Rationale and background to the project (Download)

The current Higher Education Network for Radiography in Europe (HENRE), which concludes its first three-year cycle in September 2005, has made a valuable contribution to the recognition and development of this important professional field. Growing rapidly throughout these three years, HENRE now comprises 66 institutions representing the diversity of the profession within most Socrates member states, and has developed good working relationships with relevant professional associations both within Europe and further a field.

Europe currently faces a critical shortage of professional radiographers, a situation likely to worsen before it improves despite the importance of medical diagnostic and therapeutic health services, and HENRE has provided a valuable forum for a Europe-wide proactive response to this from the Higher Education sector.

Despite the valuable work accomplished so far by the HENRE Network, particularly in the areas of professional recognition, initial mapping of the profession throughout Europe and the development of common understandings and definitions of practice, much work remains to be done. At a time of enlargement of the European Union (EU), and in light of the many developments currently taking place within the EU, e.g. the Bologna Process, the Lisbon Strategy and Tuning III, it has been recognised that the HENRE network needs to continue as it is ideally placed to enable the Radiography profession to contribute fully to these important developments.

Within Tuning III, for example, the proposed HENRE 2 network is the ideal vehicle through which to interpret and map the widely differing current training of radiographers throughout the European Union, using the tried and tested Tuning methodology. Much work also remains to be done in areas of:
* removing barriers to professional and student mobility within the profession;
* the standardisation of training and professional recognition of radiographers;
* the development of commonly structured two cycle degrees based on the Bologna Process
recommendations; and
* the development of new high quality Masters courses for possible utilisation within the ERASMUS MUNDUS programme.

In addition, it has been recognised that HENRE 2, working with the ISRRT and its other member organisations, has a valuable contribution to make in the field of radiological protection. Here, within a field of widespread importance to the population of the European Union as a whole, HENRE 2 will have the capability of mapping current training throughout the EU, identifying training needs and developing new training programmes.

The HENRE network has already identified that the profession of radiography, i.e. practitioners using a range of different types of radiation for either diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, has developed in many different ways and at varying speeds throughout Europe. As a result, current education, including the levels of training, and professional recognition and status differ widely, making common academic and professional recognition problematic e.g. in some countries nurses and in others medical doctors act as radiography practitioners. HENRE 2 aims to help overcome some of these difficulties by encouraging communication and cooperation between professionals, educators and researchers throughout the wider Europe.

Through the further development of the HENRE website, the development of a database of current research, and close monitoring and possible cooperation with the EU Framework programme, HENRE 2 aims to support isolated researchers, facilitate the sharing of knowledge throughout the profession and enable the development of integrated, research-based education programmes at both initial and advanced levels as well as supporting the development of lifelong learning. Highly skilled radiographers are experienced in the delivery of radiation for high, medium and low dose examinations whilst protecting and communicating the dangers of ionising radiation to their patients. As such, they are closely linked to current research and the development of new public awareness courses and publications in this field. HENRE partner organisations therefore have a major contribution to make in the field of radiological protection.

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Rationale and background to the project