France and Canada join forces in nuclear workforce development
Press Release
SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 –
The International Institute of Nuclear Energy (I2EN) and the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) proudly announce the signing of a long-term collaboration agreement. This partnership signifies collaborative initiatives between France and Canada to address the challenge of human capacity building in the nuclear industry.
Recognizing the crucial role of nuclear power in providing a low-carbon energy future, the French and Canadian governments released a joint statement in November 2023 and as part of their action plan, they pledged to address the human resource challenges in the nuclear sector through joint training and workforce development initiatives. I2EN, leveraging France’s extensive expertise in nuclear sciences and over six decades of successful nuclear development and operation, provides access to comprehensive education and training programs. A key element of I2EN’s commitment to educational excellence is the I2EN Seal, a certification awarded to French nuclear degree programs that meet high standards of academic quality and industry relevance.
Currently, international students make up about 18% of participants in France’s higher education nuclear programs, and we aim to increase this significantly through our collaboration with UNENE. Together, our goal is to attract more students to the nuclear sector by hosting Canadian students in French programs and vice versa and promoting student exchange. This partnership will also explore the development of joint research topics and shared online courses tailored to the mutual needs of both countries.
“We are proud to support the signing of this MOU between UNENE and I2EN which supports the development of the critical workforce necessary to advance the role of energy in our net zero ambitions” says Jeff Labonté, Canada’s Associate Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “These types of activities with our French partners represent concrete commitments to deepen our relationship in this key field, to the benefit of both countries.”
“UNENE is very pleased to enter this agreement with our colleagues in education and training at I2EN”, says Jerry Hopwood, President of UNENE. “We recognize that the development and training of capable and qualified people is essential to the safe and effective use of nuclear technologies. International cooperation is an important mechanism to strengthen the foundations of nuclear knowledge, expertise and practice. It is particularly important for UNENE to support cooperation between Canada and France given our extensive history in nuclear science and technology. This agreement will provide a powerful avenue for collaboration to support students, faculty and educational delivery across our two networks.”
Jan van der Lee, Executive Director of I2EN, is thrilled by the collaboration. “This partnership is an important step in addressing the increasing need for skilled professionals in the nuclear sector. By aligning our efforts internationally and sharing our expertise, we aim to make nuclear education more attractive for students in both France and Canada.”
