- Historical experience: Bletchley Park tour.
- Examples of past visits to facilities: the URENCO UK uranium enrichment plant in Capenhurst; the Sellafield Nuclear site in Seascale, Cumbria, which includes the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) and the decommissioned Calder Hall nuclear power station; Heysham Nuclear Power Station in Heysham, Lancashire; and Westinghouse’s Fuel Fabrication facility in Springfields, UK.
- Educational exchange with faculty and students in the KCL College of War Studies’s Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS).
Education
Nuclear Facilities Experience
Experiencing nuclear safeguards in practice
The International Nuclear Facilities Experience (INFE) is as a unique opportunity for graduate students from U.S. universities and early career professional from U.S. national laboratories to visit nuclear fuel cycle facilities in other countries and discuss applied safeguards and security measures with actual practitioners and facility operators. Participants can see first-hand how safeguards are implemented at various types of facilities, while networking with their peers around the U.S. and experiencing travel to a foreign country.
INFEs can take place in Europe, Japan, South Korea, or the UK and generally include visits to different types of fuel cycle facilities, cultural experiences, and interaction with a university in the host country.
Europe INFE Highlights
- Historical experience: Communism Museum and nuclear bunker tour (Prague, Czech Republic)
- Examples of past visits to facilities: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters and Seibersdorf Laboratories (Austria); Jaslovske Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant (Slovakia); Research Center Rez; Framatome Lingen Fuel Fabrication Facility (Germany); URENCO Nederlands Uranium Enrichment Facility (Netherlands); European Commission Joint Research Center (Germany).
Japan INFE Highlights
- Historical experience: Tour of the Hiroshima Peace Park and Peace Memorial Museum and presentation by Hiroshima bombing survivor.
- Examples of past visits to facilities: the Oarai Nuclear Engineering Institute; the Tokai Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories; the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant; and the Rokkasho Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility.
- Interaction with students and faculty from the Academy of Global Nuclear Safety and Security program at the Institute of Science Tokyo.
- Visit to the Fukushima Daiichi Power Station Site and presentation on the cleanup efforts.
South Korea INFE Highlights
- Historical experience: Tour of Korean Demilitarized Zone.
- Examples of past visits to facilities: the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) Nuclear Fuel Company; Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI); Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant; KORAD L/ILW Disposal Centre; Doosan Enerbility.
- Educational exchange with faculty and students in the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST).
UK INFE Highlights
Recent NFE News
NSSPI Conducts Domestic Nuclear Facilities Experience in New Mexico and Texas
May 28, 2026NSSPI’s 2026 Domestic Nuclear Facilities Experience gave students firsthand exposure to safeguards, fuel cycle operations, and nuclear careers through visits to leading facilities in New Mexico and Texas.
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NSSPI and ANL Conduct International Nuclear Facilities Experience in South Korea
June 25, 2024Students and professionals from Texas A&M’s NSSPI and Argonne National Laboratory participated in an international program in South Korea, where they toured nuclear facilities and engaged with experts on safeguards and security.
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NSSPI Students and Faculty Attend Domestic Nuclear Facilities Experience at ORNL
May 7, 2024Texas A&M NSSPI students and faculty attended a four-day training at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, featuring lectures, hands-on safeguards exercises, and tours of major nuclear facilities. The experience gave participants practical exposure to real-world nuclear technologies and techniques not available on campus.
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