NISAS, which was founded on a long-standing relationship between the IAEA and Pakistan, is now the IAEA’s tenth cooperating centre worldwide for nuclear security. This was agreed to during the IAEA general meeting in Vienna last month, and the accord is in place until 2026.
A partnering centre is a research, development, and training-focused institution, department, or laboratory located in an IAEA member state that has been chosen by the organisation to support its programmatic activities by carrying out a predetermined work plan.
The agreement, which specifies the parties’ commitments and the duration of the designation as well as the goals, actions, and anticipated results and outcomes, is a legally binding contract that is signed by both parties.
“The IAEA nuclear security programme includes a broad range of capacity building activities, which are one of the most important pillars of our assistance to member states. Nuclear security education and training in the region of Asia and the Pacific will be further strengthened and supported by the designation of NISAS as an IAEA collaborating centre,”remarked Lydie Evrard, Deputy Director General and Head of the IAEA’s Department of Nuclear Safety and Security.
“NISAS is systematically supporting the IAEA’s ongoing efforts to enhance nuclear security in the region, and globally,” she added.
NISAS will continue to support nuclear security as part of the agreed-upon work plan by going to host IAEA instructional seminars and workshops, organising and hosting these events using their cutting-edge training facility and physical protection laboratories, hosting researchers and fellowships in nuclear security, assisting in the creation of guidelines and standards, and participating in expert missions to share the experience with IAEA member states.
“The designation of NISAS as an IAEA collaborating centre is an important milestone in the longstanding cooperation with the IAEA, and will further foster it. It confirms and acknowledges the expertise we have developed in the area of nuclear security,” stated PNRA Chairman Faizan Mansoor.
“NISAS’ staff and infrastructure will continue contributing to the IAEA efforts in building the competencies and technical skills required to support nuclear security at the national and regional level.”
NISAS was created by the PNRA in 2014. Since its founding, NISAS has hosted and organised more than 30 national, regional, and worldwide training courses with the IAEA, with a primary focus on fostering the development of human resources in the area of nuclear security. NISAS is an ISO 9001:2015-certified training organisation that can deliver high-quality instruction in regulatory fields. In addition to creating a mockup model of a potential nuclear power plant, it also created nuclear security laboratories for access control, intrusion detection, CCTV, and radiation detection systems. Operators, regulatory employees, security professionals, first rescuers, front-line officers, and students are among the participants in training programs held at its labs for both international and domestic participants.
