The training of specialists in the nuclear field is a priority in the cooperation between INRNE and NEA

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is home to the largest center for research and education in the nuclear field in Bulgaria. This is the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE), said Prof. Dimitar Tonev, Deputy Director of the INRNE during the meeting with representatives of the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (NEA). It was held online on 20 January 2021 on the occasion of Bulgaria’s admission as a member of the Agency. The purpose of the meeting was to determine the areas of interaction, working methods and ways of cooperation and support between the two organisations.

In his speech, Prof. Tonev highlighted the need for new staff, especially after the decision of the Council of Ministers to build Unit 7 on the site of Kozloduy NPP. According to him, the role of the Institute is precisely in the training of future professionals both in the field of nuclear energy and in other applications of nuclear science. Prof. Tonev expressed hope that Bulgaria’s membership admission will have a positive impact on other priority activities of the INRNE, such as the production of isotopes for medicine.

Assoc. Prof. Lachezar Georgiev, Director of the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, supported the opinion of Prof. Tonev, shared his satisfaction with Bulgaria’s accession to the NEA and identified this as an opportunity for future development and cooperation. Assoc. Prof. Georgiev acquainted the representatives of the Agency with the activities of the Institute and underlined that its main mission was to preserve and disseminate scientific knowledge in the nuclear field.

For his part, William D. Magwood, IV, Director-General of the Nuclear Energy Agency, welcomed the participants in the event and outlined the specific areas of cooperation between the two organisations, giving priority to the education and training of scientists and specialists.

During the meeting, the structure of the Nuclear Energy Agency was presented, in particular the activities of the Division of Nuclear Science and its working groups. Among the benefits of Bulgaria’s membership is the opportunity for scientists and experts from the Institute to access the rich library of computer programmes and nuclear data that the NEA owns.

The Nuclear Energy Agency is an intergovernmental organisation working within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The NEA facilitates cooperation between countries with developed infrastructure in the nuclear field. The Agency supports their search for high levels of nuclear safety, the development of technology and science, as well as issues related to the environment, economics and law in the listed areas.

You can see more about the virtual meeting and the Nuclear Energy Agency at:

https://www.inrne.bas.bg/index.php/hot-news-archive/812-news-27-01-2021

https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/j_6/home