No. 29 Supporting the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy: A Young Professional Involved in International Human Resource Development (Technical Staff)
Takayo Tatsuno
Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security, International Capacity Building Support Office
Hired in fiscal year 2022. Works at the Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN), International Capacity Building Support Office, where he is engaged in duties such as lecturing and developing teaching materials for training courses aimed at stakeholders (electric power companies, security-related companies, and government officials) both overseas, primarily in Asia, and within Japan.
My encounter with ISCN/JAEA was a coincidence [How I came to join the company]
At the time, I was a master's student majoring in nuclear energy and was considering advancing to a doctoral program. I thought that finding a job was still a long way off, but since my university had a mandatory internship requirement, I decided to consider applying for the JAEA summer internship, simply because it is the only comprehensive nuclear research and development institution in Japan. The JAEA summer internship offers over 100 different themes. I had intended to apply for a chemistry-related theme that was closest to my own research, but the capacity was full. While looking for an alternative theme, the words "nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security" and "policy research" caught my eye. Surprised that such a field existed in nuclear energy and filled with curiosity about the unknown, I participated in a summer internship with the theme "Policy Research on Nuclear Nonproliferation/Nuclear Security/Denuclearization." I participated with absolutely no prior knowledge, but I remember that the moment I became strongly interested in the field of "nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security" and wanted to dive into this world was the first time I considered applying to JAEA.
An extremely important existence for the peaceful use of nuclear energy [Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security]
"Nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security" is a field that even students like me who studied nuclear energy do not have many opportunities to learn about, but it is actually indispensable for the sustainable and peaceful use of nuclear energy. For countries that enjoy the benefits of nuclear energy, including Japan, it is a very important field on par with "nuclear safety." The office I belong to develops human resource development support projects aimed at strengthening nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security for stakeholders in countries primarily in Asia as well as in Japan. Specifically, by utilizing JAEA's facilities, experience, and knowledge, we are engaged in initiatives that contribute to building practical capabilities regarding domestic material control systems and nuclear security, such as sharing knowledge and experience of best practices through the provision of training courses. In the approximately 10 years since the establishment of ISCN, more than 5,000 people from over 100 countries, including Japan, have participated in our training courses and have given them high praise.
Although I am still a young employee in my second year, I am in charge of lectures in both English and Japanese while seeking guidance from my superiors and colleagues. The moment I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment is when I receive high praise from participants because my efforts to devise ways of teaching based on what I have learned have been successful. In the future, I would like to be actively involved in course management and development, and bring a breath of fresh air to my office.
For those who want to know more about ISCN's human resource development support projects, please refer to the following link.
27 days of vacation per year at JAEA!?
In carrying out my work, I receive careful support from my superiors and senior staff, so I rarely feel any inconvenience. I also rarely feel inconvenienced regarding welfare benefits and salary. On the other hand, what surprised me is that there are many holidays. At JAEA, annual paid leave is already granted at the time of hiring, and when combined with summer vacation, a total of "27 days" of leave are granted per year. Since I spent my student days immersed in research, part-time jobs, club activities, and lessons, I had almost no holidays until then. It took me a little time after becoming a working adult for my body to understand that "holiday = you don't have to do anything," but now I spend my holidays meaningfully to some extent, such as going for drives as a hobby, eating out with friends, and doing research to broaden my horizons. Also, I feel that the fact that support for nursing care and childcare has recently been becoming more substantial is a high point.
What I have learned is useful, but what I feel is more important
My major in graduate school was nuclear safety, and my research field was radiochemistry. From the perspective of nuclear energy, it is not that far from my current job, and I have the impression that it is indirectly useful. Because "nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security" is a field that has developed through the complex intertwining of very broad areas such as technical aspects and policy aspects, I often encounter situations where I must proceed with my work while understanding it in a complex manner. Moreover, this field has the difficulty of changing day by day due to world conditions and technological progress. Therefore, there are more things I have studied since I started working. Senior staff members work together regardless of whether they are from nuclear/science backgrounds or humanities backgrounds. I feel that what is important is not to be bound by one's own past area of expertise, but to have no allergy to new things or things one does not know, and to actively strive to improve one's knowledge.
My job hunting was an information war [Letting people know about me & gathering as much information as possible]
As I mentioned at the beginning, the reason I wanted to join JAEA was that I participated in the summer internship. The summer internship was a great opportunity for me to learn about the field of "nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security," but at the same time, I think it was also an opportunity for the company (JAEA) to get to know students well. The summer internship usually accepts several students for each department for one week to as long as one month to provide practical training. During this time, JAEA can see the character of the students, and I think it was also a good opportunity for students to sell themselves to JAEA. Since you can also interact with various staff members, there was also a chance to ask things that are difficult to ask (such as salary and the secrets of job hunting). If you have even the slightest interest in JAEA, I strongly recommend that you participate in the summer internship. (Information on the JAEA summer internship is usually released around Golden Week every year, and the application deadline is around June. Search for "JAEA Summer Internship"!!)
Also, I think job hunting is a source of anxiety for everyone, but if you gather as much information as possible, that information will surely become a strong ally for dispelling your anxiety.
Because JAEA has the characteristic of bringing together various fields of nuclear energy, staff members with diverse backgrounds, not limited to nuclear energy, are enrolled. Your expertise might be useful somewhere. I hope you will be interested in JAEA. I wish you success in your job hunting.