Education in the nuclear sciences in Japanese universitites

Abstract

Although there are 430 govemment and private universities in Japan, only a limited number of them have departments associated with nuclear science education. Moreover, mainly because of financial pressures, this association is often limited to government universities. Nuclear engineering departments are incorporated with only seven of the larger universities, and there are three institutes with nuclear reactors. In these facilities, education in reactor physics, radiation measurements, electromagnetic and material sciences, are conducted. In terms of radiation safety and radiological health physics, tem radioisotope centers and seven radiochemistry laboratories in universities play an important role. Virtually all of the financial support for nuclear education comes from the Japanese Govemment via the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture. These are supplemented via private and corporate grants to various university faculty members. In addition to these universities, and private/corporate research institutes, The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute teaches a short lecture course in nuclear science on a regular basis.