Vietnamese university lecturers attend nuclear training course at Budapest University of Technology and Economics

On the 12 September 2012, following an agreement reached between Hungary and Vietnam, a programme of nuclear training for forty Vietnamese university lecturers began at the Institute of Nuclear Technologies of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), in Hungary. During the three-week course the Vietnamese experts attended lectures, given in English, on the safe use of nuclear energy. They also performed laboratory experiments at BME’s Training Reactor. After the course their training continued for a further three weeks at the Paks NPP.

The objective of the training course was to help the seven largest universities in Vietnam to prepare for the education and training of a future highly-qualified nuclear workforce. According to a decision of the Vietnamese government, Russian companies will build and put into operation two 1200 MW pressurized water reactors in the country by 2020.

Dr. Gábor Péceli, the Rector of BME said that BME is ready to receive groups of university lecturers from abroad for training, and is open to further cooperation too.  Dr. Attila Aszódi, the Director of the Institute of Nuclear Technologies at BME, emphasised that this training was only the first of a series of such courses planned, since two other groups of 40 university lecturers will be arriving in Budapest - one at the end of October 2012, and the other in March 2013.

Mr. Pál Kovács, Secretary of State for Energy Affairs at Hungary’s National Development Ministry, stressed in his welcome address that these Vietnamese experts will have an essential influence on the modern history of their country, since they will help the country to introduce and put into action a new technology that will serve a new, knowledge-intensive industry. They will also play an important role in ensuring the safe, long-term use of nuclear energy.

Ngo Duy Ngo, the Vietnamese Socialist Republic’s Ambassador to Hungary, outlined that this training course was the result of one year’s preparation. This can be considered as fast and effective in view of the administrative obstacles that had to be overcome. Vietnam respects Hungary’s nuclear knowledge and expertise very highly, as well as the preparedness of BME and Paks NPP to transfer this knowledge to the Vietnamese experts.

For further information contact:          Prof. Dr. Attila ASZÓDI, Director
                                                           Institute of Nuclear Techniques of BME
                                                            www.reak.bme.hu