The IRPA Young Generation Network: Activity Report from the Middle of 2018 to the Beginning of 2021

Since its establishment in 2018, the Young Generation Network (YGN) has been dedicated, with support of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), to a variety of activities to promote communication, collaboration and professional development of students and young professionals in the area of radiation protection and its allied fields. This article reports our recent activities from the middle of 2018 to the beginning of 2021, with highlights on some important events: "Joint JHPS-SRP-KARP Workshop of Young Generation Network" (December 2019 in Japan); contribution to "Nuclear Energy Agency Workshop on Optimization: Rethinking the Art of Reasonable" (January 2020 in Portugal); survey on the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on radiation protection among IRPA YGN members (March 2020); and contribution to IRPA15 (15^th International Congress of the IRPA; January-February 2021, online). The discussion and insight obtained from each activity are also summarized. The IRPA YGN will aim to achieve its on-going activities and continue to follow the ways paved in the Strategic Agenda and despite the challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, running an international survey (for example, on the usage of social media in radiation protection, and on the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic), engaging national YGNs, extending the network, finding new relationships with networks with an interest in the young generation and participation in (remote) events will be aspired for.