WCI

Dr. Myung-Chul Lee served as the 6th ICI Organizing Committee Chair in 2008 and contributed to hosting the most successful ICI event ever: a record of 478 abstract submissions from 41 countries, with 1056 participants. At the 6th ICI International Monitoring and Steering Committee (IMSC) meeting held during the 6ICI, Dr. Lee proposed the establishment of WCI for a new leap forward by integrating the global isotope community. His proposition was unanimously approved. As a result, during the period of the IAEA General Assembly in September of that year, the WCI was officially launched as an international organization. Afterward, while serving as the 2nd president of WCI (2011.9 ~ 2014.9), he registered WCI as an IAEA NGO (2013.6). In this way, Dr. Lee significantly contributed to laying the foundation for WCI and establishing a framework for its growth as an international organization.

Prof. Meera Venkatesh has made significant contributions to elevate the WCI into an outstanding organization through her excellent leadership roles.
Established in 2008, the WCI gained recognition as an NGO of the IAEA in 2013. During this pivotal period, Prof. Meera Venkatesh, then the Director of Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, IAEA, played an instrumental role in registering the WCI as an NGO within the IAEA. Her proactive engagement and contributions enhanced the WCI’s international visibility and expanded its global outreach.
In addition, in her capacity as the IAEA Director, she supported the WCI’s endeavors to promote the peaceful applications of radioisotopes and was instrumental in establishing a ‘Practical Arrangement’ between the IAEA and the WCI on January 22, 2016. This PA proved mutually beneficial and helped to set forth the framework for non-exclusive cooperation in production and application of radioisotopes with the WCI.
Under this arrangement, the WCI, in collaboration with the IAEA, has successfully organized and implemented several international training programs every year since 2016. Over the past seven years, a total of 235 middle-level researchers from around the world have participated in these IAEA-WCI training programs. Her support and encouragement to the participants of the programs have been noteworthy.
Furthermore, she served the WCI as the Education and Training Committee Chair in 2018 and continued to support the WCI as the Publication Committee Chair since 2020, even after her retirement from the IAEA.
In summary, Meera Venkatesh has made outstanding contributions to strengthening the WCI’s organizational status and improving its international and global activities (training programs, newsletters, etc.) through her unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership.