The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has designated an IAEA Capacity Building Centre (CBC) in Japan for emergency preparedness and response, adding to a growing network dedicated to education and training worldwide.
The designation of Japan’s National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) was marked at a ceremony in Vienna today with the signing of practical arrangements by IAEA Deputy Director General Juan Carlos Lentijo, Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, and NIRS Managing Director Koji Noda.
“With the designation of this new CBC, Japan has once again underscored its commitment to education and training as an essential part of emergency preparedness and response in the region and internationally,” Lentijo said.
Chiba-based NIRS, part of the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, will as a designated CBC provide training courses, workshops and exercises related to the medical management of radiation exposures and dose assessment. The activities will assist international as well as Japanese experts.
In its first activity under the practical arrangements, the CBC is hosting a “Training Course on Radiation Emergency Medicine in Asia” this week. Participants from 24 IAEA Member States in the Asia and Pacific region have registered to attend the course.
With today’s signing, there are now four IAEA CBCs for emergency preparedness and response (in Austria, Japan and the Republic of Korea), helping to build capacity around the world.