Indonesia plans to build the first nuclear power plant (NPP) to solve the country’s energy problems. It needs full skilled human resources in the field of nuclear technology. Department of Engineering Physics, Gadjah Mada University is the only university in Indonesia offering a nuclear engineering curriculum which is established since 1977. The main obstacle of nuclear engineering education development is the unclear government policy. The government postpones its plan several times since the first nuclear research reactor was established in Bandung (1972) due to the presence of anti-nuclear groups, especially after Fukushima accident. This paper would like to describe our experiences in order to response the challenge mentioned above. As an education institution, Gadjah Mada University has a mission to develop science and technology for leveraging the nation competitiveness. According to that goal, the nuclear engineering development has to be independent to the presence of NPP in Indonesia, since many NPP is establishing in the world. As addition, according to the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN), there are 2,825 institutions, including medical institutions, which are currently utilizing radioactive materials in Indonesia. As addition, Indonesia now is playing important role in the radio-pharmacy production, particularly in Asia. So, there are several opportunities as basis for developing the new nuclear engineering curriculum. In the new nuclear engineering curriculum at Gadjah Mada University, student is offered two concentrations named Nuclear Energy System and Medical Physics Technology. The first one is oriented to support the nuclear reactor system development including G4 NPP, research reactor and radioisotopes production reactors. They study how to plan, to operate and to develop from cradle to grove of a nuclear reactor system that means from front-end to back-end. In the other hand, the second one is developed to graduate competence human resources who could apply their knowledge in medical field. They would be a partner of radio-oncologist in hospitals. Besides the hard skills, student’s character has to be educated in order to create their competitive excellences based on safety culture, global and national vision. We believe that the above mentioned hard and soft skills will assist student to survive in today’s global competition, especially in nuclear technology utilization.

Environmental radioactivity analysis has been carried out to determine the level of environmental radioactivity and the potential radiological hazards at Tanjung Enim’s coal mine. Gamma spectroscopy method has been carried out to identify radionuclides and their types of activity. The results of radionuclide concentration are used to determine the radiological hazard index and become input data for the Residual Radioactivity Onsite 7.2 application to determine the dose rate and long-term cancer potential received by workers in coal mines. The results obtained for the average concentration of radionuclide activity in coal samples are 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K are 72.468 Bq/kg, 86.905 Bq/kg, and 1802.049 Bq/kg, respectively. While the soil samples 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K respectively 79.205 Bq/kg, 100.209 Bq/kg, and 1443.275 Bq/kg. The radionuclide concentrations of both samples exceeded the UNSCEAR and worldwide reported averages for coal and soil. The average radiological hazard index for coal samples, namely Raeq, Hin, and Hex, was 335.500 Bq/kg, 1.102, 0.906, respectively. While the soil samples were 333.636 Bq/kg, 1.115, and 0.901, respectively. The index parameter is already lower than the UNSCEAR recommendation except for Hin, so there is a potential radiological hazard in internal pathways such as respiratory and digestive organs for mining workers. The total annual effective dose rate based on 5 RESRAD-Onsite 7.2 pathways, namely external gamma, inhalation, radon, soil ingestion, and drinking water, is 1.675 mSv/year, exceeding the dose limits determined by ICRP, 1 mSv/year. The ELCR is 6.625×10-3 which exceeds the UNSCEAR recommendation, 2.4×10-4. Based on the results, it is necessary to intervene in the mining environment of the Tanjung Enim’s coal mine.

Perancangan dan uji kinerja sistem Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) dengan sumber neutron isotopik PuBe untuk pengujian bulk sample belum pernah dilakukan pada fasilitas iradiasi reaktor riset Kartini. Konsep dasar analisis aktivasi neutron (AAN) adalah reaksi tangkapan neutron termal yang berasal dari interaksi antara neutron dengan inti/materi. Untuk mencapai keadaan yang stabil, inti selanjutnya akan memancarkan sinar gamma dengan energi yang spesifik. Sinar gamma pada teknik PGNAA diukur selama neutron mengiradiasi sampel. Sebelum digunakan untuk uji kinerja teknik PGNAA, dilakukan analisis nilai fluks neutron sumber neutron isotopik PuBe yang berada dalam fasilitas iradiasi bulk shielding pool. Nilai fluks neutron termal terukur dari sumber neutron PuBe pada jarak 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm, dan 20 cm di dalam media air berturut-turut adalah 1,3676 x 104 n cm-2 s-1; 6,832 x 103 n cm-2 s-1; 1,922x 103 n cm-2 s-1; dan 1,4678 x 103 n cm-2 s-1. Hasil pengukuran tersebut digunakan sebagai pertimbangan dalam pengukuran dosis pada sistem PGNAA yang dirancang. Sistem PGNAA dengan sumber neutron isotopik PuBe pada fasilitas Reaktor Kartini dapat mengaktivasi sampel semen dengan cukup baik. Sampel yang diaktivasi dideteksi dengan detektor NaI(Tl). Hasil uji coba menggunakan sampel semen yang diaktivasi terdeteksi 4 puncak energi. Terdapat 2 puncak yang diindikasi sebagai unsur mayor pada sampel semen yaitu unsur 59Fe dan 28Al. Pada puncak energi ketiga diindikasi terdapat 2 unsur minor sampel semen yaitu  63Zn dan 25Na. Puncak energi keempat diindikasi sebagai unsur minor pada sampel semen yaitu unsur 56Mn.

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