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The 34th ECNP Congress will be hybrid!
In December the ECNP executive committee, looking at the coming year, took the decision to proceed with our congress this October as an in-person meeting. I’m very pleased therefore to be able to report that the 34th ECNP Congress will go ahead in Lisbon, Portugal, on 2-5 October 2021.
In the last year though the world has changed markedly, and very likely permanently. The success of last September’s virtual meeting has demonstrated that online congresses are not only completely feasible, but offer a very effective – and attractive – means to access congress content.
We’ve decided therefore that the 34th ECNP Congress will also be our first ‘hybrid’ congress, with sessions livestreamed to online participants around the world.
The decision to proceed with Lisbon required careful consideration, but the executive committee was unanimous in its view that the rapidly advancing state of the science around corona and the launch of the worldwide vaccination campaign gave real grounds for optimism. We are confident that by October we will be sufficiently back on track to make a very successful meeting in-person fully viable.
The group was also convinced that the mission of the ECNP to spread discoveries and push the science of our field forward still relies crucially on old-fashioned personal contact and exchange. As all of you who are engaged in research and clinical practice will know, to meet with colleagues, discuss insights and share ideas is not a luxury, it is essential part of how the field innovates and grows. We strongly feel that the College has a responsibility to make this possible. So we’re giving it our best shot, and very much looking forward to being back in business in Lisbon.
The hybrid format adds a new and exciting dimension. It will not only help those perhaps still experiencing corona-related constraints, but is an important acknowledgement of what we see as the future of scientific content delivery. Face-to-face meetings will always play a critical role in the scientific enterprise. But excellent science should not only be accessible to those able to travel. The climate emergency demands more creative and sustainable alternatives.
The pandemic has brought home to us too that, more than ever, medical science and public health are global concerns. Gross inequalities between countries work to the detriment of us all. By providing a new, cheaper way to participate in the ECNP Congress, we hope to make it easier for researchers and clinicians around the world to benefit.
So now you will have two ways to enjoy everything the ECNP Congress has to offer. I hope you’ll join us in our ongoing journey to advance the science and treatment of disorders of the brain – either in Lisbon or online!
Gitte Moos Knudsen
ECNP President |
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