The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Risk Communication Training Course (RCTC) 2025 concluded on 20 November in Bucharest, Romania, marking another edition of the NEA flagship programme. Now in its fourth year, the course continues to strengthen global capacity in nuclear and radiological risk communication.
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This year’s edition brought together 50 participants from more than 15 countries along with more than a dozen experts who delivered the course. Representatives of regulatory bodies, technical specialists, communicators, and professionals across the nuclear field engaged in the four-day programme.
Organised in collaboration with the Nuclear Agency for Radioactive Waste (ANDR) and the Romanian National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN), with additional support by the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest and the Politehnica University of Bucharest, the course featured sessions on proactive communication strategies, building public trust, managing misinformation, and strengthening stakeholder engagement. The programme also focused on the core challenge of fostering trust in an evolving information environment, where social media, new technologies such as artificial intelligence and shifting public expectations continue to transform how risks are perceived and communicated.
To close off the week, 15 participants had the opportunity to visit the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant as part of an optional technical site tour on 21 November.
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RCTC is a capacity-building programme for organisations responsible for nuclear energy-related decisions — such as siting of facilities — to strengthen the ability of technical staff and communications staff to engage public stakeholders in sometimes difficult and complex discussions. Since its launch in 2022, the course has brought together participants from around the world to share tools, strategies and perspectives on communicating risk effectively in diverse contexts.Â