The GRE@T-PIONEeR project
GRE@T-PIONEeR is a Euratom project that launched in November 2020. Over 3 years, this project will bring together partners from all over Europe to form an alliance in nuclear education, coordinated by Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden).
The consortium will develop specialised education and training resources for post-graduate students in reactor physics and safety.
The education will encompass both theory and hands-on training exercises, the latter heavily relying on the use of research/training reactors and of computer-based modelling environments. One fundamental novelty of the proposed alliance is to use new educational methods relying on active learning and personalised student support, which have been shown to lead to much better learning outcomes. GRE@T-PIONEeR will create sets of educational materials that interact and build on each other, using the complementary expertise of the consortium partners.
The courses will be a mix of online and hands-on learning. In addition to teaching of the courses, students will have access to research/training reactors from three partners: CROCUS from EPFL, AKR-2 from TUD, and the training reactor from BME.
Find out more about the educational materials and methods here.
This project represents a fantastic opportunity to build a long-lasting educational package in advanced computational reactor physics and nuclear safety, to be offered not only during the project, but also after its completion. Moreover, using innovative pedagogical methods, student learning will be at the heart of all course materials being developed.
Project coordinator, Christophe Demazière from Chalmers University of Technology
This project represents a fantastic opportunity to build a long-lasting educational package in advanced computational reactor physics and nuclear safety, to be offered not only during the project, but also after its completion. Moreover, using innovative pedagogical methods, student learning will be at the heart of all course materials being developed.
Project coordinator, Christophe Demazière from Chalmers University of Technology
Availability of skills in Europe
European countries face a challenging situation regarding educating and training personnel required for the safe operation of nuclear plants. Each country’s situation and view of nuclear power is different, from countries focusing on decommissioning old plants to those exploring the possibility of further investing in nuclear energy. Countries need additional resources in all levels of education and training to guarantee the safe operation of new and existing nuclear units.
Low recruitment and high retirement levels in the nuclear sector mean that operating the existing plants and constructing new ones require many graduates with nuclear engineering training on a very short term. Attracting new students is increasingly difficult so actions must be taken to strengthen the European graduate nuclear engineering education network and offer new, attractive and accessible training resources.
Nuclear reactor core (Freepik)
Project Objectives:
Teaching reactor physics and nuclear reactor safety using new pedagogical methods relying on flipped classroom and blended learning in general
Teaching reactor physics and nuclear reactor safety using distant learning techniques facilities as much as possible, thus making it possible to offer the courses to any student
Fully integrate hands-on training exercises in the educational resources, using the research and training infrastructures of the partners
Creating a set of coherent courses where the teachers bring their respective expertise
Offering short period courses, so that they also fit attendees from the industry, without compromising a deep learning approach to the covered topics
Investigating the conditions to make the alliance sustainable on the long run
Project Objectives:
Securing the availability of competence, knowledge and skills at the graduate level in reactor physics and nuclear reactor safety
Teaching reactor physics and nuclear reactor safety using new pedagogical methods relying on flipped classroom and blended learning in general
Fully integrate hands-on training exercises in the educational resources, using the research and training infrastructures of the partners
Creating a set of coherent courses where the teachers bring their respective expertise
Investigating the conditions to make the alliance sustainable on the long run