International Presence

The Nuclear Power Institute has Practical Arrangements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as bi-lateral agreements with several countries. Through multi-lateral and bi-lateral initiatives, countries considering the first use of nuclear or expanding their nuclear programs have sought information on the initiatives in Texas led by NPI to use in their own human resource development programs.

A further indication of the IAEA's recognition of NPI's status and contributions to the nuclear industry is the recent awarding of Observer Status by the IAEA's Board of Governors-the highest policy making body of the Agency. This will enable NPI to attend IAEA General Conferences with delegates from Member States to participate in various technical meetings and engage in a range of technical activities of the IAEA.

Other international cooperative programs include successful teacher exchanges with several European countries which have proved to be valuable means of transferring knowledge and experience among seasoned science and math teachers.

Click on a region from the list at the right → to see a list of international activities in which NPI, NSSPI (the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute), and/or TAMU-NE (the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M  University ) are involved in that region.

International Nuclear Activities

Recent and upcoming activities are listed below, and cover both bilateral and multilateral initiatives (list is not all inclusive).

NPI Participants
Barretto, Paulo - Research Scientist, NPI and NSSPI
Davis, Tami - Associate Director, NPI
Kurwitz, Cable - Research Engineering Associate, NPI, and Lecturer, Department of Nuclear Engineering at TAMU
Peddicord, K. Lee -Director, NPI and Professor of Nuclear Engineering, TAMU
Poston, John, Sr. - Associate Director of NPI and Professor of Nuclear Engineering, TAMU
Segovia, Valerie - Director of Outreach and Development, NPI
Skoda, Radek - Deputy Director, Nuclear Science Center

International Atomic Energy Agency 

• On September 19-23, 2011, the NPI and NSSPI participated in the General Conference as IAEA officially recognized Non-Government Organizations.
• On September 26, 2010, NPI signed "Practical Arrangements" with the Deputy Director General for the Department of Nuclear Energy to foster collaboration.
• On May 2010 and June 2011, Paulo Barretto participated as a member at the IAEA Director's General Standing Advisory Group on Technical Assistance and Cooperation (SAGTAC)
• On December 16-20, 2010, Fred Best and Cable Kurwitz participated in the IAEA Technical Meeting on Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
• On October 10-15, 2011, the IAEA held a Consultancy Meeting on "Benchmarking Nuclear Education Programmes" at Texas A&M University and NPI.  Participants were from the United Kingdom, France, Japan and Argentina.
• On December 9-16, 2011, Best and Kurwitz participated in the IAEA Expert Mission to Assist the Vietnamese Universities to Review Education and Training Programmes in Nuclear Power, combined with IAEA Nuclear Knowledge Management (NKM) Assist Visit to Vietnam.
• On December 12-15, 2011, K. L. Peddicord participated in a technical meeting in Vienna to "Produce a Guidance Document on the Status of Policies and Strategies in Higher Education."
• On February 13-17, 2012, the IAEA held a Consultancy Meeting on the "Development of Technical and Professional Human Resources for New Nuclear Power Programmes" at Texas A&M and NPI. Participants were from Bangladesh, Jordan, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• On March 19-20, 2012, Valerie Segovia from NPI met with officials at the IAEA on outreach programs for newcomer countries.
• On May 14-18, 2012, Tami Davis participated in the IAEA Regional Meeting on Cooperation  and Network for Nuclear Programme in Africa, held in Accra, Ghana.
• On May 21-23, 2012, Davis met with IAEA officials on planning of joint activities between the Agency and NPI.
• On September 17-21, 2012, NPI and NSSPI will participate as recognized NGO's in the IAEA General Conference.
• On March 18 - April 5, 2013, NPI will host the three-week IAEA Nuclear Energy Management School in College Station, Texas for up to 50 participants from the Western Hemisphere.

Africa (Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa-FNRBA)

• FNRBA is reviewing a Letter of Intent with NPI and NSSPI.

Argentina 

• On October 10-15, 2011, Jose Lolich, Director of the Instituto Balserio, participated in the IAEA Consultancy Meeting on "Benchmarking Nuclear Education Programmes" at Texas A&M University and NPI. 

Bangladesh 

• On February 13-17, 2012, Abdur Rob Howlader, Secretary of the Bangladesh Ministry of Science and Technology, participated in the IAEA Consultancy Meeting on the "Development of Technical and Professional Human Resources for New Nuclear Power Programmes" at Texas A&M and NPI.

