“Nuclear Energy on the Global Scene: a Renaissance?"
 
by

Jean Pierre Contzen
Senior Adviser to the Director of UNU-IAS, Chairman of the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Invited Professor at the Eurasian National University of Kazakhstan

The debate on the future of nuclear energy is far from over. Over the next 25 years, global energy consumption is predicted to increase by more than 50%. At the same time, oil reserves are dwindling while the use of fossil fuels remains a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently there is an urgent need to reduce the use of oil as a primary energy source. Will these developments lead to a renaissance of nuclear energy on the global scene?

When the world’s leaders come together at the Group of Eight (G8) Japan Summit, to be held in Hokkaido Toyako in July of this year, the focus will likely be on preventing an outflow of nuclear technology from countries such as Iran and North Korea, promoting disarmament and ensuring non-proliferation. But what will the world’s leaders do to ensure the safe use of nuclear energy by the other sovereign nations of the world? Is the proposal introduced by Japan, current chair of the G8 and host of the 2008 Summit, to discuss compiling international safety guidelines for nuclear power plants enough to address the question of nuclear energy?

Jean-Pierre Contzen has a long history of dealing with non-proliferation issues. He studied engineering and nuclear physics before working on reactor safety and advanced conversion systems at the Nuclear Research Centre of Mol. At the European Commission, Professor Contzen successively held the posts of Director of Programmes of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), Director for Science & Technology Policy, and Director General of the JRC responsible for the management of the nuclear safety research programmes. He later was Special Adviser on questions related to nuclear safety in Eastern Europe to the Commissioner in charge of External Relations.

Professor Contzen aided in the creation of the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC) in Moscow, an international organization aimed at reconverting the former weapons’ scientists of the ex-Soviet Union. He served a term as Chairman of the ISTC Governing Board and is the European Union representative in the ISTC Scientific Advisory Committee. He was an Invited Chair Professor at IST, the Engineering School of the Technical University of Lisbon and is currently Chairman of the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Special Adviser to the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal, Senior Adviser at the Institute of Advanced Studies of the United Nations University and Invited Professor at the Eurasian National University of Kazakhstan. In addition, he is a Member of the Committee of Applied Sciences of the Royal Belgian Academy.

This event took place on Friday, 15 February, 2008, 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the United Nations University, Elizabeth Rose Hall.

For further information please visit www.ias.unu.edu/G8 or contact Rachel Schutte at Schutte[at]ias.unu.edu

	Download a .pdf version of the announcement
	See a summary of the presentation