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The temporary network, established through the European 5th Framework Programme project ENEN, was given a more permanent character by the foundation of the European Nuclear Education Network Association, a non-profit-making association according to the French law of 1901, pursuing a pedagogic and scientific aim. Its main objective is the preservation and the further development of higher nuclear education and expertise. This objective is realized through the co-operation between the European universities, involved in education and research in the nuclear engineering field, the nuclear research centres and the nuclear industry. The activities of the ENEN Association are organised in five committees.
The Teaching and Academic Affairs Committee establishes the equivalence between nuclear engineering education curricula, awards the ENEN Master of Science Certification, promotes student and teacher exchanges, and organises International ENEN courses.
The Advanced Courses and Research committee ensures the link between ENEN members and research laboratories in the European Community. It establishes exchanges with other networks and determines through tight relations with research centres, universities and industry, suitable topics for internships, and Masters' Thesis.
The Training and Industrial Projects Committee identifies the industrial needs for continued professional development. It organizes training sessions and courses on subjects of common interest for the ENEN associated members. It facilitates the mobility of professors as lecturers. Its role would include as well the European harmonisation of professional training and certification of key positions in nuclear industry, which involves regulatory bodies in addition to the other stakeholders.
The Quality Assurance Committee elaborates the quality assurance processes to be applied in the implementation of education and training programmes by the ENEN members. This committee examines as well the quality assurance practices adopted in each institution. It collects information about rules and practices such as selection, training and certification of teachers, and proposes a scheme for their harmonisation.
The Knowledge Management Committee identifies and monitors deficiencies in scientific knowledge relevant to nuclear technology and safety. It implements an action plan to ensure that valuable scientific knowledge is not lost. It develops and ensures efficient use of Information and Communication Technology to support teaching and learning.
During the 5th and 6th Framework Programme of the European Community, the ENEN Association made progress towards the delivery of the European Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering (EMSNE) certificate. In particular, education and training courses have been developed and offered at the ENEN member institutions to materialise the EMSNE core curricula and the optional fields of study. Pilot editions of those courses and try-outs of training programmes have been successfully organised with a satisfying interest, attendance and performance by the students and with the support of nuclear industries and international organisations. They include several editions of the Eugene Wigner International Training Course for Reactor Physics Experiments, a Seminar on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, an advanced Nuclear Safety course, courses on Nuclear Reactor Theory, Nuclear Reactor Physics, Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics, Radiation Protection and Nuclear Measurements, Nuclear Safety for Nuclear Power Plant Subcontractors, Kinetics and Dynamics of Nuclear Reactors, Reactor Design Study Projects, and a recent Eurocourse in cooperation with the “European Utility Requirements” organisation. Within ENEN, a consensus has been reached on the qualification of common curricula, an accreditation mechanism inspired by the Bologna declaration and a mobility scheme for students and teachers.
Although the working field of the ENEN Association started with and is still focused on nuclear engineering education, the activities of its members within the scope of the 6th European Commission framework project NEPTUNO will expand into the definition, harmonisation and trans-national recognition of professional training for key functions in nuclear industries and regulatory bodies. The involvement of ENEN in the 6th EC framework EUROTRANS project will further enlarge its field of activities into a realm of nuclear disciplines. With the support of its members and the endorsement of its activities by the European Commission, future extensions towards education and training in nuclear medicine, radiation protection, nuclear and radiochemistry, nuclear applied sciences, nuclear instrumentation, accelerators, radioactivity measurements, and even into nuclear waste management may be expected. It will be for the ENEN association a challenging task, which will significantly contribute to the dissemination and management of nuclear knowledge within the European Union as well as on a world-wide level, through ENEN’s international contacts with its sister Network ANENT in Asia, and by its participation to activities of the World Nuclear University.
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