MHI Endowing Courses in Nuclear Engineering at Hanoi University

 

A ceremony was held today at Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), in Hanoi, Vietnam, to mark the commencement of the fifth year of courses endowed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). The courses are conducted at the university's School of Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Physics.

The commemorative ceremony was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including: Prof. Dr. Ta Duc Thinh – Director of Science, Technology and Environment Department, Ministry of Education and Training; Mr. Pham Quang Trung - Deputy Director General of Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST); Mr. Michio Daito, Counselor at the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam; Professional Doctor Pham Hoang Luong - Vice-President of HUST; Dr. Tran Kim Tuan – Director of School of Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Physics. MHI gave a special presentation introducing moves to restart Japan's nuclear power plants, initiatives toward stabilizing the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, etc.

The courses endowed by MHI at HUST focus on engineering related to power generation by nuclear energy. They are offered to fifth-year students in the School of Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Physics, and students finishing the course program are awarded credit toward graduation. The courses are conducted under a program of cooperation between MHI and HUST agreed to in 2010. Not only endows scholarships, MHI also supports a program to invite Vietnamese students and educators to visit MHI's facilities in Japan. To date a total of 50 students have been awarded scholarships and 25 students and educators have come to Japan under this program.

After these courses, students are expected to have certain knowledge about basic technology of systems and main equipments in PWR nuclear power plants. Furthermore, they also will be able to have very important practical knowledge to manage a nuclear power plant, including operation process and nuclear fuel safety in PWR nuclear power plant.

Under the terms of cooperation originally set between MHI and HUST, the courses endowed by MHI are scheduled to end this year. But as there has been a strong call for continuation of the program, the two parties are now in consultations toward extending the courses.

Through this program MHI and HUST aim to contribute to the cultivation of human resources in Vietnam in the field of nuclear energy, as well as to the creation in Vietnam of a base for launching power generation by nuclear energy.