I asked Claire-Louise about the challenges and benefits of international co-operation . “ We think we have challenges working together in the UK ,” she said . “ That ' s magnified when you ' ve got many different countries . We in the UK tend to take it for granted that many international meetings are run in English and that it is a lot harder for other people . A lot of key documents tend to be published in English and translating those into other languages is important . Also , people come from very different backgrounds . The needs and application of radiation protection principles can be quite different in countries with different resources . Industry profiles can also be quite different . In some places most of the radiation protection might be concerned with the medical sector , while in other countries significant nuclear or NORM industries are a priority .” Claire-Louise doesn ' t see it just as a challenge though . “ There ' s also a lot of benefit because we learn from each other . On a small scale I think we learn from the different sectors in the UK . I found that involvement with SRP and with people in different sectors , involved in a wide spectrum of activities , gave a better understanding of the breadth of radiation protection and a different way of approaching issues . This scales up at an international level . I think we can learn from each other and help one another on a world stage .”

As ever , it was a pleasure to talk to Claire- Louise and the time flew by . Before wrapping things up , was there anything else to add ? Claire-Louise spoke about the areas she feels need to be further developed in coming years - radiation protection culture , ethics and communication . It doesn ' t sound as though Claire-Louise is likely to be resting on her laurels any time soon .

For a longer version of this interview , see the digital magazine ( www . srp-rpt . uk )

26 Radiation Protection Today www . srp-rpt . uk