Bulgaria

• In March 2010, NPI sponsored a Texas high school teacher to go to Bulgaria for a week to meet with schools, students, officials and tour the nuclear power plant.
• In March 2011, the reciprocal visit by a Bulgarian teacher to Texas took place with meetings at a high school, a university, a community college, a nuclear power plant and with elected leaders.

China

• On November 8-12, 2010, K. Lee Peddicord, NPI Director, lectured at Harbin Engineering University as part of the IAEA Assist Mission in building the nuclear engineering educational capability in China.
• On April 6, 2012, meetings were held with William Turmel of Dynabond, Ltd. representing Haiyan Nuclear Research Park in Haiyan, China about the potential of working with the Department of Nuclear Engineering, NPI and NSSPI to partner in creating a new nuclear university in the Haiyan Research Park that would be part of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
• On July 27 to August 12, 2012, fifteen students and three professors from A&M (Shao, Kurwitz and Ragusa) travelled to Harbin Engineering University to join HEU students and professors.  The combined group was teaching a one-week intensive course in nuclear power technology for one hour of credit, then the second week toured around China visiting the various nuclear power plants under construction.  

Czech Republic

• From September 2010 to July 2011, Radek Skoda from the Czech Technical University spent a sabbatical year at NPI.
• On May 29, 2011, Karl Schwarzenberg, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and Petr Gandalovic, Czech Ambassador to the U.S., attended the signing of an MOU between the Czech Nuclear Education Network (CENEN) and the NPI in Houston, Texas.
• From May 31-June 2, 2011, the CENEN delegation (Roman Kuzel and Jana Jirickova from the University of West Bohemia, Karel Katovsky and Jiri Martinec from the Brno University of Technology, Vaclav Dostal from the Czech Technical University, and Pizinger from the Czech Embassy in Washington, DC) visited Texas A&M and STP as a follow up to the MOU.
• On September 27, 2011, Peddicord participated in the joint event in Prague where DOE Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman and U.S. Ambassador Norman Eisen announced research collaboration between the U.S. and the Czech Republic, November 14, 2011, Czech Ambassador to the U.S. Petr Gandalovic visited A&M for discussions about Czech-U.S. university collaboration.
• On January 9 - 21 and February 13 - March 2, 2012, Skoda was at Texas A&M as part of his joint appointment with A&M and the Czech Technical University.
• On January 24-26, 2012, Skoda and Peddicord participated in the US-Czech Technical Workshop in Prague organized by DOE and REZ.
• On March 2, 2012, Czech Ambassador-at-Large Vaclav Bartuska and Deputy Chief of Mission Jaroslav Zajicek visited Texas A&M for discussions on Czech-U.S. collaboration.
• On March 10-16, 2012, two high school science teachers from Texas, along with Segovia, visited Prague, Brno and the Dukovny Nuclear Power Plant, and the schools in Trebic.  
• On April 15-21, 2012, Karel Katovsky, Brno University of Technology, visited Texas A&M regarding the proposed joint TAMU-Brno University-CENEN nuclear education program at Brno to be offered to Czech and international students.
• In the fall of 2012, two high schools science teachers from the Czech Republic will visit Texas.

Egypt

• On October 17-20, 2010, John W. Poston, Sr., participated in the Conference on Developing a Civil Nuclear Power Workforce held in Cairo, Egypt. 

Estonia

• Barretto and Peddicord have been in contact with Dr. Alan Traczyk, Institute of Physics at the University of Tartu, to develop a cooperation on human resources development. A project was drafted and proposed to the "IAEA for funding.

France

• On October 10-15, 2011, Claude Guet from the CEA participated in the IAEA Consultancy Meeting on "Benchmarking Nuclear Education  Programmes" at Texas A&M University  and NPI. 

Ghana

• During the 2011 General Conference, NPI met with the Ghana delegation that was  interested in  follow ups on previous contacts with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission on education and training in  nuclear safety and security related topics for the Sub-Sahara countries in  Africa.
• On May 14-18, 2012, Davis participated in the IAEA Expert Mission to Ghana for the "Regional Meeting on Cooperation and Networking for Nuclear Power Programme in Africa".

Japan

• On March 1, 2011, a Japanese delegation from the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency visited  NPI and NSSPI to discuss human resource development and other nuclear  activities.
• On October 10-15, 2011, Takehiko Yokomine from Kyoto University participated in the IAEA Consultancy Meeting on "Benchmarking Nuclear Education Programmes" at Texas A&M University and NPI. 

