Short Bio:
Dr. Sylvester Attakorah Birikorang is currently a student working with NSSPI. He was previously a 2024-2025 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow. He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering, which he completed in 2014 through an IAEA sandwich fellowship program at the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS), University of Ghana, and Universita di Pisa, Italy. He also holds a First Level Special Master’s in Nuclear Safeguards from Dipartimento Di Energia, Politecnico Di Milano, Italy, funded by the European Union, which he completed in October 2022. Before the Stanton fellowship program, he worked as the Head of the Nuclear Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Department at the Nuclear Installation Directorate of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority in Ghana. He worked with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in the National Nuclear Research Institute for 8 years as a Research Scientific Officer and was the lead of the Reactor Physics Group at the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) facility. Before leaving the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission for the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, he moved from the grade of Research Scientist to Senior Research Scientist. Dr. Birikorang played a crucial role in IAEA-coordinated research projects, leading to the conversion of Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) fuel from High Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) and was the lead for transport and emergency preparedness and response of the core conversion project group. He was the local technical expert for the CBRN COE project 60, which supports the Center of Excellence of Eastern and Central Africa in nuclear security. He has been a member of the CBRN committee in Ghana and was involved in developing the CBRN national action plan (NAP). Dr Birikorang has been a Senior lecturer at the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, supervising numerous MPhil and PhD students. He was also a part-time lecturer at the Winneba College for Distance and E-Learning at the University of Education, Winneba, supervising more than 30 post-graduate students and graduate students respectively. Dr. Birikorang has more than 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals. His areas of expertise encompass Radiological Management and Radiation Safety, Nuclear Safeguards and Non-Proliferation, Nuclear Reactor Safety, and Nuclear Security, all aligning with IAEA best practices. His duties have included drafting nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation regulations, inspecting and verifying research reactors and industrial facilities, and training officers on nuclear safeguards, radiation safety, and the use of radiation detection equipment. Furthermore, Dr. Birikorang has vital experience in organizing workshops and training programs focused on nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation, bringing together experts, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers from Africa and around the world to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and enhance the capacity of individuals and organizations involved in nuclear safeguards efforts.
NSSPI Publications:
- S. Birikorang, A. Blay, and E. Awuah, "Development of Emergency Planning Zones for Ghana’s Proposed Nuclear Plant Based on Radioactivity Releases from Hypothetical Accident Scenarios", Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations, 2025(1), 8876882.
- S. Birikorang, S. Chiyangwa, and V. Agbodemegbe, "Assessment of radionuclide dispersion and radiation dose for a hypothetical VVER-1200 accident in Zimbabwe", Annals of Nuclear Energy, 224 (2025), 111733.
- S. Adu, S. Birikorang, Z. Ndum, M. Yim, and C. Marianno, "Assessing the Feasibility and Risks of Small Modular Reactor Deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Geopolitical and Security Analysis", INMM25: Advancing Nuclear Materials Management for a Safer Tomorrow, August 24–28, 2025. Washington, DC.
- S. Birikorang, M. Yim, C. Marianno, and M. Fuhrmann, "Managing the Nuclear Security Risks of Nuclear Power Development in West Africa", INMM25: Advancing Nuclear Materials Management for a Safer Tomorrow, August 24–28, 2025. Washington, DC.
- S. Birikorang and S. Dahunsi, "A Case Study of Radionuclide Dispersion from Potential Nuclear Power Plant Accidents in Ghana", INMM25: Advancing Nuclear Materials Management for a Safer Tomorrow, August 24–28, 2025. Washington, DC.
- S. Adu, H. Foy, K. Velichkov, and S. Birikorang, "Addressing Regulatory Gaps in Uranium Transport: A SADC Case Study", 21st International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM 2025), July 27 to August 1, 2025, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- S. Birikorang, S. Adu, and Z. Ndum, "Assessment of Security Risks in the Shipment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Ghana Case Study", 21st International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM 2025), July 27 to August 1, 2025, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- S. Birikorang, S. Dahunsi, S. Adu, C. Nketia, and A. Blay, "Assessing nuclear energy and radiological risks: a case study of radionuclide dispersion from potential nuclear power plant accidents in Ghana.", Radiation Protection Dosimetry. 2025 Apr 7;201(5):333-350.