Selected papers from the 4th workshop on European Collaboration for Higher Education and Research in Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Protection

The fourth workshop on European Collaboration for Higher Education and Research in Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Protection was held in Favignana (Sicily), May 26-28th 2008. Participants came from 7 countries presenting 30 papers, 19 of which have been collected as selected works to appear in the present special issue. As the name implies, the meeting was part of an ongoing series, representing a yearly occasion for the CHERNE network of European Universities to meet and exchange their most recent achievements in nuclear research, and develop continuously new ways of scientific collaboration. The meeting was organised jointly by the Universities of Bologna, Catania and Messina, under the auspices and high patronage of the Regione Sicilia, the regional Government of Sicily, and in particular of the regional Superintendence for Culture and Education. The workshop was not limited to a specific topic, but rather comprised all applications of nuclear technologies, and papers were presented on nuclear power generation systems, nuclear physics and detection, nuclear medical applications, radioisotope technologies, all representing the front end of nuclear research at the respective Institutions. The participation of non-University Institutions with scientific interest in nuclear sciences was very welcome, and scientists from ENEA (the Italian nuclear research centre) and from INFN (the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics) attended and presented some of their current nuclear research.