Category: News Story

The first visiting professional programme was hosted at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, USA in June 2023. The cohort had the opportunity to visit a nuclear power plant, research reactor, fuel factory, and research labs, among other activities.  

“Attending the Lise Meitner Programme was an eye-opening experience,” said Simona Miteva, an LMP Visiting Professional from Bulgaria. “Witnessing the latest advancements in the nuclear field and engaging with industry experts has reinforced my passion for this industry. The programme has not only expanded my knowledge but also ignited a drive to contribute to the future of women in nuclear engineering.”   

The second 2023 cohort took place in October 2023, and the visiting professionals shared their time between the Oak Ridge National Lab and the Idaho National Lab, in the USA. This visit focused on strengthening the participants’ individual technical expertise, as well as nuclear reactor modelling, simulations, and virtual environment. Participants also had the chance to visit the nuclear research labs and computational facilities. 

“The Lise Meitner Programme was extraordinary. I got familiar with a suite of tools for reactor physics modelling and simulation. These tools are crucial to my organization, for safety analysis of nuclear reactor structures systems and components during normal and accident conditions,” said Diana Musyoka, a Senior Environmental Scientist from Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency. “I also enjoyed the mentorship sessions which opened doors to the careers and lives of women in nuclear. I learnt a lot of best practices that I am currently applying to advance my career in nuclear and to help other young women develop their careers too. The international networks created are proving to be very valuable.” 

The third LMP visit is expected to take place from 25 March to 5 April 2024 in the Republic of Korea and will focus on nuclear power. The fourth LMP application cycle will be announced here, and you can read more participants’ testimonials from past cohorts here. The fifth MSCFP application cycle will be announced here, and you can read more students’ testimonials here.  

“Supporting the higher education of young women and their career growth in the nuclear sector is pivotal for the field. With these two programmes, the IAEA supports women at the most crucial stages: their entry to the field and, afterwards, their continued professional development,” said Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy. “We will continue to support women from all corners of the globe to fulfil their aspirations and contribute to a better world, through nuclear science and technology.” 

The IAEA works to address the underrepresentation of women in the nuclear field through the IAEA MSCFP and the LMP. The IAEA welcomes partnering with public and private sectors, academia and civil society to work together for more women in nuclear. Partner with us. 

For information on how to participate in the event, please contact IWD2024@iaea.org.

This was the case in Mozambique, where IAEA debuted its virtual reality prototype in July 2023 during a national training course on high dose rate brachytherapy — a treatment that can be used for cervical cancer, which accounted for more than a third of the country’s new cancer cases in 2020. Under an IAEA project to strengthen the radiotherapy service at Maputo Hospital — Mozambique’s only facility equipped with an oncological ward — over a dozen medical professionals received this training.

“The brachytherapy unit was not yet operational to treat patients when we delivered the course, so the VR tool was a big help. It also gave the participants the chance to repeat certain e-learning modules right away, which you cannot do with a real patient, when every minute counts,” said Paulo Alfonso Varela Meléndez, one of the course’s instructors.

In a virtual environment, professionals can familiarize themselves with cancer treatment procedures, practice techniques and enhance their overall preparedness without direct patient involvement or before actual equipment is in place. This optimizes the overall learning experience and ensures that medical practitioners are well equipped to provide precise and effective care.

In Dakar, Senegal, the IAEA used its virtual reality tool in an e-contouring workshop it had organized during the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer’s (AORTIC) International Conference on Cancer in Africa. Through the training session on 3D brachytherapy for cervical cancer, over 160 radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists and radiation therapists improved their practical medical knowledge and skills in outlining a patient’s organs and the tumour(s) that need treatment. For a continent which faces a disproportionate burden of cervical cancer deaths, the IAEA’s virtual reality model helps promote the safe, effective and efficient treatment of this disease.

“The 3D virtual reality tool is a crucial innovation, especially for early-career oncology professionals learning brachytherapy procedures. This model offers a patient- and radiation-free environment for learners to practice. Its easy-to-use and installation-free nature makes it invaluable in regions where radiotherapy facilities may be limited,” emphasized Ntokozo Ndlovu, one of the  workshop participants.

Newly published data by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (Globocan 2022) show that cancer cases and deaths worldwide are increasing, not decreasing. “This tells me we need a different approach,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in his opening statement. “Through Rays of Hope we are doing just that — bringing together the different actors to deliver impactful and lasting change.”

The opening session of the Forum was livestreamed and followed by audience members worldwide in the context of World Cancer Day 2024. The two-day discussion continued with talks from actors at all levels of the cancer care continuum: research centres, cancer care institutions, governments, policymakers and the private sector.

Rays of Hope builds on many years of cancer support to countries, including through imPACT Review missions, national cancer control programmes and support for the preparation of strategic funding documents. Ten imPACT Reviews were coordinated by the IAEA in 2023 and conducted jointly with the IAEA, the WHO and the IARC to assist countries with their national cancer control plans.

The role of innovation and Anchor Centres was also highlighted during the event, with Deniz Yalman, a professor from Ege University in Türkiye — Europe’s only Anchor Centre — taking the floor in a session on the importance of guaranteeing sustainability and quality in cancer management. “The role of Anchor Centres is pivotal to ensure long term solutions that ensure a fully trained body of medical staff is ready to deliver nuclear medicine for diagnosis and treatment safely and securely in each region and country,” she confirmed.

Audience members also heard about other concrete solutions and directions that can accelerate the speed and scale of progress — examples of innovation and research which help cancer centres do more with the tools and techniques that they have; state-of-the-art learning platforms that catalyse education and training at scale; and much needed databases that generate novel insights for targeted and focused action.

The educational school kits initiative follows a workshop hosted for secondary school educators from Africa organized by the IAEA and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, aimed at enhancing their understanding of nuclear science and technology. The training, which took place in November 2023, highlighted the role and impact of nuclear science and technology in different areas of development, including health, agriculture, the environment and more. It also covered teaching approaches, support materials, resources and activities necessary for teaching nuclear science in secondary school. 

“The African teachers who participate in this training have an important role and accountability to facilitate the dissemination of these topics to students, which will motivate the young generation to join nuclear sciences and technology,” said Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director of the Division for Africa at the opening session of the training.

Teachers from 16 African countries attended the training at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) in Texas, USA, and activities included school visits, interactions with teachers, and a visit to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to learn about space science. The project is part of an initiative to promote nuclear science and technology education and support African countries in leveraging its benefits.

“I hope the teachers from the African secondary schools who attended this inaugural IAEA training event hosted by PVAMU came away with strengthened technical knowledge of nuclear science and technology,” said Sunaree Hamilton, group leader for IAEA Programs in Argonne’s Strategic Security Sciences division. She added that they can apply this knowledge in the classroom to educate and inspire students throughout the African region.

The IAEA supports professional training in nuclear science and technology education through various technical cooperation projects that address resource limitations and workforce challenges particularly in the field of nuclear science and technology.