# Does Canada's Nuclear Workforce Have a New Training Hub?

The International Atomic Energy Agency and the University of Saskatchewan signed a three-year cooperation agreement on 24 July 2026, formally positioning USask as a structured conduit between Canada's domestic nuclear talent base and the IAEA's global knowledge management infrastructure. The agreement — designated under IAEA terminology as Practical Arrangements — was executed at IAEA headquarters in Vienna by USask Vice-President Research Baljit Singh and Mikhail Chudakov, the IAEA's deputy director general and head of the Department of Nuclear Energy.

The deal covers curriculum integration, joint publications, research collaboration, and access to nuclear facilities for training purposes. It also connects USask to the IAEA's International Nuclear Management Academy, a programme that supports universities in establishing and delivering master's degree programmes in nuclear technology management. For Canada's nuclear sector — which is simultaneously managing CANDU fleet refurbishments, small modular reactor development pipelines, and uranium supply chain expansion — structured workforce development at this level is operationally relevant, not merely academic.

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## What the Agreement Actually Covers

The Practical Arrangements framework is deliberately broad, which is both a feature and a limitation. According to the source text, the agreement *may* include:

- Integrating IAEA training materials into Canadian academic programmes
- Developing methodologies, tools, and case studies in nuclear knowledge management
- Facilitating access to nuclear facilities and research infrastructure for education and training
- Collaboration on joint publications
- Participation in regional and interregional networks

The conditional language matters. "May include" signals that the specific deliverables under each pillar will be negotiated and activated over the three-year term rather than being immediately operative. Institutions and observers should read this as a framework agreement, not a funded programme with defined outputs — a common structure for IAEA bilateral arrangements, but worth calibrating expectations against.

The connection to the International Nuclear Management Academy is the most substantive near-term mechanism. If USask establishes or expands a master's-level programme in nuclear technology management under that umbrella, it would create a credentialled pipeline directly relevant to the utility executives, regulators, and project managers that Canada's SMR and refurbishment programmes will require through the 2030s.

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## USask's Existing Nuclear Credentials

The agreement doesn't emerge from a standing start. Chudakov acknowledged that USask has been contributing to nuclear science "for many decades," spanning nuclear energy, fusion research, and non-power applications in medicine, agriculture, and hydrology. That breadth matters: the [Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission](https://smrintel.com/glossary/cnsc) and the broader Canadian nuclear sector need professionals who understand both power generation and the non-power applications that share regulatory and technical infrastructure.

The pre-existing relationship is also evidenced by two recent programme deliveries. In 2025, USask's College of Engineering hosted the Canadian National Nuclear Energy Management School in cooperation with the IAEA — an intensive programme targeting mid-level professionals. Earlier in 2026, the College hosted an executive-level programme for senior leaders across industry, government, and academia, which the source identifies as the first executive-level IAEA nuclear management programme delivered in Canada. That sequence — mid-level in 2025, executive in 2026 — suggests a deliberate escalation in programme scope that this formal agreement is designed to sustain and expand.

Jafar Soltan, Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships at USask, described the agreement as positioning the university as "a Canadian hub for nuclear training and innovation." The hub framing is aspirational but grounded: Saskatchewan hosts significant uranium mining infrastructure, and the province is home to ongoing advanced reactor discussions that require a skilled local workforce.

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## Implications for Canada's Nuclear Sector

Canada's nuclear workforce challenge is structural. The country is pursuing SMR deployment — [Ontario Power Generation](https://smrintel.com/companies/opg) is advancing the BWRX-300 project at Darlington — while simultaneously managing refurbishment of its existing CANDU fleet and maintaining its position as a top-tier uranium producer. Each of these tracks demands different but overlapping skill sets: reactor physics, project management, regulatory engagement, and supply chain oversight.

The IAEA partnership addresses the management and knowledge-transfer layer of that challenge rather than the hands-on engineering pipeline. That's a meaningful distinction. Producing nuclear technology managers and senior decision-makers through a credentialled international framework takes years but creates professionals who can coordinate across the technical, regulatory, and commercial domains that define whether a nuclear project succeeds or stalls.

The agreement's inclusion of regional and interregional network collaboration also points outward. Canadian expertise in CANDU technology, uranium production, and now SMR development has export value, and connecting USask graduates and faculty to IAEA networks makes that expertise more legible to international partners.

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## Key Takeaways

- The IAEA and University of Saskatchewan signed a **three-year Practical Arrangements agreement** on 24 July 2026 at IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
- The agreement was signed by USask VP Research **Baljit Singh** and IAEA Deputy Director General **Mikhail Chudakov**.
- Scope includes curriculum integration, joint publications, nuclear facility access for training, and participation in the **IAEA International Nuclear Management Academy**.
- USask delivered a Canadian-first executive-level IAEA nuclear management programme earlier in 2026, building on a mid-level programme hosted in 2025.
- The framework is conditional in its deliverables — "may include" language means specifics will be negotiated over the three-year term.
- The deal positions USask as a structured workforce development node for Canada's nuclear sector at a time when SMR development, CANDU refurbishment, and uranium supply chain activity all demand credentialled management talent.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is the IAEA Practical Arrangements agreement with USask?**
It is a three-year formal cooperation framework signed on 24 July 2026, covering nuclear education, knowledge management, research collaboration, and workforce training. It connects the University of Saskatchewan to IAEA training programmes, joint publications, and international nuclear management networks.

**Who signed the IAEA-USask nuclear education agreement?**
USask Vice-President Research Baljit Singh and Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General and head of the Department of Nuclear Energy, signed the agreement at IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

**What is the IAEA International Nuclear Management Academy?**
It is an IAEA programme that supports universities in establishing and delivering master's degree programmes in nuclear technology management. The USask agreement includes collaboration under this academy.

**Why does nuclear workforce development matter for Canada specifically?**
Canada is simultaneously pursuing SMR deployment, CANDU fleet refurbishment, and uranium production expansion — all of which require professionals who can manage complex nuclear projects across technical, regulatory, and commercial dimensions. The USask-IAEA framework targets exactly that management and leadership layer.

**Has USask worked with the IAEA before this agreement?**
Yes. USask hosted the Canadian National Nuclear Energy Management School with the IAEA in 2025, targeting mid-level professionals, and hosted the first executive-level IAEA nuclear management programme in Canada earlier in 2026.