EURAD School of Radioactive Waste Management

Abstract

Abstract. The European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD – H2020, grant agreement No. 847593) aims to achieve a step-wise change in European collaboration towards safe radioactive waste management (RWM) through the development of a robust and sustained science, technology and knowledge management (KM) programme. EURAD has three KM work packages. The main goals are to (i) preserve generated knowledge, (ii) transfer knowledge to Member States with early-stage RWM programmes, (iii) transfer knowledge between generations, and (iv) disseminate knowledge. The EURAD work package (WP) on “Training & mobility” aids in achieving these goals through its “School of Radioactive Waste Management”. The School of RWM supports competence building in RWM matters. Currently four distinguished initiatives can be highlighted: the organization of training courses, the hosting of webinars, the coordination of a mobility programme, and actions to support the EURAD PhD community. The School of RWM has a dedicated webpage (http://www.euradschool.eu, last access: 30 September 2021) where all information on its activities can be found. A portfolio of basic and specialized training courses was set up containing an up-to-date list of existing training initiatives and new training courses. The latter are based on a gap analysis performed within the framework of the priorities set in the EURAD Roadmap and on the end-user needs. The School of RWM gives attention to the best-fitted training format and scientific state-of-the-art is guaranteed through the lecturing by EURAD and/or external subject experts. Besides training courses, webinars on specific topics that are of relevance to the entire EURAD community are hosted on a regular basis. These so-called Lunch & Learn sessions are short, informal online get-togethers, triggering discussion and debate. Presentations are given by experts from the EURAD community and beyond, such as from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) and can deal with all topics that link to RWM, from very specialized scientific matters to more general and overarching themes. The School of RWM also coordinates a mobility programme, allowing its beneficiaries to perform technical visits to infrastructures from EURAD partners or end-users, to undertake internships and to set up exchange programmes between organizations within EURAD. These activities serve as enhanced training as well as collaboration between all members of the EURAD community. These mobility actions can be complementary to an educational or training programme and/or part of a continuous personal development programme. Last but not least, the initiative was taken to support the EURAD PhD community. As future key players in the field of RWM, they will benefit from the possibilities for early networking with their peers and with established RWM experts. With these four initiatives, the School of RWM, and by extension the “Training & Mobility” WP, is an integral part of EURAD's KM programme. This presentation describes how the School of RWM is linked to the EURAD Roadmap, what its goal and long-term objectives are and how it aids in achieving EURAD's KM goals.