The IAEA Regional Seminar on Nuclear Forensics Held at the University Has Ended

The UNWE hosted the IAEA Regional Peer-to-Peer Workshop on Nuclear Forensics, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency /IAEA/. The event took place in the period 1-5 June 2026 and brought together experts, representatives of member states, academics and practitioners in the field of nuclear security and nuclear forensics.

During the five-day programme the participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices related to the development of national capabilities in the field of nuclear forensics. The training included lectures, practical exercises, group work, discussions and presentations by the participating countries. Among the main topics were key concepts in nuclear forensics, laboratory capabilities, gamma spectrometry, microscopic techniques, isotope ratios and the application of various analytical approaches in the examination of nuclear and other radioactive materials.

In the concluding part of the Workshop Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Spasov, Director of the UNWE Nuclear Security Support Center, of the Institute for Enhancing Research Capacity in the Field of the Nuclear Industry and Nuclear Security and lecturer at the National and Regional Security Department, expressed thankfulness to the International Atomic Energy Agency for organizing the event and for its ongoing support in building and strengthening capacity in the field of nuclear security at the national and regional levels, as well as to the IAEA team, the lecturers, facilitators and all participants for their active participation, professional contributions and commitment during the working sessions.

Prof. Svetoslav Spasov, the event moderator Dr. Ulrich Tashima, Research and Development Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory /ORNL/, and participants in the Workshop /from the right to the left/

Prof. Spasov outlined the importance of such formats for deepening the professional cooperation, the exchange of expertise and the practical training of specialists. In his words, hosting such a seminar is a recognition of UNWE’s active role in the development of education, training and research in the field of nuclear security. He noted that sharing the national experience is essential for improving the preparedness, coordination and interaction among the institutions in the field of nuclear forensics.

The Workshop ended with an assessment of the knowledge and practical skills acquired, as well as with expressed willingness for future cooperation among the participating institutions and experts.

The UNWE highly values its long-standing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and will continue to support initiatives aimed at enhancing the expert capacity, developing the specialized training and strengthening the international partnerships in the field of nuclear security.