Presidential Address

Dear Friends of the EUGMS,

 while I wish you  a happy and prosperous new year 2015, I think we now all have our thoughts in France and express warm condolences to  our French colleagues. The tragic incidence affects all of Europe.

I  look forward to meeting  you all in Vienna during 2-4 March, when we'll have our board meetings  (Strategic and Academic Board on 2 March, Executive Board on 3 March, and the Full Board from 3 to 4 March).  The  Full Board will accordingly have a "lunch to lunch" meeting, and as planned in Rotterdam last September, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger will assist the Full Board for a fruitful and innovative time in Vienna.

The March meeting will be essential  as we now have several important decisions and tasks to be fulfilled. The search for a professional congress organizer for EUGMS is ongoing, we must shape our long-term EU policy and projects, future congresses need attention etc.

 Of the congresses, Oslo next September is approaching fast and I'm sure all of you are distributing information about it in your areas. The Academic Board has been working hard with Norwegian colleagues to organize a top-level scientific congress. I'm also very pleased that the cooperation with a high-profile general journal JAMA is continuing and strengthening in Oslo. In addition to our own journal EGM and other top geriatrics journals such as JAGS and JAMDA, also a general journal is important to have cooperation with. Please send your best research to our congress in Oslo.  

 Please also visit our website www.eugms.org, and help make it even more useful for EUGMS and its members.   A lot of work has been done (thanks to Arturo Vilches & co) and I think the website already is an excellent "visit card" for EUGMS.

 Finally, our skillful secretariat (Georg Ruppe and Andrea Hovenier) in Vienna has been working for a year now. I appreciate their hard work and devotion to our Society very much.

Warmest regards,

 Timo Strandberg, EUGMS President