In 2017, Tokyo Tech established the Human Resource Development Program for Nuclear Regulation (ANSET: Advanced Nuclear 3S Education and Training) specializing in Nuclear 3S (Safety, Security, and Safeguards), which is financially supported by the Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan. The ANSET program aims to foster the next generation of experts and leaders in Nuclear 3S, who will be capable of ensuring reliable safety in the use of nuclear energy and appropriately responding to global nuclear crises such as nuclear disasters, nuclear terrorism, and nuclear proliferation.

Building on Tokyo Tech’s nuclear engineering program, until 2021, the ANSET program has constructed the Advanced Nuclear 3S Curriculum (3S Lectures, 3S Exercises, and 3S Internships) with the mission of “Development of Human Resources Who Grasp Nuclear Security and Safeguards, and Comprehensively Understand and Take the Lead of Nuclear 3S”. In addition, the ANSET program has setup a cooperation system with domestic and international agencies/institutes of nuclear security and safeguards for on-/off-campus exercises and domestic/overseas internships. In 2020, Tokyo Tech signed the nation’s first internship agreement with IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the ANSET program regularly sends interns to IAEA departments on nuclear security and safeguards, which are usually difficult to send to.

In 2022, the ANSET-CP (Advanced Nuclear 3S Education and Training in Cyber-Physical Space) program began with the expanded mission of “Development of Human Resources Who Grasp Nuclear Security and Safeguards, and Comprehensively Understand, Practice, and Lead 3S of Nuclear Power Plants across Physical and Cyber Space”. Hands-on experiments using actual nuclear and radioactive materials were significantly enhanced to improve expertise in destructive/non-destructive analysis to handle them, which are important for nuclear security and safeguards of nuclear power plants. Nuclear security exercises of nuclear power plants were enhanced to build response capability to new technologies and threats not only in physical space but also in cyber space. The ANSET-CP program supports 3S research projects of students to deepen 3S expertise through research activities.

▶ Nuclear Plant Physical Security Exercise

Source: Exercise Reports

In order to increase interest in Nuclear 3S and improve awareness of nuclear security and safeguards from the perspective of engineering and social science, the ANSET-CP program also provides education and training programs for students from other fields and other universities, and young professionals. Students who complete the Advanced Nuclear 3S Curriculum of ANSET-CP are awarded the “Certificate of Curriculum Completion of the Human Resource Development Program for Nuclear Regulation (ANSET-CP)" in March or September. As of the end of AY2021, 559 students have taken courses in this curriculum and 32 have completed it.

▶ Course Participants (2017-2021: 559)	▶ Curriculum Graduates (2018-2021: 32)