The
growing interest among Middle Eastern nations in establishing nuclear
power programs prompted a Sandia National Laboratories team to conceive
and lead development of a new institute that will seed and cultivate a
regional culture of responsible nuclear energy management.
The
Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII), the product of
three years of planning and negotiations, opened in Abu Dhabi, United
Arab Emirates, welcoming its inaugural class of Emirati nuclear
professionals for a 12-week pilot.
GNEII
(pronounced “genie”) underscores the nonproliferation elements of
Sandia’s mission, which include helping train targeted professionals
worldwide on the safe and secure handling of materials that are, or
could ultimately become, a threat to U.S. national security or the
safety of U.S. citizens. Through the institute, Sandia seeks to
introduce safety and security concepts and practices so that nations
with emerging nuclear energy economies can prevent terrorists from
obtaining dangerous materials and operate their nuclear plants safely.
Governments in other parts of the world have expressed interest in
GNEII-like institutes and the program will become a model for other
regional programs.
“Interest
in nuclear energy programs is growing worldwide and not every society
is prepared to support them,” said Adam Williams, a Sandia engineer who
led the GNEII program. “Those of us with the knowledge, who understand
the safety, safeguards and security that nuclear energy programs
require, have a responsibility to help local professionals adequately
prepare for what they’re building. Our national security depends on it.”
In
addition to Sandia, the institute’s operational sponsors include Abu
Dhabi’s Khalifa Univ. of Science, Technology and Research and the
Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute at Texas A&M
Univ. Representatives from each of the three signaled the official
opening of the institute with the signing of operational documents. The
National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Nonproliferation
and International Security and the Department of State’s Office of
Partnership for Nuclear Security and Khalifa Univ. provided the
financial backing.
Building
GNEII from the ground up required strong partnerships. Sandia worked
with Texas A&M Univ., a leader in nuclear science and security
education, to develop the core curriculum, which will be taught by
instructors from Sandia and the university. In addition, Sandia worked
with Khalifa Univ. to build an operations structure in which all
three partners could share in the management for the first five years,
after which the university will take over the program.
Local
participation by the regional partners was a key element of the
project. During the earliest discussions, Sandia planners decided that
local professionals eventually would take over the institute, and
provide financial and political support. They also required that the
institute would be open to professionals from throughout the region,
regardless of its final location. These criteria were met.
The
institute aims to educate policymakers, government officials and energy
program executives through a curriculum emphasizing broad concepts in
nuclear energy safety, safeguards and security; it does not attempt to
train plant operators. The institute initially is open to professionals
from three Emirati organizations, but will expand next year to include
professionals from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Bahrain,
Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.
The
core program will cover nuclear energy basics—such as systems
thinking, basic nuclear physics, the nuclear fuel cycle,
nonproliferation, power plant operations, radiological materials
management, nuclear energy safety, safeguards and security—followed by
an independent research project that will provide graduates with a
professional certificate from Khalifa Univ.
“Nuclear
energy programs are complex and there are many steps to establishing a
responsible nuclear program,” Williams said. “Among the local ranks in
the Middle East, few understood all facets. Our goal is to provide a
solid start for a comprehensive, complete and coherent introduction to a
responsible nuclear energy program so the idea of a ‘Middle Eastern
nuclear energy program’ won’t keep people up at night.”
SOURCE: DOE/Sandia National Laboratories