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Message from the president
EUROPEAN ,JOURNAL OF
ULV~S@UND ELSEVIER
European Journal of Ultrasound 5 (1997) 63-64
Message from the President Dear Colleagues, A new cycle is starting in the life of EFSUMB and there are all the premises that it will be a fruitful and exciting one. During the last EUROSON Congress in Budapest the Executive Bureau of our Federation was renewed. Two new members, Prof. Claudon from France as President Elect and Dr. Koishwitz from Germany as Honorary Treasurer, have replaced the former past-president Dr. Lutz and the treasurer Prof. Moreau and I moved into the position of president in charge, in the place held by Prof. Eik-Nes during the previous three years. My first job is to warmly thank all of them for the great effort they made in renewing the organisation and administration of EFSUMB. Prof. Eik-Nes has worked very hard together with our Honorary Secretary, Dr. Meire, in improving the efficiency of our General Secretariat in London. He was convinced, as I am, that a strong headquarters is the essential prerequisite for the success of any modem scientific society. I am very happy to acknowledge that he succeeded in this task. Travelling around Europe with his diplomacy he has also solved many political problems threatening the life of our society. Prof. Moreau accomplished the difficult task of controlling and rearranging the financial administration of EFSUMB and, if now we can look into the future without worries, it is thanks to his work. We have now an efficient and financially solid society and my task is to maintain this standard and possibly to further improve it. Other problems however have to be addressed and new projects have to be implemented. Here below I shall try to summarise my program for the next three years. All criticisms and suggestions are welcome. 1) Relations between E F S U M B and national and individual members.
One of the most important issues in my mind for a long time is to make our Federation closer to all individual members, so that it can achieve its main goal, which is to stimulate exchange of knowledge and experience and the development of Ultrasound on a European basis. The contact between EFSUMB and all the national and individual members was too rare in the past and in many countries often the question has risen why to continue to contribute to this Federation. We must demonstrate that the European co-operation is absolutely necessary for the scientific advancement and for the correct application of Ultrasound in clinical practice. Many initiatives have been undertaken in the last few years to involve individual members in EFSUMB activities: a) the European Journal of Ultrasound, to which I strongly invite all national societies to stimulate individual subscriptions for or to find a way to make bulk subscriptions; b) the Newsletter, which reaches now all 13 000 individual members of the Federation twice a year; c) the EUROSON School, which gives an advanced education in specific areas of Ultrasound through the organisation of annual or biennial post-graduate courses with a European Faculty of speakers. To further improve the contact between EFSUMB and individual members we recently decided to change the organisation and the schedule of EUROSON Congresses. Starting from 1998 in Tours, France (with the exception of 2000 when the Congress of the World Federation will be in Europe - Florence, Italy), the 092%8266/97/$17.00 © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
64
European Journal of Ultrasound 5 (1997) 63-64
EUROSON Congress will be held every year in a different European country, in conjunction with the national congress of the hosting society. This will not only allow a more frequent contact between EFSUMB members, without increasing the number of meetings, but will also improve the knowledge that each member has of the US practice in various European countries. Following this schedule, EUROSON will be in Germany in 1999 and in the U K in 2001. We shall do our best to make this experiment successful.
2) Education and training Since the practice of ultrasound is greatly expanding in many areas of clinical medicine, there is an increasing request for education and training. Basic education is generally provided on a national basis, but the advanced training in particular topics requires an international faculty representing the European standard. This is the goal of EUROSON courses, which will be further enriched with new topics in the next years. We realise, however, that there is also the need to provide an exchange of experience in basic education and training, particularly in some areas of the former Eastern Europe where Ultrasound practice has recently widespread. The East-West co-operation brance of the EUROSON School will be reinforced to answer this need. I personally shall make any effort to obtain sponsorship from industries and other institutions to support this initiative. The European Union has special funding for education and training and EFSUMB has the reputation and the power to obtain this support. Due to multidisciplinary use of ultrasound in medicine, we realise that EFSUMB must share the problem of education with an increasing number of scientific and professional organisations in Europe, but I am convinced that EFSUMB must remain the reference for any professional and technological standard in this field. It should provide guidelines for the use of ultrasound in various specialities and for the levels of education needed in each case.
3) Research A lot of research is currently done in Europe by a large number of basic and clinical investigators in the field of Ultrasound. What has lacked until now is a closer connection among these investigators, in order to develop true multicentre European research projects. I believe that EFSUMB should be the basis for such projects, that could be presented at the European Union for funding.
