A consultative meeting on the establishment of a Regional Asian Network for Higher Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT) opened on 30 June 2003 at the International Nuclear Training and Education Center (INTEC) of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in Daejeon, Korea for 5 days programme.
The meeting is supported and organized by the Department of Nuclear Energy (NE), IAEA in Vienna.
At the meeting, representative from RCA Regional Office (RCARO) made a presentation on the RCARO's nuclear knowledge enhancement and preservation programmes including enhanced RCA information flow activities.

The main purpose of the meeting is to review current status of nuclear training and education programmes in Asia with particular emphasis on the IAEA supported programmes, to identify the necessity of establishing a regional network in Asia for higher education in nuclear technology, to formulate a project proposal needed for the establishment of ANENT, and to draft an action plan to facilitate the project when functioning.

In order to provide catalytic input to the operation of ANENT and also to pursue symbiotic cooperation with other nuclear training and educational frameworks, the IAEA invited ENEN (European Nuclear Engineering Network) and FNCA (Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia implementing nuclear human resources development project). Representatives from these frameworks made presentations on their respective activities at present and in the future as well. The IAEA presented on the World Nuclear University concept.

At the meeting, Mr. J.K. Kim, Director, RCARO introduced new initiatives such as Post-doc Fellowship Programme, Nuclear Energy and Quantum Engineering Master's Course Programme, and Nuclear Medicine Internship Training Programme that have been initiated in an effort to contribute to the nuclear knowledge enhancement and preservation endeavors of the RCA Member States. RCARO also explained on its Internet homepag (www.rcaro.org) to demonstrate improved RCA information flow activity.

At the meeting, experts from India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand participated.

For more information: Ms. Young-mi Nam (ymnam@kaeri.re.kr).