Opportunity and Overview

Do you want to be part of the renaissance in nuclear energy and help mitigate climate change in the UK and around the world? If you have a good degree in engineering or a related science subject, the University of Cambridge can help you gain the knowledge and the skills to build your career in the nuclear and energy sectors.

As part of the Cambridge Nuclear Energy Centre, the MPhil in Nuclear Energy was launched in November 2010 and will run each year from October 2011. This is a one year full time masters for engineers, mathematicians and scientists wishing to make a difference to climate change in the UK and around the world by developing nuclear power.

By combining nuclear technology with nuclear policy and business, the course is made highly relevant for the challenge of 21st century energy needs.

Applications should be submitted through the Board of Graduate Studies website (Admissions) until the end of June each year.

For further information, please contact the course director. Email: nuclear-mphil-enquiries@eng.cam.ac.uk

Nuclear Renaissance

The case for nuclear energy is being made in many countries based on the need for action on climate change, the requirements for energy security the attraction of the predictable cost of nuclear generation.

In the UK, three groups of utilities are planning to invest collectively at least 30bn pounds in new reactors over the next 15 years, which could supply 30% of UK electricity annual demand by 2030.

Around the world we see other nuclear programmes at varying stages of development. New construction is occurring in Finland, France, China, India and Korea. Preparations for new build are well advanced in the US. Also, many other countries are planning either: to re-start their nuclear build programmes (Czech Republic, Canada, Brazil, Switzerland, Holland, Romania etc.), or to start from scratch (UAE, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Vietnam etc).

Large new R&D projects are being launched with major spend on fusion for ITER, and the prototypes next-generation fission reactors being considered in Europe, the US and the Far East.

Nuclear is likely to become a multi-billion pound international business within 20 years. It is clear that there will a major demand for skilled and capable engineering and management staff.