From November 20 through 22, Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) Deputy Director and Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering Dr. Craig Marianno, along with experts from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), collaborated with partners from Indian universities and national laboratories to develop and deliver a workshop on “Developing Emerging Nuclear Security Practitioners.” The workshop was hosted by Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) in Ahmedabad, India and sponsored by the US State Department’s Partnership for Nuclear Threat Reduction (PNTR).
Through a series of lectures and interactive exercises, the workshop focused on raising nuclear security awareness, training future nuclear security practitioners, integrating physical and cyber security into an integrated nuclear security program, and enhancing the sustainability of nuclear security practitioners in India. Dr. Marianno provided lectures on “Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Consequences Associated with Attacks on Nuclear Facilities,” “Nuclear Security Program Basics,” “Nuclear Security Program Development by the Nuclear Security Practitioner,” “Personnel Security: Addressing the Insider Threat,” “Physical and Infrastructure Security in the Nuclear Facility,” and “Risk Assessment and Management by Nuclear Security Practitioners.”
Participants in the workshop included approximately 50 representatives of nuclear engineering and related programs at major universities across India. The workshop provided university professors an opportunity to increase their awareness of nuclear security issues and opportunities, discuss challenges and strategies for developing emerging leaders, and integrating these findings into their university curriculum. The student participants, who will be the future leaders at nuclear facilities and have significant nuclear security responsibilities, received important training in nuclear security issues that are not covered in their current curriculum.