11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
[HCG27-08] CONSENSUS-BUILDING ACTIVITIES AND EFFORTS IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION FOR GEOLOGICAL DISPORSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Keywords:Geological disposal, High-level radioactive waste, Consensus-building activities, Education
In accordance with the “Specified Radioactive Waste Final disposal Act”, Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, NUMO hereaftter, was established as the implementing body of the Japanese geological disposal project of high-level radioactive waste in October 2000. While striving to improve technical reliability, NUMO has been developing public relations and communication activities to raise awareness and enhance understanding among the public about the geological disposal project.
NUMO has been holding nationwide symposia on geological disposal since 2014 and, by December 2017, a total of ca. 11,600 people participated in 124 symposia, which consist of information provision sessions by NUMO and government, METI; question and answer sessions between panelists and participants; and currently added interactive dialogue sessions between interested participants and NUMO staff in small groups.
NUMO has also been carrying out public relations activities utilizing media including newspapers and magazines. In 2017, as part of consensus-building activities for the next generation, NUMO held a competition in which advertising societies of universities compete with each other with project plans of consensus-building activities on geological disposal. NUMO also supported university students learning video production in producing promotional videos which introduce geological disposal.
As information dissemination using SNS, etc., NUMO utilizes its website, email magazines, Facebook and YouTube, and regularly updates them with the latest information available.
To have the next generation recognize the geological disposal project as one of the social issues, since 2013, NUMO has been supporting teachers’ groups in about 10 different locations nationwide, which study this issue (e.g. development of teaching plans and materials), aiming for actual practices in classrooms.
Outcomes such as teaching plans and class reports are shared on NUMO’s specially set-up website. Currently, 45 teaching plans (23 for elementary schools, 16 for junior high schools and 6 for senior high schools), 11 class reports, etc., as of October 2017.
Further, every March, NUMO holds a national workshop of school teachers across Japan to exchange opinions and share their information interactively. Contents of the national workshops are posted in newspapers specializing in education to widely disseminate those efforts.
In 2016, considering opinions from teachers of elementary and junior high schools, NUMO produced teaching materials for elementary and junior high school students and teachers’ instruction materials, and distributed them to the Boards of Education and schools of high interest in energy education nationwide.
Since 2015, NUMO has been conducting delivery lectures by its staff. To visit elementary and junior high schools, universities, etc., a total of about 3,000 students learned in 54 lectures within two years. Delivery lectures include active learning, which students discuss in groups.
Since 2012, NUMO has been supporting college debate classes which deal with geological disposal as a topic. About 380 college students took these classes so far. NUMO has been providing lectures by experts and site visits that help students acquire some basic knowledge which enables them to participate in debates.
To gain awareness among the public about geological disposal, using a communication vehicle, “Geo Mirai” introduced in 2013, NUMO has been visiting around Japan and conducting dialogue with the public, mainly the younger generation. By the end of December 2017, NUMO held a total of 116 events attracting about 73,000 visitors.
NUMO has been holding nationwide symposia on geological disposal since 2014 and, by December 2017, a total of ca. 11,600 people participated in 124 symposia, which consist of information provision sessions by NUMO and government, METI; question and answer sessions between panelists and participants; and currently added interactive dialogue sessions between interested participants and NUMO staff in small groups.
NUMO has also been carrying out public relations activities utilizing media including newspapers and magazines. In 2017, as part of consensus-building activities for the next generation, NUMO held a competition in which advertising societies of universities compete with each other with project plans of consensus-building activities on geological disposal. NUMO also supported university students learning video production in producing promotional videos which introduce geological disposal.
As information dissemination using SNS, etc., NUMO utilizes its website, email magazines, Facebook and YouTube, and regularly updates them with the latest information available.
To have the next generation recognize the geological disposal project as one of the social issues, since 2013, NUMO has been supporting teachers’ groups in about 10 different locations nationwide, which study this issue (e.g. development of teaching plans and materials), aiming for actual practices in classrooms.
Outcomes such as teaching plans and class reports are shared on NUMO’s specially set-up website. Currently, 45 teaching plans (23 for elementary schools, 16 for junior high schools and 6 for senior high schools), 11 class reports, etc., as of October 2017.
Further, every March, NUMO holds a national workshop of school teachers across Japan to exchange opinions and share their information interactively. Contents of the national workshops are posted in newspapers specializing in education to widely disseminate those efforts.
In 2016, considering opinions from teachers of elementary and junior high schools, NUMO produced teaching materials for elementary and junior high school students and teachers’ instruction materials, and distributed them to the Boards of Education and schools of high interest in energy education nationwide.
Since 2015, NUMO has been conducting delivery lectures by its staff. To visit elementary and junior high schools, universities, etc., a total of about 3,000 students learned in 54 lectures within two years. Delivery lectures include active learning, which students discuss in groups.
Since 2012, NUMO has been supporting college debate classes which deal with geological disposal as a topic. About 380 college students took these classes so far. NUMO has been providing lectures by experts and site visits that help students acquire some basic knowledge which enables them to participate in debates.
To gain awareness among the public about geological disposal, using a communication vehicle, “Geo Mirai” introduced in 2013, NUMO has been visiting around Japan and conducting dialogue with the public, mainly the younger generation. By the end of December 2017, NUMO held a total of 116 events attracting about 73,000 visitors.