What Should be the Role of Higher Education in the Future of Radiological Protection?

As noted in the call for this workshop, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is embarking on a journey to review and revise the System of Radiological Protection (RP). In doing so, it is seeking input from stakeholders, and, among other actions, asking for advice on education and training. It would seem reasonable then that higher education be able to weigh in on the future of radiological protection. Unfortunately, higher education, which ostensibly serves as a key stakeholder in the RP system, does not currently have a defined role within which to engage the ICRP on this important topic. Historically the ICRP maintains formal relations with several organizations which deal with radiological protection. Among them are the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development / Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and many more. However, unlike these strategic liaison organizations (SLOs) with which ICRP interacts, there is no well-defined single organisation of academic radiological protection programs which can serve in an SLO role. This is problematic, as one could argue that students (and faculty) serve the RP system in a multitude of ways: as consumers of the RP system; as knowledge creators of the science used to underpin it; and, through individual contributions as members of ICRP or its task groups. The competency of tomorrow’s radiation protection professionals hinges on a deep understanding of the System of RP. It is critical that educators (and students) be integrated into the development process, to ensure that the system is robust, defensible, implementable, and EXPLAINABLE. This presentation explores ways in which higher education might function as an SLO, so that it can effectively contribute to the future of RP.License: Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 2.5 Generic Grants: I would like to leave it blank