Postgraduate Educational Course on Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources for English-speaking Countries

The objective of the IAEA PGEC is to provide foundation training in radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources. It is designed to provide both theoretical and practical training in the multidisciplinary scientific and/or technical bases of international recommendations and standards on radiation protection and their implementation.

The course will consist of lectures, practical exercises, laboratory exercises, demonstrations and technical visits in the field. The course is based on the IAEA Standard Syllabus (Training Course Series 18 (Rev 1), 2019). Topics of the course include: Review of fundamentals; Quantities and Biological effects of ionizing radiation; International system of radiation protection and the regulatory framework; Assessment of external and internal exposures; Planned exposure situations (general requirements; non-medical applications; medical applications,); Emergency exposure situations; Existing exposure situations; Training the trainers; Project assignment.

Participants are expected to carry out a work project to demonstrate their knowledge and skills acquired within the course. The project should be aimed at solving a specific radiation protection problem in their home country and participants are expected to present their project at the end of the course.Therefore, in the application form, paragraph 9. "Objectives from the Government's Point of View", all the applicants should provide suitable ideas/topics for their work project with a draft title, agreed with their local supervisor.

Participants are expected to attend all lectures, practical exercises and technical visits, and are required to sit compulsory examinations to assess their knowledge and skills. On-line pre-training will be carried out prior to the start of the course, and written examinations will be held throughout the course. Participants who do not perform well in the examinations may be requested to return home and may be required to reimburse any fees to the IAEA.

The participants will be young professionals, preferably below 35 years of age. They will have had a formal education to a level equivalent to a university degree in physics, chemistry, life sciences or engineering and should have been selected to work in the field of radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources in their countries. A copy of the academic record shall be attached.

The educational course is open to participants from (25) English-speaking AFRA Member States: Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, U.R. Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Agency organizes interregional and regional training courses and supports national training courses in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. Invitation letters announcing these courses are issued by the Agency to relevant Member States. Priority is given to requests associated with projects of direct benefit to Member States.