In order to establish French influence in the Chinese nuclear market, they focused on China’s younger generation. The cornerstone of this strategy is establishing the Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering & Technology (IFCEN) and inaugurating the institute on Wednesday was Alain Juppe. This school meets Chinese demand. Although the nuclear program was briefly put on hold after the Fukushima incident, China has huge ambitions in this area. There is a huge and rapidly growing demand for engineers and technicians to ensure the smooth running of its power plants and nuclear power plants. In 2010, the Chinese nuclear power plants should have increased by 600%.

IFCEN has been in operation for a year already, with its first class having started in September 2010. The second has started their courses yesterday. Each time, the program accepts around 105 students. The school is housed in Sun Yat-sen University, based in Guangzhou, but also has a campus in Zhuhai. The Chinese students will spend six years consisting of three years of preparatory courses, including learning French. “The students are very good”, said Jean-Marie Bourgeois-Demersay, Director of IFCEN. “They can follow superior mathematical programs in French after only learning the language for four to five months”. Two courses are offered: the first relates to nuclear engineering and plant operations and the second is dedicated to materials and fuel cycles. 

From the French side, this educational project was developed by a consortium of five schools, l'Institut national polytechnique de Grenoble (INP), l'École des Mines de Nantes, l'École de chimie de Montpellier, Chimie ParisTech and l'Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires (INSTN) of CEA.

Jean-Maris Bourgeois-Demersay, formerly the VP from INP believes “the experience of creating such a large nuclear engineering school in China with a model which doesn’t even exist in France is very interesting.” He also appreciated the industrial supports from the French side-EDF, Areva and Bureau Veritas, and from the Chinese side-CGNPC.’
   
The graduates from Zhuhai will have a double degree: a master from Sun Yat-sen University and an engineering degree from IFCEN. Chinese will learn how to train engineers through the French method. IFCEN is ranked the third largest engineering school with preparatory classes, based in China, after the Central School in Beijing and the Institute of Sino-European Aviation in Tianjing.

Source: Le Figaro, September 13, 2011