Course in Ethics in Public Communication about Waste
Online course of 300 hours in ethics in public communication about waste. 6 modules covering the Aarhus Convention (1998), Directive 2011/70/Euratom (management of spent fuel and radioactive waste) and Canva. Dedicated tutor and open enrolment.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this programme. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Explain the specific challenges of communicating about radioactive waste.
Apply ethical foundations to public risk communication.
Identify audiences and design participatory processes.
Produce rigorous, understandable messages about waste.
Analyse the preservation of memory and information for future generations.
Evaluate international experiences of site selection.
Design a public communication plan for a waste project.
Who it's for
- Radioactive waste communication manager wishing to specialise in Ethics in Public Communication about Waste.
- Public participation officer wishing to specialise in Ethics in Public Communication about Waste.
- Environmental conflict mediator wishing to specialise in Ethics in Public Communication about Waste.
- Science journalist wishing to specialise in Ethics in Public Communication about Waste.
- Municipal relations manager wishing to specialise in Ethics in Public Communication about Waste.
- Institutional memory archivist wishing to specialise in Ethics in Public Communication about Waste.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter radioactive waste management.
What you'll work with
- Aarhus Convention (1998)
- Directive 2011/70/Euratom (management of spent fuel and radioactive waste)
- Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
- Real Decreto 102/2014 (management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste)
- IAEA SSR-5 (disposal of radioactive waste)
- Ley 27/2006 (access to environmental information)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Why this issue generates so much distrust1.2History of the sector's communication and its mistakes1.3What really concerns a community1.4Technical risk versus perceived risk1.5Time scales that are difficult to communicate1.6Loaded vocabulary and honest alternatives1.7Risk comparisons: when they help and when they offend1.8Figures, units and understandable representations1.9The role of silence and partial information1.10Exercise: analysing a real institutional leaflet
2.1Veracity and the duty to inform2.2Transparency versus legitimate confidentiality2.3Community autonomy to decide2.4Distributive justice: who bears the facility2.5Intergenerational equity2.6Community consent and its revocability2.7Compensation: repair or buying goodwill2.8Paternalism and its subtle forms2.9The responsibility of the communicating engineer2.10Debate: compensating a host community
3.1Local community, administrations and civil society3.2Opposition groups and their legitimacy3.3The media and how they handle the topic3.4Disinformation and rumour on social networks3.5Levels of participation: inform, consult and decide3.6Local information and monitoring committees3.7Participatory environmental monitoring3.8Site selection processes with consent3.9Assessing the quality of participation3.10Practice: designing a consultation process
4.1Key messages and how to build them4.2Outreach materials and facility visits4.3Communicating uncertainty4.4Announcing bad news4.5Communicating an incident4.6Spokesperson role and interview preparation4.7Difficult public meetings and how to chair them4.8Access to open data and its presentation4.9Communication with schoolchildren and education4.10Practice: public meeting simulation
5.1Transmitting information to future generations5.2Archives, markers and durable records5.3The risk of losing collective memory5.4Industrial heritage and territorial memory5.5Very long-term institutional monitoring5.6Accountability for promises made5.7Retrospective evaluation of communication5.8Trust indicators and how to measure them5.9Communication training for technical staff5.10Practice: a memory transmission plan
6.1Choosing the case and the territory6.2Map of audiences and concerns6.3Analysis of the ethical dilemmas present6.4Key messages and materials6.5Community participation plan6.6Routine and crisis communication plan6.7Memory transmission proposal6.8Evaluation indicators6.9Plan report6.10Defence of the work
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and a dedicated technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Canva, NVivo, Decidim, Advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical tasks are carried out on real procedures for designing a participatory process, analysis of communication campaigns on sites, and case studies of waste storage facilities. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Explain the specific challenges of communicating about radioactive waste.
Apply ethical foundations to public risk communication.
Identify audiences and design participatory processes.
Produce rigorous, understandable messages about waste.
Analyse the preservation of memory and information for future generations.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
The course uses Canva, NVivo, Decidim and Advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when enrolling.
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