Friday 1 October 2010

Korea signs MOUs with 50 countries on nuclear safety regulation cooperation

A total of 50 countries in the Middle East and Africa recently signed memoranda of understanding with the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) for the establishment of a nuclear safety regulation system, the advancement of cooperation, and incubation of nuclear specialists.

KINS, a state-funded organization of technical experts on nuclear regulatory authority, said on September 24 that it signed MOUs with the 28 countries of the Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA) and the 22 countries of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference, which was held in Vienna, Austria.

Under the MOUs, the institute will provide its package for national nuclear safety networks, dubbed "Integrated Regulatory Infrastructure Support Service" (IRISS), to participating countries. The IRISS package contains specialized human resource education and training programs, IT-based nuclear safety regulation systems and experienced technical help in establishing an infrastructure for nuclear power safety control systems.

This helps Korea secure its place as a leading country in nuclear technology, like the United States, France and Japan. However, none of these nuclear-advanced countries has signed such a large number of MOUs with countries on nuclear safety regulation cooperation.
President of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety Yun Choul Ho (center left, first row) poses with representatives of the 50 countries that signed MOUs on nuclear safety regulation technology cooperation in Vienna, Austria. (Photo courtesy of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety)
The institute will provide support in conducting safety analysis of nuclear power plants, environmental impact assessments, and will providing training courses to member countries of the FNRBA and the AAEA starting late this year. It will also hold workshops in Africa and the Middle East.

The institute will also offer more than ten overseas training courses every year, along with graduate courses in international nuclear safety through the International Nuclear Safety School, which is run and housed by the institute in alliance with the IAEA.

Nuclear power is a key source of energy in many countries that lack other resources to supply the energy needs of their citizens. In 2009, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan selected Korea to lead the construction of nuclear power plants in their countries.

According to KINS staff, since the UAE chose Korea as its partner for the establishment of nuclear power plant last year, countries in Middle Eastern and African regions have shown strong interest in the economic efficiency of Korea's nuclear power technology and its management of nuclear safety regulation systems.  It also speaks positively of international perception of the safety of Korea's nuclear power plant technology, the staff said.
President of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety Yun Choul Ho (right) shakes hands with Shamsideen B. Elegba, the Director-General of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, in Vienna, Austria. (Photo courtesy of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety)
The "KINS-KAIST International Nuclear Safety Master's Degree Program," which opened last year, also played a role in helping the institute conclude the latest MOUs.

In cooperation with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the 1.5 year graduate course is designed to educate and train high-caliber human resources as nuclear safety experts. The program attracts approximately ten students a year, including enrollees from overseas.

The institute played key role in the establishment of an infrastructure for nuclear power management and education programs, along with other support programs. 
source:Korea.net

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