The normal operation of the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) includes the annual Board of Directors Meeting where a number of important discussions and decisions are made for the future of the organization.
From 8 to 10 March 2019, exactly one year after the Bariloche conference and one year before the Sydney congress, the Board of Directors came together in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Hosted by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and the nuclear young professionals’ organization – the Barakah Youth Council (BYC) – the Board held a number of meetings and took several important decisions.
On 8 March, Luca Capriotti, IYNC President, held an open and candid discussion with the IYNC Officers and several observers on issues of importance. This Officers’ meeting generated a number of ideas, suggestions and items of feedback to take to the different Board Committees.
On 9 March, two significant meetings were held – the IYNC2020 Executive Committee (ExCom) meeting and the IYNC Board Meeting. Most notably, the IYNC Board took the following decisions for the future of the organization:
“With these items decided and finalized, we are well on our way to hosting a fantastic Congress in Sydney in March 2020,” said Luca Capriotti after the meeting.
As a side-event to these IYNC meeting, the Nuclear Innovation, Clear Energy (NICE) Future Initiative organized a workshop for the IYNC participants and the Barakah Youth Council.
Envisioning a world in which clean energy, including renewables, nuclear and carbon capture technology, can work collaboratively to minimize our global greenhouse gas footprint, the workshop focused on how young professionals in the nuclear industry are involved in spreading the message about nuclear energy as a clean source of electricity. The IYNC would like to thank Mr. Jeremy Gordon as the independent consultant who conducted the workshop, as well as the Natural Resources Canada who provided the funding for the workshop, and Kristine Madden and Fabricia Pineiro for leading the organizing of the IYNC’s Clean Energy initiative activities.
Finally, the IYNC Board of Directors visited the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant for a full-day tour. The Board members witnessed first-hand one of the largest nuclear new-build projects in the world, with four Korean APR-1400 rectors being built at the same site. Once fully operational, the Barakah plant will produce 5,600 megawatts of clean electricity, contributing significantly to the UAE’s clean energy targets.
The IYNC would like to thank ENEC and the BYC for hosting the Board of Directors meeting and we hope to see many participants from the UAE join colleagues from around the world in Sydney in March 2020.
