R. Neog¹

¹Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi, India

Abstract:

The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, where this author works, aims to bring clarity to Indian nuclear policy through its Annual Residential Young Scholars' Nuclear Workshop (YSW), which it has conducted since 2008. It is the only workshop of its kind in India, and perhaps in South Asia, that offers an education on nuclear fundamentals through both political and technical instruction. In India, information conveyed to the press on nuclear issues is tightly controlled and quite immune to clarification. This has played into the observation that almost all YSW participants have never been inside a nuclear reactor, or near reprocessing. Consequently, the knowledge of nuclear basics is weak, buttressed by a parochial discourse that seems to reinforce the limited knowledge provided. To address this gap, IPCS seeks to add a new module to the YSW curriculum: virtual reality-based simulations, such as security of installations, on-site CTBT verification, etc. This presentation will explore why this critical for nuclear learning, why it is especially relevant for Southern Asia, and use this as the basis for future collaboration with scientists who use 3D modelling and other interactive nuclear tutorials. The CTBTO's SnT conference would allow the most ideal platform for this cross-pollination.