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IAEA Trains the Next Generation of Radiation Protection Leaders in Asia and the Pacific

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Participants of the IAEA Postgraduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources (PGEC), hosted in Bangi, Malaysia, in 2024, visit a radiological and nuclear medicine facility. (Photo: Malaysian Nuclear Agency)

Twenty-five radiation protection professionals from across Asia and the Pacific have just graduated from a six-month IAEA training programme designed to build sustainable skills in radiation protection, with the aim of enhancing radiation safety infrastructure across the region.  

With a robust regulatory infrastructure in place, countries can expand their use of nuclear technology and techniques, with benefits for healthcare, energy production, agriculture, industry and research.

The IAEA Postgraduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources (PGEC), which ran from May to November 2024 in Bangi, Malaysia, equipped participants with specialized knowledge and skills that will help to strengthen their national regulatory and radiation safety infrastructure in line with IAEA safety standards.

“The safety principles can be taught in the classroom, but their practical impact can only be truly understood when seen in the workplace,” said Liz Grindrod, an IAEA radiation safety training officer, adding that “the varied programme of this PGEC, including technical visits to a range of medical and industrial facilities, was designed to provide that essential context.”

The PGEC participants, who came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Yemen, learned about the international system of radiation protection and how to apply the principles of protection in all exposure situations. They also undertook research projects that addressed a radiation protection or safety issue in their home countries.

“I look forward to applying what I have learned on the course to further develop licensing and inspection in our national radiation protection programme,” said PGEC participant Amatulaleem Al-shhire, a radiation safety inspector at the National Atomic Energy Commission of Yemen.

PGEC participants compare the effectiveness of various shielding materials. (Photo: Malaysian Nuclear Agency)

The course was hosted by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, which has been an IAEA Regional Training Centre since 2000 and has trained over 450 young professionals via the PGEC to date.

“By fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement, the PGEC in Malaysia will continue to play an instrumental role in strengthening radiation safety standards regionally and beyond,” said course director Rasif Bin Mohd Zain from the Malaysian Nuclear Agency.

The PGEC is delivered through IAEA’s technical cooperation programme. The syllabus combines classroom education, practical exercises and the latest research to prepare participants to strengthen radiation safety infrastructure.

“A unique feature of this course is its long term structure, which encourages more interaction between professionals from different countries than would happen at a shorter event. Their openness to sharing experiences and best practices helped to make this course a success,” said Petra Salame, IAEA Programme Management Officer in the Department of Technical Cooperation.

To date, more than 2200 radiation protection professionals from across four regions have graduated from the PGEC, which is offered in five languages of instruction. The PGEC in Asia and the Pacific is offered in English in Malaysia and Indonesia, and in Arabic in Jordan.

The PGEC is aimed at young professionals from countries participating in the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme who want to improve their knowledge of radiation safety. To find out more about PGEC participation, log on to the IAEA InTouch+ platform

Last update: 27 Nov 2024

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