Interview: Adrien DA COSTA BRANCO, former student of the MS Nuclear Safety program

Can you introduce yourself? 

Hello, my name is Adrien Da Costa Branco and I am an operational safety engineer at theANDRA.

What are your responsibilities at ANDRA? 

Within the Environmental Safety Department, I work in the "safety studies" division, which is responsible for conducting all safety studies for ANDRA's existing centers. This includes the CSM, CSA, and CIRS centers located in Aube and Manche. And finally, I work on the Cigéo project, which is a project for a deep geological repository for high- and medium-level radioactive waste. More specifically, I am in charge of studies on the dispersion and containment of radioactive materials.

Which master's degree did you pursue? And why did you choose that one? 

I joined the Specialized Master's Degree in Nuclear Safety After completing my three-year mechanical engineering degree (P.I.S), which I finished in 2021 at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers en Arts et Métiers . After researching various nuclear-related training programs in France, I was looking for a meaningful career and decided to pursue this Specialized Master's degree, which was offered at my campus.

What did you gain from this Specialized Master's degree? 

This six-year degree program introduced me to the culture of nuclear safety, which encompasses many concepts that are essential to the profession of nuclear safety engineer. It provides a concrete understanding of the French and international regulatory framework. These are essential concepts for day-to-day work, which we learn about in theory during our studies and then apply in practice during our six-month internship.

What is your best memory? 

So my best memory is visiting the Orano plant in Pierrelatte. You really get a sense of the care that goes into nuclear industry processes when you visit this type of facility. We learned a lot: we were able to ask lots of questions to the people who showed us around the plant, and it was a really enriching experience.

Why do you recommend this training? 

I would recommend this training program first and foremost for the quality of the instructors, who are mostly professionals from the nuclear industry and really have a lot to teach us. Secondly, for the quality of the support provided by the Training Center and the Aix-en-Provence campus, and thirdly, for the attractiveness of the sector, as there is high employability.

What advice would you give to future students of the MS Nuclear Safety program? 

I would recommend that all students who are interested in pursuing a career in this sector take an interest in it: there is a lot of literature available in France, but you should also sign up for open days or visits to nuclear power plants and electricity generation facilities. EDF does this, and the CEA opens its doors to the public and citizens. You can learn a lot from people who work in this sector.

If you had to sum up your year in one word?

In a word, it would be "enriching" because it taught me a lot about a field that fascinated me and about things I never even imagined. But also a culture of safety with a questioning attitude that really allows you to ask questions. In every job you do, whether in your profession or in the project I was able to carry out over six months, it's something that really taught me a lot.