Recent and upcoming nonproliferation activities, events, and announcements involving the CNS center, staff, and programs.

Updated: Aug 22, 2009

CNS Conducts Intensive International Safeguards Course

An intensive one-week course entitled "International Safeguards Policy and Information Analysis" was conducted at the Monterey Institute of International Studies on May 18-22, 2009. The course was designed and implemented by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and was aimed at graduate students and professionals interested in pursuing careers in nonproliferation and nuclear safeguards.

A team of eleven senior experts from CNS, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), LLNL, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other well-known safeguards specialists provided a comprehensive overview of the origins and fundamentals of international safeguards and the evolution of the legal, political, and technical elements of and approaches to their implementation. Case studies on nuclear programs in Iraq, North Korea, and Iran were reviewed in detail to demonstrate their influence on the development of safeguards approaches and technologies, as well as highlight the challenges they continue to pose. A special session was devoted to open-source information analysis. Prior to the course, all participants were required to complete an on-line introductory module on the nonproliferation regime and basics of safeguards developed by CNS staff and experts.

Thirty participants for the safeguards course were selected on a highly competitive basis, resulting in a mix of students with policy and technical knowledge. The majority of participants are graduate students pursuing a Master's or Doctorate degree; the institutions represented include a number of major U.S. universities, such as Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Old Dominion University, Syracuse University, and Texas A&M University. In addition, several professionals from U.S. national laboratories, government and international agencies, and researchers from think tanks and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) took part in the course. This highly diverse and well-prepared group demonstrated a keen interest in the subject, actively participated in class discussions and challenged speakers with thorough questions and comments. The course culminated in students presenting the results of an exercise simulating the preparation of a state evaluation report for a particular state. Experts from LLNL and LANL served as consultants to students during the exercise and shared their first-hand knowledge and practical experience in the field.

Several course participants will continue their in-depth studies of safeguards policy and technical issues during summer internships at US national laboratories, including seven interns at LLNL. Others will be utilizing the newly acquired knowledge in their current careers or academic programs.

The course was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Safeguards Initiative.