Education

S. Korea to build Jordan's first nuclear research reactor

A South Korean consortium led by the state-run Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) will begin building Jordan's first nuclear research reactor next month, the South Korean government said. Construction of the five-megawatt Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) to start on Aug. 1 will mark the first time that Seoul builds a complete atomic research facility abroad, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said. The JRTR will be built at the Jordan University of Sciences and Technology, about 70 km north of Amman. The KAERI-Daewoo Engineering Construction Co. consortium signed in mid-January a deal with the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission to build the research reactor. A research reactor is used to conduct various scientific and engineering studies, and can be designed for isotope production used for medical and industrial purposes, the report said. It can also be used to train nuclear-related experts, although it is not designed to generate electrical power for commercial use. The consortium expects the facility to be complete by the end of March 2015, when it will then be handed over to Jordan. The project is estimated to be worth around KRW 150 billion (US$125.3m), the report said.

Saudi: GCC Bureau of Education to launch new Arabic version of Open Sesame

The Arab Bureau of Education of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed a Memo of Understanding with the Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), to launch a new Arabic version of the internationally renowned Open Sesame educational children's program. Office Director Dr. Ali Al-Qarni told a press conference, held jointly with Sesame Workshop's regional director of international partnerships Robert Kne’evi, that this MoU is for a comprehensive educational initiative and curricula improvement, and not just for a sesame television program. "We are in dire need of such constructive and educational programs, especially to confront the negative media that assails our children at present, and the non-profit organization's cooperation would enable us to whet our children's skills and expand their awareness, while also educating them," the Gulf official said. Al-Qarni pointed out there would be a joint workshop in December to work on drafting a reference charter of sorts for the initiative, which would be phrased in Arabic. Meanwhile, the Sesame Workshop representative noted the 40th anniversary of the leading educational "Sesame Street" program tailored for kinder gardeners and preschoolers, offered in over 40 countries across the world so far.