Category: Message from Chairs

From the Welcome Remarks of INSC 30 Years Anniversary Celebration Ceremony

Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen! I am Poong Seong, a professor emeritus in nuclear engineering at KAIST, Korea, currently chairing the INSC. Today, I would like to thank all of you for coming to this ceremony and congratulating the INSC 30 years anniversary. I especially want to thank Mr. Rafael Grossi, the Director General of IAEA, and Mr. Carlos Duarte, the Ambassador of Brazil at the IAEA mission who generously let us use the Brazilian Booth for this ceremony.

INSC, standing for the International Nuclear Societies Council, was founded on November 11^th, 1990, by 12 Charter Member Signatories. Its primary mission was to foster ongoing cooperation, communication and exchange of information among the world’s nuclear societies. Now the number of member societies has increased to 38, with the WiN Global joining as a new member from last year. INSC is currently estimated to represent more than 80,000 nuclear professionals worldwide. INSC holds the Non-Governmental Organization status of IAEA and UNEP. It has held general meetings twice a year for past 30 years and has published books and statements while pursuing its missions. INSC also runs a website hosted on the American Nuclear Society server, which periodically uploads country reports on various nuclear issues. Dr. Peter Ozemoyah who is the 1st vice chair of INSC will give more comprehensive presentations to you on the INSC history and accomplishments shortly.

After 30 years, INSC is working to reorganize its governance. INSC has had four executive officers, chair, 1^st vice chair, 2^nd vice chair and secretary/treasurer, with each officer working for a two-year mandate for each position and eight years in total. Now we are revamping this governance structure to have five officers by splitting the secretary/treasurer position into secretary and treasurer, and have each officer work for a one-year mandate for each position and five years in total. INSC is also making great effort to have a new fiscal structure by opening and keeping its own bank account these days. INSC is reorganizing the List of Delegates and Permanent Contacts of member societies, too. In short, INSC is working hard to make itself well furbished and organized with the great contribution of executive officers and members of Council.

Recognizing that nuclear energy including small modular reactors is indispensable for climate control/carbon neutral society and vital for future hydrogen economy, INSC is currently preparing a report tentatively titled “INSC NEXT 50-YEAR VISION REPORT” with the target of finalizing the report by May of 2022. INSC is also preparing two position statements with the target of COP27 in 2022.

We will have the second 2021 INSC general meeting today at Room M0E 05 (M building, ground floor, room 05) from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. If you are interested in attending the meeting as an observer or a guest, you are very much welcome.

If you are not able to attend this time but hope to join next time, you are welcome too! We are planning to have the 01-2022 Meeting in Jeju Island in Korea, which is a top tourist attraction with many famous resorts, where the Korean Nuclear Society’s Spring Meeting on May 19^th 2022 is going to be held with more than 1000 Korean nuclear professionals expected to attend.

Thanking all of you again for coming to this ceremony, now I’d like to close my welcome remarks by saying “Please pay attention to INSC, the International Nuclear Societies Council, and show your great support”. INSC acts as a global forum for nuclear societies to discuss and establish common aims and goals!” Thank you.

Poong Hyun Seong
INSC Chair 2021-2022

YES, The International Nuclear Societies Council is THIRTY! Founded on November 11, 1990, it has continued to grow with the addition earlier this year of Women in Nuclear- Global, with 35,000 members around the world. The total number of individual members in all the 40 Societies in the Council now exceeds 100,000. The INSC is an accredited organization with the United Nations Environmental Programme and has an Observer status with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The European Nuclear Society has chaired the Council in 2019 and 2020. In 2019 the first INSC Meeting took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in conjunction with the Annual Symposium of the Latin American Section of the ANS.
The second Meeting was done in Washington D.C., USA, in connection with the Winter Meeting of the American Nuclear Society.
The first Meeting of 2020 was planned to happen in April in Tokyo, Japan, with the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, and included a visit of the Fukushima Daichi plant. As the time of the meeting approached the COVID pandemic first wave was hitting every country and the travel restrictions made a presential meeting impossible. In June INSC held its first virtual meeting ever. At that moment the intention was to hold the second Meeting of the year in September in Vienna, Austria, on the sides of the IAEA General Conference, and celebrate the 30th INSC Anniversary then. The Corona sanitary crisis made it impossible again, and a virtual meeting was organized in October, with a record number of attendees.
Looking forward to the New Year, the current plan for the first meeting is to do it in Tokyo in the Spring, if possible. The UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP26) was shifted from this year to next, in Glasgow, UK. INSC and its Societies shall have an intense presence in the Conference and highlight the contribution that nuclear energy makes to the supply of low carbon electricity around the world.
In closing, I would like to thank my fellow INSC Officers Prof. P.Seong, Dr. P. Ozemoyah and Dr. O. Peixoto for their efforts and support in striving to make the Council a truly global voice for nuclear science and technology professionals.

Fernando Naredo
INSC Chair 2019-2020

INSC Chair 2015-2016

Chairman Spitalnik’s Message

INSC is starting its 13th year of existence with full recognition by its Member Societies of its usefulness and relevance, having conquered the position of being their focal point for international exchange of ideas and concerns resulting from the use and applications of nuclear science and technology.

During our mandate of the 2003-04 time period, we shall make all efforts to maintain this successful INSC achievement and to work towards reaching common grounds in dealing with controversial nuclear issues that are getting, nowadays, into the global agenda.

It is our aim to continue the publication of the Series on Current Issues of Nuclear Energy, right now with Reports in two particular areas; Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Role in Coming Future — Hydrogen Utilization. In addition to the work of existing INSC Task Groups, other issues that could be considered for development in the near future are Nuclear Safety Culture, and Non-Proliferation Reactors and associated Fuel Cycles.

By initiative of AESJ, INSC could reach an agreement with the United Nations University (U.N.U.) to implement a new program of Annual Seminars for University students on subjects related to the contribution of different energy options to sustainable development, environment protection and reduction of greenhouse gases emissions, and advances in non-power nuclear energy applications. Discussions that were started last year, under the administration of the immediate past-Chairman, Dr. Chang-Kun Lee, are fairly advanced to set up a Cooperation Agreement between INSC and U.N.U., and it is our intention to pursue them.

We shall continue with our efforts to increase our membership by adding new Nuclear Societies to our Member Societies roster, and to get further recognition from International Organizations to obtain the NGO Observer status amongst them.

Let me thank you all for your kind contribution and support in making INSC a really relevant Institution for all nuclear communities worldwide.

INSC Chair 2003-2004

Chairman Lee’s Message

At the threshold of the 21st century and on the inceptive arena of this third millennium, International Nuclear Societies Council is entering its second decade from the birth on the solid basis that has been laid out by our predecessors hitherto.

History has witnessed how well INSC played its role during the last decade of the last century in delivering major policy overtures to the world nuclear community and also demonstrated a melting pot’s function by having melted different views into constructive & prophetic recommendations bearing a long-term objective in mind to save this planet Earth.

When homogeneous individuals try to achieve a set of heterogeneous objective, active cooperation is called for. However, in case heterogeneous societies attempt to attain a set of homogeneous unified goal, more than simple cooperation is required, and strong coordination is a key to success in the course of work. In this context, your active cooperation together with positive coordination is truly appreciated.

We are very pleased to acknowledge the efforts and performances of the Council representatives, the Task Group participants and committee members who have voluntarily rendered their time and endeavors for raising the INSC banner high. Together with your efforts, I dare say that the nuclear renaissance is not a too distant dream. Your continued support and engagement will be most appreciated. Thank you very much.

Chang Kun Lee

INSC Chair 2001-2002