Jordan

• On  February 22, 2011, Kamal Araj from the Jordanian Atomic Energy Agency visited  A&M for meetings regarding nuclear power human resources development.
• On  February 13-17, 2012, Eng. Monther Ahmad Bataineh, Secretary General Assistant  of the Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research,  participated in the IAEA Consultancy Meeting on the "Development of Technical  and Professional Human Resources for New Nuclear Power Programmes" at Texas  A&M and NPI.

Kenya

• In July 2012, NPI hosted a comprehensive, intensive 30 day short course designed to cover a broad range of interests for 30 participants from Kenya.

Malaysia

• On August 7-12, 2011, Best and Kurwitz traveled to Malaysia for meetings at  several universities and organizations.
• On  February 13-17, 2012, Zakaria Taib of the Human Resource Management and  Training Division of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, participated in the IAEA Consultancy  Meeting on the "Development of Technical and Professional Human Resources for  New Nuclear Power Programmes" at Texas A&M and NPI.
• On  February 20-24, 2012, a delegation from Malaysia visited NPI to discuss human  resources development.

Nigeria

• On  January 29, 2009, F. Epremo Osaisai, Executive Director General of the Nigerian  Atomic Energy Commission visited Texas A&M. On November 7-11, 2011, Peddicord participated in  the IAEA Mission for Assistance in Developing  Action Plans for Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development in Nigeria.
• On  December 13-15, 2011, Poston and David Boyle participated in an IAEA mission to  Abuja, Nigeria to assist Nigeria in the development of a Master of Science  degree program in nuclear science and engineering.
• On  January 6, 2012, Shamsudeen Elegba, former Director  General of Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, visited Texas A&M University for discussions on interactions with Nigeria.

Oman

• At the 2011 General Conference, NPI and NSSPI met with Dr. Slimone Cherif, advisory to  the government on nuclear matters on opportunities for education at Texas  A&M Department of Nuclear Engineering and/or organization of short term  training for Omani staff.

Poland 

• On May 23-24, 2011, Poston participated  in the First International Conference on Nuclear Energy held at the Technical University  of Warsaw, Poland.

Russia 

• Collaborations with Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) and the Obnisk Institute for  Nuclear Power Engineering (INPE) for the past 15 years and more recently the  Tomsk Polytechnic University. Russian Academic Program for Nuclear and  International Security (RAP-NIS), a joint curriculum and academic program  development, collaborative student research and a foreign field experience for  the students, was funded by first DOE-NE and the NA-20.
• On  August 11-14, 2011, a Russian delegation from Rosatom, visited A&M to  discuss joint research and faculty and student exchanges.

Switzerland

• Peddicord serves as a member of the Research Commission (Forschungs-kommission) for the  Department of Nuclear Energy and Safety at the Paul Scherrer Institut.  He also chairs the Scientific Advisory  Committee for the Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour. 

Thailand

• On  February 13-17, 2012, Somjai Oonthong, Director, Monitoring and Evaluation  Group, Energy Policy and Planning Office in Thailand, participated in the IAEA  Consultancy Meeting on the "Development of Technical and Professional Human  Resources for New Nuclear Power Programmes" at Texas A&M and NPI.
• On  February 27-28, 2012, Poston participated in the International Conference on  Nuclear Human Resources Development in Asia and Pacific - the Role of Nuclear  HRD after Fukushima Accident.

United Kingdom

• On  October 10-15, 2011, Roberts participated in the IAEA Consultancy Meeting on "Benchmarking Nuclear Education  Programmes" at Texas A&M University  and NPI. 
• From  January 29 - February 10, 2012, 30 participants and staff from the United  Kingdom nucleargraduates program  spent two weeks at Texas A&M in classes, leadership building and tours to  STP, Wharton Country Junior College Center for Energy Development, with key  elected leaders.

Vietnam

• On December 16-20, 2010, Best and Kurwitz participated in the IAEA Technical Meeting on Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology,  Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
• On December 9-16, 2011, Best and Kurwitz participated in the IAEA Expert Mission to Assist the Vietnamese Universities to Review  Education and Training Programmes in Nuclear Power, combined with IAEA Nuclear  Knowledge Management (NKM) Assist Visit to Vietnam.
• On February 13-17, 2012, Hoang Anh Tuan, Executive Director General of the Vietnam  Atomic Energy Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology, participated in the  IAEA Consultancy Meeting on the "Development of Technical and Professional  Human Resources for New Nuclear Power Programmes" at NPI.
• On April 21, 2012, NPI received a proposal for collaboration on nuclear reactor  technology and engineering from Hanoi University of Science and Technology with  the goal of establishing a full program in 2013.
• Expected visit by Vietnamese delegation in Summer 2012.