4) Editorial activity This must be enlarged with the production of a series of videotapes derived from EUROSON courses and state of the art conferences held at the EUROSON congresses. The videotape of the EUROSON course on Vascular Doppler, completed with case demonstrations, has achieved a great success around the world and suggests that this initiative should be pursued. To address all these points it's my opinion that, the executive bureau should be supported by specific committees, similar to the Safety and Radiation Committee (the 'Watchdog group'), which will continue its important work. Therefore I shall propose to establish special committees for International relations, for Training and education, for Professional standards, for Research and for Editorial activities. A lot of work is awaiting us, but I hope it will be fruitful for EFSUMB, that means for all of us. Yours sincerely
Prof. Luigi Bolondi President EFSUMB
ULV~S@UND ELSEVIER
European Journal of Ultrasound 5 (1997) 63-64
Message from the President Dear Colleagues, A new cycle is starting in the life of EFSUMB and there are all the premises that it will be a fruitful and exciting one. During the last EUROSON Congress in Budapest the Executive Bureau of our Federation was renewed. Two new members, Prof. Claudon from France as President Elect and Dr. Koishwitz from Germany as Honorary Treasurer, have replaced the former past-president Dr. Lutz and the treasurer Prof. Moreau and I moved into the position of president in charge, in the place held by Prof. Eik-Nes during the previous three years. My first job is to warmly thank all of them for the great effort they made in renewing the organisation and administration of EFSUMB. Prof. Eik-Nes has worked very hard together with our Honorary Secretary, Dr. Meire, in improving the efficiency of our General Secretariat in London. He was convinced, as I am, that a strong headquarters is the essential prerequisite for the success of any modem scientific society. I am very happy to acknowledge that he succeeded in this task. Travelling around Europe with his diplomacy he has also solved many political problems threatening the life of our society. Prof. Moreau accomplished the difficult task of controlling and rearranging the financial administration of EFSUMB and, if now we can look into the future without worries, it is thanks to his work. We have now an efficient and financially solid society and my task is to maintain this standard and possibly to further improve it. Other problems however have to be addressed and new projects have to be implemented. Here below I shall try to summarise my program for the next three years. All criticisms and suggestions are welcome. 1) Relations between E F S U M B and national and individual members.
One of the most important issues in my mind for a long time is to make our Federation closer to all individual members, so that it can achieve its main goal, which is to stimulate exchange of knowledge and experience and the development of Ultrasound on a European basis. The contact between EFSUMB and all the national and individual members was too rare in the past and in many countries often the question has risen why to continue to contribute to this Federation. We must demonstrate that the European co-operation is absolutely necessary for the scientific advancement and for the correct application of Ultrasound in clinical practice. Many initiatives have been undertaken in the last few years to involve individual members in EFSUMB activities: a) the European Journal of Ultrasound, to which I strongly invite all national societies to stimulate individual subscriptions for or to find a way to make bulk subscriptions; b) the Newsletter, which reaches now all 13 000 individual members of the Federation twice a year; c) the EUROSON School, which gives an advanced education in specific areas of Ultrasound through the organisation of annual or biennial post-graduate courses with a European Faculty of speakers. To further improve the contact between EFSUMB and individual members we recently decided to change the organisation and the schedule of EUROSON Congresses. Starting from 1998 in Tours, France (with the exception of 2000 when the Congress of the World Federation will be in Europe - Florence, Italy), the 092%8266/97/$17.00 © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
64
European Journal of Ultrasound 5 (1997) 63-64
EUROSON Congress will be held every year in a different European country, in conjunction with the national congress of the hosting society. This will not only allow a more frequent contact between EFSUMB members, without increasing the number of meetings, but will also improve the knowledge that each member has of the US practice in various European countries. Following this schedule, EUROSON will be in Germany in 1999 and in the U K in 2001. We shall do our best to make this experiment successful.
2) Education and training Since the practice of ultrasound is greatly expanding in many areas of clinical medicine, there is an increasing request for education and training. Basic education is generally provided on a national basis, but the advanced training in particular topics requires an international faculty representing the European standard. This is the goal of EUROSON courses, which will be further enriched with new topics in the next years. We realise, however, that there is also the need to provide an exchange of experience in basic education and training, particularly in some areas of the former Eastern Europe where Ultrasound practice has recently widespread. The East-West co-operation brance of the EUROSON School will be reinforced to answer this need. I personally shall make any effort to obtain sponsorship from industries and other institutions to support this initiative. The European Union has special funding for education and training and EFSUMB has the reputation and the power to obtain this support. Due to multidisciplinary use of ultrasound in medicine, we realise that EFSUMB must share the problem of education with an increasing number of scientific and professional organisations in Europe, but I am convinced that EFSUMB must remain the reference for any professional and technological standard in this field. It should provide guidelines for the use of ultrasound in various specialities and for the levels of education needed in each case.
3) Research A lot of research is currently done in Europe by a large number of basic and clinical investigators in the field of Ultrasound. What has lacked until now is a closer connection among these investigators, in order to develop true multicentre European research projects. I believe that EFSUMB should be the basis for such projects, that could be presented at the European Union for funding.
4) Editorial activity This must be enlarged with the production of a series of videotapes derived from EUROSON courses and state of the art conferences held at the EUROSON congresses. The videotape of the EUROSON course on Vascular Doppler, completed with case demonstrations, has achieved a great success around the world and suggests that this initiative should be pursued. To address all these points it's my opinion that, the executive bureau should be supported by specific committees, similar to the Safety and Radiation Committee (the 'Watchdog group'), which will continue its important work. Therefore I shall propose to establish special committees for International relations, for Training and education, for Professional standards, for Research and for Editorial activities. A lot of work is awaiting us, but I hope it will be fruitful for EFSUMB, that means for all of us. Yours sincerely
Prof. Luigi Bolondi President EFSUMB