Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) and the
Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in Ha Noi yesterday, April 6, signed a
co-operation agreement to train human resources for the national nuclear power programme. The deal aims to ensure there is sufficient human capital to carry
out the programme by 2020 and develop nuclear power plants in central Ninh Thuan
Province in particular.

The
organising bodies seek to enrol officers and students in engineering and
specialty courses on nuclear power at the Russian University of Nuclear Research
(MEPHI).

The
training will be implemented based on two forms: the memorandum of understanding
between the ministry and the Russian National Atomic Energy (Rosatom) and a
contract between Rosatom, the ministry and EVN. Rosatom will finance half of the
training costs, while EVN would cover the rest as well as all other costs
according to regulations.

EVN will
be responsible for granting monthly additional stipends of US$200 for each staff
member and student who commits to working for EVN long-term and qualifies for
specialised training in Russia based on their academic performance after each
semester.

Speaking
at the signing ceremony, deputy minister Bui Van Ga said EVN and the ministry
would be responsible for training quality staff who would be able to safely
operate nuclear power plants and contribute to easing the country’s energy
shortage.

EVN’s
deputy general director Dinh Quang Tri said they have sent about 172 officials
to participate in short-term training courses on building, operating and
maintaining power plants in Japan, South Korea and France.

It also
sent 29 staff members’ children, who had strong academic achievements for
training in the nuclear power field, to Moscow Energy University (MPEI). Nine
Vietnamese engineers will have graduated from the university and returned to
contribute to the project by 2013.

In
addition, last year EVN appointed two officers to train doctors of nuclear power
in Russia and Sweden. The deal was signed based on the Government Decision 1558/QD-TTg
on “Training and developing human resources in the field of nuclear energy”
project. The agreement will be valid until the end of 2020.

The Ninh
Thuan 1 nuclear power plant is expected to start its construction by the end of
2014. Its first and second units will be operational by 2020 and 2021,
respectively. The Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant will start its construction
in May 2015.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News