Proactively developing specialised human resources
According to nuclear energy experts, the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant span many decades. Therefore, alongside personnel working directly at the plant, the “external” workforce also plays a particularly important role. Training operational personnel requires very high standards and takes a long time, but the advantage is that the training pathway is linked to specific technologies and involves the participation of technology suppliers.
The long-term task that Viet Nam must proactively address is to build a workforce in management, regulatory affairs, research and development, and technical support. Viet Nam must proactively train this workforce and build up its capacity so that it can independently conduct appraisals, assess safety, verify technical calculations, and conduct research and provide support for the sustainable development of the nuclear programme.
To implement the nuclear power programme, the Government has issued human resource development schemes for different groups of personnel. Under Decision No. 1012/QD-TTg on training and capacity building for human resources serving nuclear power development through 2035, by 2030, the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant is expected to require around 1,920 personnel, while the Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Plant will require around 1,980.
Meanwhile, Decision No. 893/QD-TTg sets requirements for training, capacity building, and development of human resources in State management, research and development, application, and technical support in the field of atomic energy.
By 2030, the target is for all State management personnel in atomic energy at the central and local levels to receive sufficient training and capacity building, while at least 50% of personnel at the national radiation and nuclear safety authority will have sufficient capacity to serve lawmaking, appraisal, assessment, inspection, and supervision of safety and security at nuclear power plants and research reactors.
To date, investors in nuclear power plant projects have coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Training, technology partners, and experienced organisations to develop comprehensive human resource training plans and have begun implementing training programmes.
The Nuclear Training Centre under the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM), which was established to provide short-term training for personnel for the former Ninh Thuan nuclear power project, is now stepping up training in response to new requirements.
The centre has organised training courses on nuclear power for PetroVietnam (PVN) officials and trained PhD students in fields directly related to nuclear power human resource needs. The centre's leadership said interest in the field was increasing again, with a higher number of newly recruited PhD students.
As the focal agency responsible for implementing Decision No. 893/QD-TTg, the Viet Nam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Ministry of Science and Technology is also coordinating with relevant agencies to develop an overall plan and implement tasks according to the roadmap.
Initial priorities include reviewing human resource needs and developing training plans and curricula for specialised fields. In the coming period, the department will negotiate, sign agreements, and send officials for training and internships at prestigious nuclear facilities overseas.
Mobilising resources for human resource training
While demand for training is increasing, specialised nuclear power training capacity is facing two bottlenecks: teaching staff and infrastructure.
According to Dr Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute, the institute currently has only around 10 nuclear power and related-field experts who can participate in teaching, most of whom have retired or are approaching retirement age.
At universities involved in human resource training, a shortage of lecturers specialising in nuclear power is also widespread. The Viet Nam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety has likewise shared that developing a domestic pool of lecturers and experts remains a challenge due to the specialised nature of the training and the limited number of experts.
Dr Duong Thanh Tung, Head of the Training, Research, and Deployment Division at the Nuclear Training Centre, said equipment for practical training and experiments did not yet meet training requirements. The centre's laboratory currently has no radioactive sources, while practical training models mainly use water and heat. Even basic facilities such as computers for trainees to use in practical exercises remain limited. Therefore, investment in nuclear power research capacity is needed to improve the quality of human resource training.
Specifically, Viet Nam should invest in, upgrade, and establish Nuclear Engineering Departments at the country's two leading technical universities. This task should begin with research into developing an internationally standardised nuclear power training curriculum, investment in infrastructure, including relevant laboratories, development of teaching staff, and partnerships for training and overseas internships.
According to many leading atomic energy experts, undergraduate training should be based on human resource needs and the competency requirements of each position, rather than developing curricula and recruiting students before seeking career pathways for graduates. As an immediate priority, several core internationally accredited nuclear power training programmes should be developed, providing a foundation for graduates to receive further specialised training according to their respective positions. Specifically, Viet Nam should invest in, upgrade, and establish Nuclear Engineering Departments at the country's two leading technical universities.
This task should begin with research into developing an internationally standardised nuclear power training curriculum, investment in infrastructure, including relevant laboratories, development of teaching staff, and partnerships for training and overseas internships. The task may require several years of preparation, but it is necessary for a nuclear power programme that will span hundreds of years. In the immediate term, students could be sent abroad for training.
Given the limited domestic resources, international cooperation is one of the important solutions for gradually overcoming these difficulties. Nguyen Hoang Linh, Head of the Viet Nam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, said a long-term investment roadmap and appropriate mechanisms were needed to develop and retain a pool of experts.
At the same time, cooperation with the IAEA and countries with developed nuclear industries should continue to be strengthened to implement training, capacity-building, and expert exchange programmes, contributing to the preparation of human resources to meet the requirements of nuclear power development and atomic energy applications in the new period.
In recent years, the Vietnamese Nuclear Experts Network (VietNuc) has supported training for nuclear power project managers and State officials responsible for technical safety and institutional matters.
Dr Pham Tuan Hiep, Secretary General of VietNuc, said VietNuc currently has around 200 members working in France, the UK, Italy, Viet Nam, Belgium, Austria, the US, and Canada, and continues to expand into various fields, from research, materials, and engineering to nuclear regulation and project management.
These experts have direct experience working in the nuclear industry in countries that have developed nuclear power. Therefore, they can help supplement practical experience that is still lacking among the domestic workforce.
To develop research experts capable of establishing and leading strong specialised groups, scientists have proposed linking long-term training with major nuclear research institutions around the world.
One area of cooperation that should be promoted is between Viet Nam and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, an international scientific organisation in Russia. Viet Nam is one of the founding members of the institute and has made important contributions to its development.
Professor Dr Le Hong Khiem, Institute of Physics, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology
According to Professor Le Hong Khiem, PhD, of the Institute of Physics under the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, one area of cooperation that should be promoted is between Viet Nam and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, an international scientific organisation in Russia. Viet Nam is one of the founding members of the institute and has made important contributions to its development.
The Dubna institute currently possesses modern nuclear research infrastructure and equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a long-term nuclear human resource training programme linked to research projects at Dubna. This would help address two bottlenecks facing domestic nuclear science: the shortage of experts capable of building and leading strong research groups, and limitations in large-scale research infrastructure and equipment.
