17 Jul (NucNet): France’s Areva group is to support academic studies at a university in Bulgaria to help support the development of nuclear engineering skills.
Areva said yesterday that a cooperation agreement with the Technical University of Sofia (TUS), signed on 18 June 2008, is scheduled to run for three years. It is intended to promote academic learning, especially in engineering sciences, and industrial engineering and management.
Financial support from Areva and other organisations is designed to help TUS improve its infrastructure and teaching facilities. Areva will also provide internships for students and support for specific research projects.
TUS has enjoyed cooperation with universities in Germany for several years. Areva NP’s technical director Christian Hillrichs said the university has a reputation as Bulgaria’s “training centre for the technical elite”.
“We see great potential for excellently trained professionals, for whom exciting opportunities are waiting in a flourishing nuclear engineering market,” Mr Hillrichs said.
Areva said the support for TUS is a pilot project that might be repeated in other countries.
– by John Shepherd
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Ageing Workforce Is Potential Crisis, Says NRC Chairman (World Nuclear Review No. 38, 21 September 2007)
Areva Signs Training Agreement With South Africa (News in Brief No. 23, 3 March 2008)
