The IAEA has renewed its trust in INSTN and re-designates INSTN as a Collaborating Centre

On February 3rd, 2021, the IAEA and INSTN gathered online to sign a new four-year agreement re-designating INSTN, the French School for Energy and Health Technology, as an IAEA Collaborating Centre.

“INSTN is a well-recognized institution which has assisted the IAEA by providing comprehensive academic education and hands-on training to professionals in nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceutical production and industrial radiation applications, especially in countries across Africa,” said Sasha Damjanac, Head of the IAEA Research Contracts Administration Section.

While INSTN’s first designation (2016-2020) focused only on nuclear sciences and applications, the School’s expertise in education and training, recognized by the Agency, earned INSTN’s scope of actions to be extended so that it now encompasses nuclear energy, and nuclear safety and security as well. 

The four-year action plans included in the agreement comprise a series of joint actions defined together by INSTN, the IAEA, several CEA Divisions, and the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations and International Organizations in Vienna. These actions will contribute to skills development for peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology and include among others:

• the organization of summer schools in the fields of nuclear knowledge management, medical applications and research reactors,
• support and expertise in the design and implementation of regional academic programs in the field of health care,
• consulting services to support the IAEA in the development of its education and training activities in the fields of advanced reactors and non-electric applications of the atom,
• the awarding of one fellowship per year to a female student enrolled in one of its master’s programs to support women pursuing nuclear-related careers.

INSTN's innovative educational tools, such as the EVOC platform (reactor physics training platform) or the online learning platform INSTART Learning Experience, will also be used for the various education and training actions planned under the agreement.

Anne Lazar-Sury, Governor for France to the IAEA and Director of International Relations at the CEA, expressed her support for the renewal of this collaboration, recalling that « the activities planned within this agreement are in line with France's commitments under the third pillar of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). They contribute to responding to the major challenge posed by the responsible development of nuclear technologies by strengthening of knowledge transfer, safety culture and radiation protection, whatever the field of peaceful application of these technologies ».

INSTN Director Eric Gadet is pleased with this "designation of INSTN as an IAEA Collaborating Centre which attests to INSTN's expertise in the development of human capital for peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology. It confirms INSTN's position as a privileged partner for the international outreach of the French nuclear industry. The renewed agreement and its related action plans will contribute to capacity building in France's partner countries and is thus in line with France's international commitments to contribute to the combat climate change and ensure healthy lives. »

Collaborating Centres work with the IAEA in specific technical areas, sharing knowledge and resources in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Of the 46 Collaborating Centres offering research, development and training, most work with the IAEA in a single thematic area, while a few engage in two areas of work. INSTN is the second Collaborating Centre to support the IAEA’s activities in three programmatic areas.