From October 17 to 28, the Global Nuclear Safety and Security Institute (GNSSI) of the Rosatom Technical Academy held a traditional International Training Course on Basic Aspects of the Design of Physical Protection Systems for Radioactive Material and Associated Facilities
The course is organized jointly by the IAEA (Section of Nuclear Security, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security) and the GNSSI of the Rosatom Technical Academy.
The event was attended by 33 students and 5 teachers of the IAEA. Despite all the restrictions, 17 countries participated in the course: Pakistan, Canada, Indonesia, Jordan, Zambia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, as well as Russia. The course was held in full-time format in Obninsk and St. Petersburg.
During the course, specialists received competencies in the field of ensuring the physical protection of radioactive materials and installations, studied the IAEA Guidelines on the Security of Radioactive Sources and Facilities, categorization of facilities, discussed issues of assessing security of the facility and determining the targets of violators and other important topics.
"The GNSSI continues to hold international events together with the IAEA, despite the difficult international situation," said Egor Bologov, Director of the GNSSI. - The courses are conducted at the highest educational and methodological level using all the available educational material and technical base, as evidenced by the enthusiastic reviews of the course participants."
"We have been to different places, but in Obninsk, of course, the level of training of specialists is much higher," says Mohamed Vedu Lemhamboji, head of the Radiation and Nuclear Security Department of the Republic of Mauritania. - I am sure that cooperation with Obninsk is beneficial to our countries, at least in the matter of exchanging experience."
"These courses help us to understand how to create physical protection systems and manage these systems," says Okan Ozeri, professor at Gaziantep University, Turkey. - We update our knowledge in nuclear safety and security by exchanging the experience with representatives of different countries. The course gives a chance to find out what other countries are doing in this area and what measures they should take to ensure nuclear security. I also want to note that life at the Academy is very active. There are a lot of classrooms, and there are a lot of listeners from different countries in the halls during breaks. The Rosatom Technical Academy is a great place to gain knowledge and improve skills."
The students especially noted the successful practical exercises, which made it possible to explain and understand the theoretical part, thanked the teachers from both the IAEA and the Rosatom Technical Academy. Many expressed a desire to come to continue their studies on this topic in the future.