Generating Knowledge in the Young

Session Chair: Adele Hollick, Technical Chair IYNC 2002, BNFL, United Kingdom
Keynote Speakers: Mr Yanev (IAEA) "Preservation of Knowledge and Nuclear University", Mr Ratislav Petrech (Head of Foreign Affairs and PR, Mohovce)

One of the core themes behind forming Young Generation groups is the development of networks and the transfer of knowledge. With representation from different YGN's present in the Y notes session, it was natural that some discussion would centre around the Young Generation networks.аDifferences were identified between the YGN's in terms of their structure and funding routes as some were more formalised than others.аDelegates were interested in sharing information on the experiences of other YGNТs, learning from that experience and enabling communication through contacts obtained through the IYNC. The IYNC project currently organised by Ignacio Sebastian Luppi Berlanga was thought to possibly be a good way to facilitate this transfer of experience and knowledge but communication between individual YGN's was also to be encouraged.

The training of young people in the industry was an important point raised in the Y notes.аIt was felt essential to ensure that there was more of a balance between theoretical and practical experience.аIn gaining experience, it was felt that any practical secondments should be long enough to be of benefit.а

When people join the industry there is a wide range of basic knowledge to be transferred, following on from this graduates develop their knowledge both in breadth and depth.аHowever concern was voiced as to whether knowledge should be more broadly accumulated or more specific as it is in specific areas where there has been found to be a lack of people within the industry.а

Much debate centred around the issue of how most people felt that their roles were fairly broad and that there was less popularity associated with specialisation.а It was felt that the process of knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing was necessarily slower because of the amount and depth of knowledge required to operate within a broad role.аWithin the industry and within companies the suggestion was voiced that we need to interconnect more to learn off others rather than specialise our knowledge.

One delegate felt that the culture of companies also affected the desire of people to remain and the attitude displayed by some companies did not encourage the retention of people and therefore the knowledge that they possessed.

The process of knowledge transfer should be constant with the human factor needing to be taken into account.аIt was customary in many places to acquire knowledge first through the use of tests, papers etc.аPersonal contact and working with more experienced people was felt to be of more value later in your career when an adequate grounding had been achieved.

The influence of politics on knowledge retention and transfer was also debated.а An example of the closure of the Phenix programme in France was raised by one delegate.аWhilst this decision was political, the question of what was to happen to all of the experience and knowledge gained from this research programme was raised and was felt to be unresolved by the closure of the programme.аThis was felt to connect to the theme of the knowledge preservation workshop also held as part of the conference programme.

The themes of knowledge transfer and preservation were felt to be firmly interlinked to the recruitment and retention of people in the industry.аPolitical decisions made regarding the nuclear industry were felt to be of key importance in having consequences on the industry that the industry was then left to resolve.аThe issue of how best to settle the broad versus specific debate was not resolved but was felt to be a point for further consideration.