The International Nuclear Chemistry Society – INCS

The International Nuclear Chemistry Society (INCS) is a non-profit scientific association founded in 2005 by Emeritus Prof. Turan Unak of the Edge University in Izmir, Turkey, on the reflection concerning a redefinition of the nuclear chemistry: "as a large chemistry branch which covers all kinds of chemical studies related to the radioactive materials and nuclear radiation and their applications in different fields of science and technology".

The basic idea of the establishment of INCS has been originated from the apparent lack of nuclear chemists worldwide. This has been outlined in detail in the paper presented by T. Unak during the International Symposium on Radiation Education, in December 1998: there is expected to be a growing demand for nuclear chemists in the 21^st Century, especially for the increasing applications of the different kinds of radiopharmaceuticals worldwide, as well as for the transportation of nuclear wastes and related safety problems, for the significant funding for the development of alternative and safer nuclear reactors, accelerators and all the fields related to these issues. In spite of these realities, the nuclear chemistry specialization has very important educational, training and academic gaps, which are waiting to be solved. The establishment of INCS like an international organization of nuclear chemists may surely be very helpful in organizing them worldwide, facilitating the solving of common problems related to this discipline.

INCS is expected to be a "large umbrella" which covers all scientists dealing with nuclear chemistry with the general aim to build a bridge between individuals, institutions and commercial companies involved in the nuclear fields and their applications, establishing a close cooperation between them worldwide. In this sense it is an international calling to each and every scientist to any country all over the world working in Universities, Research Institutes, Industries, private and public Laboratories: all of them linked by the interest in the nuclear chemistry, radiochemistry, nuclear fields, radioactive materials and technologies related to ionizing radiation for the human well-being.

In particular, INCS mission is to promote the studies, the progress and the education about radiation chemistry with particular dealing in cosmic radiations, radiation effects, radiobiological effects, radiation protection, dosimetry, microdosimetry and radiochemistry with their applications in radionuclides production, medical applications, radiopharmacy, radioecology, radioanalytical techniques, radiotracers techniques, nuclear reactions, nuclear disintegration, actinides and nuclear fuel.

In this context I am honored, as an Italian and a woman in physics who has linked her entire professional life to the topics of health physics, radiation protection and the study of radionuclide production for medical and environmental applications, to have been elected by all members of this Society as their President. I also feel the weight of the responsibility to lead and define the lines of this Society; however, I am convinced that Italy is not less than other Countries and Nations on these issues but that the need for new generation training is an indispensable duty on our part. I believe that the collaboration of physics colleagues will be of paramount importance in being able to reach the goals set.

Flavia Groppi
INCS President