EMBO Annual Report 04

CONTACT
Mary Gannon
Programme Manager
Kathy Oswald
Administrator
EMBO
Felise Fortmann
Administrator (as of 2005)
courses_workshops@embo.org
courses & workshops programme
The EMBO Courses and Workshops Programme has been facilitating scientific
training and exchange throughout Europe since the founding years of EMBO.
Every year the programme provides funds for an average of 20 practical courses,
3 lecture courses, 20 workshops and 5 conferences covering a wide range of topics
in molecular biology. The bi-annual closing dates for applications are February 1
and August 1.
In 2004, EMBO supported a total of 51 meetings
throughout the EMBC member states –
20 practical courses, 2 lecture courses, 21
workshops and 8 conferences. Over 4,000
participants and invited speakers attended
these events, helping to promote knowledge
exchange and broaden the network of
scientific interaction throughout Europe.
practical courses
EMBO practical courses act as an early catalyst
for transferring cutting-edge techniques
to a number of European laboratories.
Up to 20 young scientists participate in
these courses learning new methods as
soon as they are identified. Some 370 participants
from all over Europe attended
EMBO practical courses in 2004.
lecture courses
These courses cater specifically for students
at the early stages of their careers. Designed
for approximately 100 participants, each
www.embo.org/courses workshops
course comprises a series of expert lectures
providing up-to-date information on
developments in a range of diverse topics.
Lecture courses are often held in new EMBC
member states or member countries that
are developing their science bases – providing
a valuable boost to the local scientific
communities. Approximately 100 students
attended EMBO lecture courses in 2004.
workshops
EMBO workshops bring together up to 120
scientists from multi-disciplinary fields to
engage in high-level discussions and exchange
results on a topic of common interest.
Over 1,800 scientists took part in EMBO
workshops in 2004.
conferences
These larger-type workshops focus on topics
of major importance to the scientific
community in Europe. Catering for over 120
participants, they provide scientists with
the opportunity to establish new contacts
and help to foster collaborative networks
throughout Europe. In 2004, EMBO conferences
attracted 1,400 participants.
EMBC audit
In 2004, a review of the Courses and
Workshop Programme was undertaken at
the request of the EMBC as part of its ongoing
assessment of EMBO activities. The audit
considered the actions of the programme
between 1999 and 2003 and entailed a
particularly detailed analysis of EMBO meetings
that took place in 1999 and 2002. The
findings of the audit were documented in a
report, which was approved by the EMBC at
its annual meeting in Rome in June 2004.
The conclusions of the report were very
positive and underlined the impact of the
programme on the training, development
and interaction of Europe’s scientists at
all stages of the scientific career (available
on the EMBO website at www.embo.org/
publications/archive.html).
Kathy Oswald and Mary Gannon organise
the Courses and Workshops Programme and
the World Activities (see p. 52).
35