Courses made to measure

As reported in The Australian:

As debate rages over a nuclear energy industry for Australia, the University of Sydney is putting on a postgraduate diploma and a masters program for nuclear scientists from next year. It is the latest swift sector reaction to the demand for specialists in emerging and contemporary fields.

Sydney's new courses will teach nuclear physics and its applications, nuclear instrumentation, radiation physics and reactor physics among others, according to medical physicist Clive Baldock.

"It is in response to the current political situation in Australia," Professor Baldock said.

"We realised early on, before the Government released its uranium review, that there was going to be a need for more nuclear-educated engineers and scientists."

Professor Baldock expected 10 to 15 students would graduate in the first year, which would fit well with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's aim to employ 15 graduate nuclear scientists each year from next year.