Speaker
Description
Expertise in nuclear and radiochemistry (NRC) is of strategic relevance in order to maintain European nuclear operations. There are many applications that need NRC skills other than the more obvious context of nuclear power and assessment of disposal options for nuclear waste. This includes medical applications, such as radiologic diagnostics and therapy, but also dating in geology and archaeology, nuclear forensics and safeguard operations, radiation protection, and also basic research e.g. on super heavy elements.
To maintain the fading expertise and skills in NRC, a sequence of Euratom-supported projects was initiated 7 years ago aiming at the Europe-wide collaboration in education and training in nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry. The MEET-CINCH project is the third CINCH-based project. In the first two projects, CINCH and CINCH-II, status quo in NRC education at European universities was assessed, minimum requirements for bachelor, master and postgraduate programs to achieve approved NRC curricula were defined, and a number of theoretical and practical courses were developed using hands-on and e-learning approaches and platforms.
The MEET-CINCH project consists of three actions. A teaching package for high schools and a MOOC on NRC for bachelor students are built in order to attract young persons to the NRC field and to spread its relevance. Specific material for general public will be produced to enhance people general awareness to the beneficial use of nuclear and radiochemistry techniques and methods. Two additional actions focus on vocational training and university education. This will highlight the value of a career in the nuclear chemistry field and what learning tools are available. MEET-CINCH is developing completely new education and training approaches based on remote teaching and the flipped classroom concept, including and further developing material generated in the previous projects, such as the NucWik platform and the remote controlled RoboLab experiments. MEET-CINCH is going to provide ECVET course modules in an e-Shop adapted to the needs of end-users which have been surveyed in the previous projects.
The consortium includes POLIMI and other 11 partners from nine European member states; both academia and nuclear laboratories are represented. All partners are experienced in conducting training and education. Networking on national and European level will be an important part of the project, facilitated by having ENEN as one of the partners and by having structural links with other Euratom projects.
