Invitation to Participate

The International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE) was founded in 1959. Today IFMBE represents 47 member societies and transnational organisations with about 30,000 individual members worldwide. IFMBE together with the International Organisation for Medical Physics (IOMP) forms the International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (IUPESM). In 1999 IUPESM was admitted as full member to the International Council of Sciences (ICSU). ICSU is affiliated with UNESCO and consequently with the United Nations.   

The mission of IFMBE is to encourage, support, represent and unify the medical and biological engineering community worldwide in order to promote health and quality of life through advancement of research, development, application and management of technology. One of its goals is the promotion of transnational collaboration in all appropriate educational, professional and ethical areas. Medical and biological engineering is in the midst of rapid changes with the emergence of new subdisciplines like cellular engineering, bioinformatics, nanotechnology in medicine, and telemedicine. For decades IFMBE has been the leader in medical and biological engineering.   

In 1999 the Bologna Declaration on Harmonisation in Higher Education was signed by 31 European governments. This declaration calls for the adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable higher education degrees in order to promote employability of European citizens and the international competitiveness of the European education system. The educational system is to be based on two main cycles: undergraduate and graduate, and the establishement of a system of credits that are recognised by the signatory states. The announced procedure for accreditation of educational courses will have major consequences for the profession of medical and biological engineering as to professional qualification, collaboration between healthcare providers, industry and universities, and the establishment of international research networks.   

With its longstanding commitment in educational programs, international collaboration and professional issues, IFMBE has decided to launch an initiative in the area of accreditation. Benefits from participation in these activities can be expected by all institutions involved in higher education, especially university departments. Initially, relevant data and information on educational and research activities in medical and biological engineering will be collected in order to develop an action plan. A questionnaire will be sent to those institutions that can provide the necessary data and information. Next, a series of special meetings with experts will be organised in order to define the accreditation requirements considering harmonised higher education in medical and biological engineering. With this action plan, IFMBE as a non-governmental organisation affiliated with ICSU also demonstrates its interest and qualification in research programmes on future technologies to benefit mankind worldwide.   

With your support IFMBE can reach this challenging goal. A website is to be set up that shall contain relevant information and contact persons for starting the dialogue on the planned initiative. On that IFMBE website you will find the most recent information on these activities.

Jean-Pierre Morucci

President IFMBE