Nuclear education trends after Fukushima nuclear accident

Abstract

Nuclear education has seen many ups and downs since the birth of nuclear technology. Owing to the highest prior support from all stakeholders during 1960s, nuclear education along with its technology witnessed its peak time. But during late 1990s, it was felt that the amount of nuclear knowledge would become sub-critical if no countermeasures were taken to arrest the declining situation of nuclear education. Many local, regional and international efforts were put together to restore nuclear education. These painstaking efforts started nuclear education growing again but the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 seems to create serious obstacles in the restoration of nuclear education in many countries. This paper studies the influence of Fukushima nuclear accident on nuclear education. For this purpose, a worldwide survey has been conducted through a well-designed questionnaire asking maximum possible information about the trends of nuclear education. This survey covers Europe, Asia and America continents. Based on the results of this international survey, this research work highlights the impacts of Fukushima nuclear accident on nuclear education in European, Asian and North American countries separately.