Vice President of Rusatom Overseas Jukka Laaksonen delivered a lecture at FIUBA (Argentina)

As part of the agreement between JSC Rusatom Overseas (subsidiary of ROSATOM Atomic Energy Corporation) and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Buenos Aires, for the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, our country was visited by security and nuclear energy expert, Professor Jukka Laaksonen , currently Vice President of Rusatom Overseas, Vice Chairman of INSAG (International nuclear Safety Group connected IAEA) and member of the International Advisory Council responsible for advising the Government of the United Arab Emirates in its nuclear program.

The classroom was filled with authorities of the University of Buenos Aires, the Faculty of Engineering, academic personalities, NASA, journalists, and students. Also, the conference was simultaneously viewed in the Balseiro Institute and in the central ATUCHA thanks to the videoconference mode. They were all very interested and keen to make questions to the specialist as regards the lecture exposed.

The expert gave a lecture on "The Evolution of the Nuclear Industry post Fukushima" focusing on the current situation of various countries and the progress of Russian technology in the development of nuclear energy. Notably, Mr. Jukka Laaksonen graduated from the Technical University of Helsinki and was General Director of Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) of Finland from 1997 to January 2012.

Mr. Jukka Laaksonen commented: “The Fukushima accident has not impacted significantly to the future of nuclear power as a major energy source in the global scale”. He also added: “In other countries major safety measures have been taken to enhance nuclear safety and the safety of new nuclear power plants will benefit from the lessons of Fukushima Daiichi accident”.

The lecture was given in the framework of the agreement between JSC Rusatom Overseas and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Buenos Aires to organize the First National Essay Contest on Peaceful Applications of Nuclear Technology aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students contemplating applications nuclear technology to sectors of industry, medicine, biology and agriculture.

The Russian-Argentina cooperation in the nuclear field is governed by the bilateral agreement between the Government of Argentina and the Soviet Union for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, signed on October 25, 1990. On May 24, 2011 in Moscow, during the meeting of the Director General of ROSATOM Sergey Kiriyenko and the Minister of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services of Argentina, Architect Julio De Vido, signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which certifies that "ROSATOM State Corporation has successfully passed the pre -qualification as a potential supplier of the Argentina fourth nuclear power plant”.

The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Buenos develops professionals since 1870. In the course of its history, it has been established as an institution recognized for the excellence of its engineering education and related careers, and a center of excellence in research, development and technology transfer. This Home Study is also for consultation regarding state policies in technology.