The SoTeRiA Laboratory aims to establish the University of Illinois as a global leader in Risk Analysis education and research. In March 2015, Mohaghegh and the SoTeRiA Laboratory developed and presented the U.S.-China Probabilistic Safety Assessment Workshop on “Risk-Informed Regulation and Safety Culture,” in Shenzhen, China, as part of the DOE’s Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology (PUNT) program.
The SoTeRiA team coordinated and taught one week of training workshop on risk-informed regulation and safety culture for the Chinese nuclear power industry. There were 72 representatives from 28 Chinese nuclear energy organizations and entities in attendance, which included plant managers, operators, engineers, and researchers. Prof. Mohaghegh, Ernie Kee (NPRE Research Affiliate), Tatsuya Sakurahara (NPRE PhD Candidate), Justin Pence (Informatics PhD Student) led the workshop, in collaboration with U.S. and Chinese industry partners, and U.S. regulatory experts Glenn Kelly (ret. from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and Weidong He from AdSTM, LLC.
With 10 years experience in PRA research, Mohaghegh believes that “while the U.S. leads in risk analysis methods for nuclear safety, PRA researchers applying analysis techniques in countries such as China and Japan must take into account varying geographies, cultures and operating experiences to avoid potentially misleading results.” Mohaghegh and her team have initiated collaborations with national and international research institutions in order to achieve tailor-made solutions for high-risk operations around the world.