By Solène Lavenu, Published on March 30, 2026 at 6:02
“I am very honored to welcome you to Orano La Hague, especially since I am a product of the schools in Caen, as I graduated from ENSI de Caen, obtained a DESS from IAE de Caen, and completed my PhD at the University of Caen in Physical Sciences,” smiled Jean-Christophe Varin.
The deputy director of the spent fuel recycling facility at La Hague opened the doors on Monday, March 16, 2026, to a delegation from the University of Caen led by the president of the University of Caen Normandy, Lamri Adoui.
A visit to La Hague was on the agenda, including a tour of the Orano School of Trades. “You train in cutting-edge technologies, those of the future. Here, we also learn older technologies, the ones used in our plant that are 40 years old,” said Matthieu Sophie, the director of the Orano School of Trades.
The delegation was mainly present for the signing of a partnership to strengthen education, research, and collaborations in the nuclear field. “A partnership where everyone wins,” the participants emphasized.
For the company, this agreement “fits into the long term, supporting training and skills development in the nuclear sector, taking on an even more strategic dimension today,” noted Jean-Michel Romary, territorial delegate of Orano Group.
The president of the university added that the partnership “fully illustrates the university’s mission to train the talents society needs, produce scientific knowledge, and contribute to the economic development of regions.”
The convention aims to offer students concrete professional opportunities while enhancing scientific collaborations to tackle current and future energy challenges.
Approximately twenty nuclear-related programs are offered in Cherbourg and on the Caen campus, ranging from undergraduate to master’s degrees, engineering diplomas, and specialized training like the doctoral program in nuclear physics.
“Our training offer covers a wide spectrum, from initial education to continuous and specialized training, particularly in energy, nuclear, and radioprotection fields,” highlighted a university representative.
The convention plans to strengthen joint actions such as student recruitment, professional interventions from Orano, career insertion support, industrial site visits, and common educational initiatives related to nuclear professions.
The partnership also aims to foster scientific and technological collaborations between university and Orano research teams. Over a hundred apprentices were welcomed at Orano La Hague in 2025.
In an interview, Lamri Adoui discussed the development of the Cherbourg campus, highlighting the introduction of several new master’s programs and the growth in second-cycle training offerings over the past two years.
“We’re answering real needs. Orano has expressed them very well. We don’t have a supply-side approach; we think first about demand. The partnership helps to identify this demand and allows us to respond based on our expertise and specificities, either alone or potentially with partners,” explained Adoui.
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(Note: The content has been translated from French to English and synthesized for a professional news article. Context and Fact Check notes have been added for clarity.)
