of nuclear engineering human resources, the MOET had set up a Council for Establishing a Mandatory Skeleton Programme of Education in Nuclear Engineering (CEMSPE in NE) at the end of December 2008 for Vietnam's higher education institutions. The CEMSPE in NE consisted of 11 members from universities and related scientific organizations. The Skeleton Programme proposed by the Council in May 2009 is considered for an engineer degree and has 98 mandatory credits. Universities should insert into the Skeleton Programme at least 52 additional credits selected by themselves to set up their full programme of education for engineer degree in nuclear engineering. Universities should also base on this Skeleton Programme to set up their programme for bachelor degree in nuclear engineering. The aforementioned measures are the useful steps in adjusting nuclear engineering education towards providing the nuclear engineering human resources for the first nuclear power plants in the country in the 2020s years