Academia exchange: AWE sponsored PhD student’s international experience
An AWE sponsored PhD student from Bangor University, Moli, has recently returned from a unique and inspiring four-month international exchange programme that provided valuable insights into the wider nuclear industry and contributed to her PhD research which uses computational methods to explore and assess the nuclear forensics signatures of exotic materials and how they evolve over time.
Moli stated that “The aim of my research is to provide reference data that will support AWE’s contributions to the wider UK Nuclear Forensics Library (UKNFL) programme, an essential tool that provides information and subject matter expertise to support the identification of radioactive and nuclear (RN) materials out of regulatory control.”
“The programme offered a fantastic opportunity to broaden my academic knowledge and gain first-hand exposure to a different culture and research environment.”
AWE’s collaborations with Bangor University have grown significantly since sponsoring our first PhD there in 2020. Bangor University has become a founding member of the NTR-Net, a national network of academics conducting pioneering Nuclear Threat Reduction (NTR) research, backed by AWE, the MoD, and the Home Office. In close collaboration with the university, AWE has also supported their state-of-the-art uranium experimental facility as part of the government’s National Nuclear User Facility (NNUF) project.
When asked about her experience, Moli responded “South Korea is very proud of its contributions to the nuclear industry. They invest in educating the public about nuclear energy and its benefits. An organisation called Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), proactively integrates with schools and local communities to address any concerns and promote STEM opportunities in nuclear careers.”
To those considering opportunities like this Moli commented “I’d encourage PhD students to actively seek opportunities like this. If you can make it work with your research schedule, go for it! It’s both reassuring and inspiring to be among research communities from other cultures and see just how far and wide a career in nuclear can take you.”
