The IAEA has assisted more than 120 countries in building competence in radiation protection through its postgraduate courses on radiation protection and radiation source safety, the 100th of which recently concluded in Malaysia.
The six-month Postgraduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources (PGEC) is a central part of the IAEA’s work to support national authorities in developing technical knowledge and practical skills in radiation safety. Almost all countries use radioactive sources in health care, industry and research – and their safe handling is key both during their useful life and once they are no longer in use but still emit radiation.
PGECs target young professionals and university graduates in physics, chemistry, life sciences and engineering with experience of radiation protection and the safe use of radiation sources. Participants are expected to have careers that include positions as senior managers, experts and/or trainers.
More than 1,800 students have completed the course so far. Over two-thirds of participants report that the course had a positive impact on their professional development, said Andrea Luciani, Radiation Safety Training Specialist at the IAEA.
“PGEC allowed me to get further knowledge on radiation protection to develop my profession and then to contribute to a better regulatory authority,” said Nelida Serdeiro, a student of the 1998 PGEC class, who works at the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Argentina.
