Transferring knowledge of the radiological protection system to the next generation of experts

IRPS 2021

Over the last decades, organisations involved in policy, regulation and implementation of radiological protection measures across a variety of industries have had the chance to work with highly qualified radiological protection professionals that have shaped today’s radiological protection (RP) system. Now, with a majority of those experts retiring or already retired, there is an urgent need to transfer the underlying principles and spirit of the RP system to the next generation.

To address this, the NEA created the International Radiological Protection School (IRPS), in co-operation with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) and the Centre for Radiation Protection Research (CRPR) at Stockholm University.

The next session of the IRPS will take place virtually on 23-27 August 2021. The five-day training will provide mid-career RP experts with an understanding of the "spirit" of the RP system. Renowned instructors from across the globe will present the nuances, history and between the lines meanings of international guidance and working experience, that will allow tomorrow's RP leaders to appropriately apply the RP system to address current and future radiological circumstances.

Despite being postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s IRPS session received more than 60 applications from 33 countries, confirming the continued interest in the radiological protection system. The IRPS Advisory Board, responsible for the strategic orientation of the course, held a virtual meeting on 25 May 2021 to consolidate the course programme and to discuss remaining issues regarding the implementation of the IRPS entirely online for the first time.

The NEA looks forward to taking the opportunity to learn from this virtual experience and expects that the dedicated online platform, which was created in co-operation with Oregon State University, will become an excellent instrument to complement the future, in-person editions of the IRPS.

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