Education & Training with the TRIGA Research Reactor of the Laboratory of Applied Nuclear Energy (LENA) of the University of Pavia (Italy)

The Laboratory of Applied Nuclear Energy (“LENA”) is an Interdepartmental Research Centre of the University of Pavia which operate, among other facilities, a 250 kW TRIGA Mark II Research Nuclear Reactor. The reactor is at the disposal of researchers from Pavia University and of other users, for research activities, training and education and other services. Nowadays, training is one of the most important tools necessary to gain and maintain the required competence of the various categories of personnel operating in the nuclear field. Thanks to both the deep expertise gained in more than 45years of reactor operation and to the academic context in which reactor is operated, LENA developed a wide range of education and training programs covering most of the topics related to the nuclear field: from safety culture and radioprotection to quality assurance and management system. The nature and scope of Education&Training programme are primarily oriented to students, researchers and professionals involved in nuclear safety-related activities, and are designed and developed both at theoretical and practical level, due to the possibility of operating the reactor and its facilities for specific training purpose. At the academic level, LENA provides courses for Nuclear Engineering and Physics Master Degrees and for post-graduated International Masters, where the typical recipients of the courses come both from national and international context. In addition, thanks to the expertise achieved in the operation and management of the reactor, LENA offers basic and advanced knowledge training courses for "nuclear technicians” to private Companies, Utilities and Governmental Institutions. Training programs, characterized by a significant experimental component, can be arranged based on customer needs, providing training modules with different levels of detail. LENA basic training modules focus on subject related to Operation & Safety in Nuclear Plants, Radiation Protection, Analytical Nuclear Techniques and their applications, Quality Assurance for safety in nuclear installations.