{"id":2256,"date":"2023-01-04T09:03:45","date_gmt":"2023-01-04T09:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=2256"},"modified":"2023-01-04T09:03:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T09:03:45","slug":"young-nuclear-experts-share-their-know-how-and-passion-with-the-next-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2256\/young-nuclear-experts-share-their-know-how-and-passion-with-the-next-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"Young nuclear experts share their know-how and passion with the next generation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The European Union is putting a spotlight on education and training as it pursues a green-energy transition that will create countless new sustainable jobs.<\/p>\n

By<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0SOFIA STRODT<\/p>\n

The EU made 2022 the \u201cEuropean Year of Youth\u201d and is following on with 2023 as the \u201cEuropean Year of Skills.\u201d In that spirit, Horizon Magazine talked to two young Europeans working in the field of nuclear energy as the New Year gets under way.<\/p>\n

Roberta Cirillo,\u00a0European Nuclear Education Network<\/strong><\/p>\n

When still only in elementary school, Roberta Cirillo knew she wanted to work in science.<\/p>\n

Driven by curiosity, Cirillo pursued this goal with such determination that, by the age of 25, she had decided to become a nuclear engineer.<\/p>\n

Now 37, the Italian native is one of the few women working in the nuclear sector.<\/p>\n

Women make up less than a quarter of the worldwide workforce in the field, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which says a bigger female presence is needed to enhance diversity and competitiveness.<\/p>\n

As a Brussels-based project manager and communications officer at the\u00a0European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN)<\/a>, Cirillo is able to help a new generation of young people including women succeed in the sector.<\/p>\n

\u2018We have a lot of seasoned professionals who sooner or later are going to retire,\u2019 she said. \u2018That\u2019s why we need the young generation to step in.\u2019<\/p>\n

Beyond the energy industry, nuclear technology is critical in many disciplines ranging from healthcare to artwork appraisal.<\/p>\n

\u2018You never get bored in this field because there are so many applications of nuclear,\u2019 Cirillo said.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, public concerns about nuclear risks persist. The unease, according to Cirillo, stems from the technology’s complexity and a handful of past accidents at sites around the world.<\/p>\n

\u2018That\u2019s why we must also educate the general public,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, Cirillo decided after more than five years of working as a researcher in cryogenics \u2013 a branch of physics dealing with very low temperatures\u00a0\u2013 to take on her current role at ENEN educating people about the potential of nuclear technology.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m a talkative person and need to be in touch with other people,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

At ENEN, which is the largest network for education and training in the nuclear field in Europe, Cirillo manages EU-funded projects, organises events and leads communication activities to help attract and retain talented youth.<\/p>\n

She says the most difficult part of her job is balancing it with recreational activities.<\/p>\n

\u2018I tend to be a perfectionist and feel very committed to my job because I love it so much, but I sometimes have to remind myself that I\u2019m human and not a cyborg,\u2019 she said with a smile.<\/p>\n

To relax, she likes to go on long walks in Brussels \u2013 \u2018but only if it doesn\u2019t rain.\u2019<\/p>\n

Her advice to young people is to be inquisitive.<\/p>\n

\u2018Never be afraid to ask about things you don\u2019t know, you could be surprised by what you might find,\u2019 she said. \u2018Curiosity should never be tamed but encouraged.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dario\u00a0Cruz, FuseNet<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dario Cruz has travelled widely using a passion for nuclear science as his compass.<\/p>\n

Cruz\u2019s work in the nuclear field has taken him to around 20 countries, mainly in Europe such as France, Germany, Italy and Finland but also Russia and Japan.<\/p>\n

The executive officer at\u00a0FuseNet<\/a>, a nuclear-education platform, Cruz was born in Colombia, lived for seven years in Spain\u2019s capital Madrid and is currently based in the Dutch city of Eindhoven.<\/p>\n

During studies in Italy for a bachelor\u2019s degree in physics, Cruz became interested in nuclear fusion.<\/p>\n

He then joined an Erasmus Mundus master\u2019s programme in nuclear fusion science and engineering at Ghent University before eventually enrolling for a doctoral degree in fusion material research from the Madrid-based Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT). Cruz is due to earn his PhD in 2023.<\/p>\n

Nuclear fusion, according to the IAEA, could generate four times more energy per kilogram of fuel than regular power plants and nearly 4 million times more than burning oil or coal.<\/p>\n

The technology, however, is still in development. The France-based international ITER project, the world\u2019s largest fusion experiment, aims to prove the feasibility of the technology as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy.<\/p>\n

\u2018Scientists are pretty much trying to reproduce a sun on earth,\u2019 said Cruz, who is 40. \u2018Nuclear fusion is the future of the nuclear sector.\u2019<\/p>\n

A main advantage of this type of energy is safety, he said, because fusion would rule out any repeat of past nuclear accidents.<\/p>\n

Also, neither uranium nor plutonium is used in fusion, meaning waste would break down in approximately 100 years rather than the thousands of years for conventional atomic waste.<\/p>\n

Cruz decided that he wanted to use his expertise to educate the next generation of scientists.<\/p>\n

FuseNet, which he leads, focuses on students from primary school all the way up to PhD level.<\/p>\n

\u2018There has to be a proper knowledge transfer so new generations will know how to work at the facilities we are currently building,\u2019 Cruz said. \u2018This is what\u2019s going to power the future.\u2019<\/p>\n

Cruz, who in his free time likes to go to the gym, swim and play tennis, hails the international character of nuclear work and the cross-border opportunities it offers.<\/p>\n

\u2018The possibility to work abroad and collaborate with people from various backgrounds is something I appreciate very much,\u2019 he said. \u2018This exchange within the nuclear field is something very valuable.\u2019<\/p>\n

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