Word from the President

It is great honour for me to have been elected to serve as President of the European Nuclear Society (ENS) for the period 2009-2011 and to play a leading role in running the affairs of the Society.

For more than 30 years ENS has been recognised as an international organisation that offers valuable expertise and considerable competence in the field of nuclear science and technology. With the help of all my colleagues and friends at ENS I will do my utmost to build upon past achievements, to carry on the good work of our previous President, David Bonser, and to promote the peaceful applications of nuclear energy and radiation technologies.

As I begin my term as President I would like to stress what I see as the fundamental objectives and guiding principles of ENS. They are as follows:

To enhance and highlight the reputation of ENS as a byword for expertise and professionalism
To promote and emphasise the proven scientific and academic excellence of ENS
To strengthen the role and visibility of ENS as an effective source and manager of knowledge relating nuclear science and technology
To enhance the reputation of ENS as a trusted and effective communicator with the general public
To offer the nuclear industry an independent and credible platform for information exchange, technical advice and competence

ENS should, in my view, be acknowledged by the public as being synonymous with expertise and professionalism when it comes to the peaceful applications of nuclear energy and ionizing irradiation technologies. At the same time, the nuclear power industry should maintain its pivotal position at the heart of our activities. Our members should be sought out as competent and trustworthy evaluators or advisors.

Bearing in mind the current nuclear renaissance, ENS should be more active and visible also at the university level. It should try to offer university graduates a “new dimension” by impressing upon them that the nuclear sector offers excellent career prospects and that in ENS they can consult an organisation that is able provide answers to professional questions (through the meetings, workshops and seminars on national or international issues that it organises at both a formal and informal level). Furthermore, by networking within ENS they can experience for themselves the strong sense of community spirit and pride in doing the job that typifies it.

The European Nuclear Society was created primarily to support the national nuclear societies and its collective international membership. Today, as it has always been, it is necessary to listen to and meet their needs.

I am proud to have the opportunity to serve the Society and am happy to know that I can count upon your support and advice. I am confident that thanks to our common efforts ENS will become an even stronger and more respected organisation than it already is. That is what will be needed in the new “nuclear age.” I pledge to do everything I can to help make this a reality.

Vladimir Slugen
President of ENS