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InnoBlog: Master’s in nuclear energy – from technical skills to industry connections!
Continuing the InnoBlog series where I interview EIT InnoEnergy students employed in the energy industry, this week I have chosen to interview Miriam Diaz Hernandez. She is a recent alumnus of the EIT InnoEnergy European Master’s in Nuclear Energy programme and is currently working at Tecnatom in Spain.
When Miriam first started the programme, her knowledge in the nuclear field was limited to one nuclear technology course she pursued during her bachelors. She chose this programme because she was intrigued by the challenges of nuclear safety and wanted to work in the same field. The nuclear energy programme is very technical but thanks to her professors and lecturers she attained a wider understanding of nuclear energy sector.
The programme enabled her to join a multi-cultural environment with students from all around the world. She got to live in two beautiful cities, Paris and Barcelona, enjoying the perks of being an international student while developing her communication and language skills via the summer school. The 3-week summer school at Grenoble École de Management (GEM) gave Miriam the opportunity to develop transversal skills and acquire competences that are generally not delivered by standard Master’s degree.
According to Miriam, the programme has several hands-on activities and group projects along with some theoretical lectures. She specifically remembers one of the projects where her team analysed the different perspectives about nuclear energy. By interviewing professors, politicians and students about their opinions on the matter, the team created a website to organise debates on the topic.
In the following sections, Miriam talks about her job search and full-time experience after graduating from the programme.
How are the job and internship opportunities for this course?
France is one of the main nuclear research countries. Since our second year of studies is in France, there are several internship opportunities. Internships are mandatory in French universities, so all the main players in the industry are constantly offering internship positions on their websites. The university also organises a job fair which brings together several nuclear-related companies, so you get to make contacts before even graduating. In addition, one of the good things about the masters is that many of the visiting lecturers are from nuclear energy related companies, so you get to know them in the lecture theatres and vice versa!
As per finding a full-time job, I really think the nuclear energy masters is a great programme to have on your CV. The technical quality of the programme allows you to have an in-depth knowledge of the nuclear industry. Considering that most of the lecturers are employees in the nuclear energy field, they are familiar with EIT InnoEnergy and the kind of skill-training the students have. This really does boost your CV! I feel like I graduated from the programme ready to be a professional in the nuclear sector.
Tell us a bit about your role at your current job.
Currently I am a Nuclear Operations Instructor at Tecnatom in Spain. Safety is the fundamental pillar of the nuclear industry — a pillar on which all other operations rest. With that in mind, appropriate training is required for anyone working in the nuclear energy sector. I train future control room operators in all the fields necessary to safely operate the reactor. I use replicas or full scope simulators for the training.
How has the EIT InnoEnergy Masters School been useful when you were looking for this opportunity?
I first heard about the position from the UPC’s programme director, Lluis Batet. Tecnatom was one of the main participants in the programme during the first year, therefore they wanted to contact the alumni. That is how I applied for the job! Furthermore, one of the added values of EIT InnoEnergy is that, throughout the study year, they organise talks and seminars that provide information on how to write a good CV, how to prepare for a job interview, etc. Personally, they were very helpful to me when I applied for this job.
Has this been a fulfilling experience?
Absolutely yes! I got to study and specialise in a field I find very interesting. Meanwhile, I got to live in two wonderful cities and made very good friends throughout the process. European Master’s in Nuclear Energy has been full of exciting experiences as part of an international student network. Interesting, yet challenging – I feel that I have the necessary skills needed to start working in one of 21st century’s most important fields.
Any encouraging words for future students who want to pursue this programme?
It is two years of hard work but it is a very rewarding experience and a great programme because of its impact on the energy field. I would highlight the involvement of the industrial partners in the programme. A large number of topics and subjects are covered directly by lecturers from industrial partners or other collaborators from the industry. There are several technical visits to powerplants, factories, laboratories – this allows students to experience things in practice. Overall, it is one of the best opportunities to pursue such a complete programme. For me, these were two of the best years of my life!
By Malavika Venugopal, EIT InnoEnergy Master School student
