Academic Director Address 2020

Dear colleagues and friends,

 

In my capacity of Academic Director, I wish you and your families a healthy and prosperous 2020! Let the New Year be full of good health, joy, solidarity, collaboration, and individual and common endeavours and successes!

 

As usual, the beginning of the New Year is an opportunity to reflect on the year behind us and to look into the future.

 

The successfully organized and well-attended EuGMS congress in Krakow confirmed a high professional and scientific level of geriatric medicine across Europe.  The congress highlighted the most relevant topics in the field of geriatric medicine, but also introduced advanced experiences and proposed many constructive ideas for future research and professional progress.

 

Our special interest and task and finish groups successfully presented and disseminated their recent results. The Krakow congress offered a unique opportunity to spread geriatric expertise and attitudes across central Europe and in particular those countries where geriatric medicine is still emerging, thereby accomplishing one of the objectives of our Global Europe Initiative.

 

Since the creation of the EuGMS, countries have increased knowledge of each other and have awakened the interest to learn from each other. It is always in communication and dialogue we can advance.

 

In the meantime, inspired by the achievement of the Krakow congress, the Academic Board together with the local scientific committee and our PCO Aristea has successfully started the preparations for the forthcoming EuGMS congress in Athens with an inspiring theme ‘Growing old in better health- building synergies across Europe’, scheduled from 7th to 9th October 2020. This year’s congress, we hope, will be the opportunity to foster geriatric medicine across the Balkan region. 

 

I am confident that an increasing interest in the activities of our special interest and task and finish groups, resulting in many new, young and perspective members prepared to collaborate and contribute will keep bringing together experts in our field, to address the vital issues of research excellence and professional development. Research activities are now taking place at a higher level and so it is imperative to discuss positive approaches to encourage best research practices and also to present professional experiences.

 

I am gladly using this opportunity to express gratitude on behalf of Academic Board to Professor Finbarr Martin and Professor Stefania Maggi for a stimulating and impeccable collaboration in the past two years. We hope to further count on their advices, support and friendship. We also gratefully remember a tremendous contribution to our society of our colleague and friend Professor Jean Petermans who sadly passed away last year.

 

At the same time, we all wish good luck and success to Professor Athanase Benetos, who takes over as the EuGMS President, Professor Cornel Sieber, president elect, and all re-elected and newly elected members of the reshuffled Executive board.

 

I am hopeful that EuGMS members can further strengthen their cooperation and enhance friendship, so that we can make joint efforts in pushing forward the further progress of geriatric medicine across Europe.

 

I look forward to meeting you again at the occasion of the next meeting of the EuGMS Boards in Rome from 25th to 27th March and certainly in Athens at the 16th EuGMS congress!

 

 

Mirko Petrovic, Academic Director 2018-2021