Flinders U sets a cooperative course

The Group of Eight’s Vicki Thomson was quick to announce her members are “well-placed to play a major role in the development of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine capability.”

And the Australian Institute of Physics urged the government “to consider Australia’s capabilities in training a highly skilled physics-educated STEM workforce as part of this discussion.”

As to Adelaide’s public universities, Flinders U recognises an opportunity when it sees one glowing. “We are keen to see more detail about the announcement so that we can examine our curriculum and our research priorities to best support the national interest,” a university representative said yesterday. Flinders U already teaches nuclear energy generation, including the basics of building a reactor, material engineering capabilities and energy storage research.

However, Uni SA enthusiasm was not curriculum changing.  The university advises it teaches ergonomics, human machine interfaces and augmented and virtual reality, “applicable to surface ships and submarines alike.” But it does not have “research skills in nuclear power or propulsion and has no plans to establish this.”

Uni Adelaide did not respond to CMM asking if it taught anything related to nuclear propulsion.