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Chairman's welcome
Although it would be desirable for more secretaries to be in attendance, those present are welcomed.
Secretaries and representatives are urged to give more feedback to the Federation.
With immediate effect, reports of affiliated societies, to be published in the IFMBE News electronic
newsletter (edited by Ratko Magjarevic), should be sent in electronically.
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Roll Call
Present:
Stefan Sigurdsson (Iceland)
Fernando Infantosi (Brazil)
A'Kos Jobba'gy (Hungary)
Dov Jaron (USA)
Walter Chang (Taiwan)
Helena Grip (Sweden)
Maria Linden (Sweden)
Kalju Meigas (Estonia)
Alan Murray (UK)
Ratko Magjarevic (Croatia)
Tsair Kao (Taiwan)
Hans Nygaard (Denmark)
Michal Grodzki (Poland)
Jari Viik (Finland)
Heikki Terio (Sweden)
Keith Copeland (UK)
Marc Nyssen (Belgium)
Excused:
Jiri Holcik (Czeck Republic)
Laura Roa (Spain)
Jos Vander Sloten (ESEM)
Richard Kirsner (Australia)
Marcello Bracale (Italy) by A. Evangelisti in person
Makoto Kikuchi (Japan) by Walter Chang in person
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Approval of agenda
Approved as such
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Approval of minutes of last meeting
The minutes, carefully written by Keith Copeland are approved without amendments.
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IFMBE Officers' reports
IFMBE President Dov Jaron stresses the importance of IFMBE's website and the electronic newsletter as means
of communication with the associated societies and their individual members.
Next year, the world conference in Sydney should be a major success.
Attention should be given to the IUPESM/IFMBE policy. Here a proposal should be countered. The proposal is to
change the rhythm of triennial world conferences into quadrennial; this would disrupt totally the current system:
IFMBE members are urged to be at the IUPESM G.A. and vote in favour of the current triennial periodicity.
IFMBE is setting up new, more direct means of communication with the "membership at large" via mail exploders
and a web-based on-line poll system that will enable us to take decisions based upon the overall approval of
the members.
Secretary General Heikki Terio urges Secretaries to be more prompt in responding to his requests and in
transmitting the IFMBE messages to their members.
Moreover, yearly reports should contain the number of members and the correct names, positions and addresses
(including E-mail) of their officers.
Federation Treasurer Mladen Poluta sent in a report, stressing that associated societies should urgently
settle their Federation dues.
Alan Murray, the Federation Journal Editor reports on the journal and on the conference proceedings. If the
present trend continues, the time from first receipt of a new paper until publication, could be reduced by
as much as 3 months. Paper submission is very straightforward, provided guidelines are followed!
Free access to the Federation Journal "Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing" will be provided with
immediate effect, via a web subscription form, accessible through the Federation's home page:
www.ifmbe.org
Ratko Magjarevic, editor, reports on the IFMBE Newsletter in which he has taken three new initiatives:
- A "projects" section
- Stories of prominent scientists in our field
- A "young investigators" section.
Moreover, reports (such as those from the affiliated societies) will be published in the newsletter rather
than handed out on paper during the meeting.
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New Federation members
The Secretary General reports an interest in joining the IFMBE by following countries: Bosnia, Mongolia, Uruguay,
Malaysia, Venezuela, New Zealand, France, Georgia, and Egypt. Venezuela's request might be agreed upon in Sydney,
next year.
Keith Copeland asks whether there is any news from India, but except "individual" contacts, no institutional
request is reported.
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Reports from IFMBE bodies
Walter Chang reports on several activities in the Asian-Pacific region, the next conference being in Singapore,
December 2002.
Fernando Infantosi tabled a written Coral Liaison Report and stressed they are planning the 3rd Latin American
Congress on Biomedical Engineering in Joao Pessoa, Brazil in September 2004.
Mladen Poluta has submitted a combined report for the Working Group for Developing Countries and African Region.
It announces the start of the "International Centre for Healthcare Technology Management" (ICHTM) and will
appear in the next IFMBE News.
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Member Societies' reports
Stefan Sigurdsson (Iceland)
Fernando Infantosi (Brazil)
A'Kos Jobba'gy (Hungary)
Walter Chang reports for Japan, on behalf of Makoto Kikuchi
Jari Viik (Finland)
Maria Linden (Sweden)
Kalju Meigas (Estonia)
Ratko Magjarevic (Croatia)
Tsair Kao (Taiwan)
Hans Nygaard (Denmark)
Michal Grodzki (Poland) on behalf of T. Palko
Marc Nyssen (Belgium)
Reports were also obtained by E-mail from:
Laura Roa (Spain)
Jiri Holcik (Czech Republic)
Richard Kirsner (Australia)
Fleurette Olive (Canada)
For full details on these reports: consult IFMBE News via the web.
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Forthcoming elections
Next year, during the World Conference in Sydney, the triennial IFMBE Administrative Council elections will take
place. Motivated candidates are encouraged to step forward as several key positions will become vacant:
- Vice-President
- Secretary General
- Board member
Moreover, candidates are sought to chair the Secretaries Committee after 2003.
Dov Jaron (and Jean-Pierre Morucci via personal contact) repeats the request for nominations to be awarded in
Sydney:
Honorary Life Member (IFMBE)
IUPESM Awards of Merit
Otto Schmitt Award
Please send in names of candidates and a brief letter explaining the reasons for the nomination to the
IFMBE SECRETARIAT!
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Matters from Secretaries and new initiatives
ICSU recognition of Biomedical Engineering results in potential support of the affiliated societies by their
national academies. Some societies have bees successful in obtaining this support which has resulted in
professional and institutional recognition. All other societies are encouraged to speak out about which
procedures are to be activated in their countries!
To encourage the presence of more Secretaries from affiliated societies, some ideas have been put forward. One
such possibility could be the waiving of part (or all) of the conference fee. Certain conditions could apply,
such as reducing the fee, provided that more than one delegate accompanies the secretary.
Dov Jaron suggests that the result should be "financially neutral".
Walter Chang proposes to compile a questionnaire in order to evaluate the situation of the Secretaries in the
different affiliated societies.
A mail-list server has been set up to reach all Secretaries at once. The question now, is how to develop this
further to reach possibly all individual members. There are 3 possibilities:
- IFMBE just keeps this list and Secretaries forward useful messages to their members
- IFMBE sets up a list for every affiliated country, the Secretaries provide the E-mails of their members
- A mix of the above
However, some Secretaries say they cannot provide the E-mails of their members, although others say they can
convince their boards.
As such, this should be worked out on a "per country" basis.
Meanwhile, it is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE that Secretaries forward the messages of general interest, such as the
availability of new newsletters and the availability of free access to the Federation Journal, to their members!
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Forthcoming conferences
See IFMBE website
2 are of immediate importance (unfortunately overlapping dates):
- MBEC Vienna December 2002
- Singapore December 2002
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Other Business
Fernando Infantosi stresses the need for 2-page papers requested for conferences (smaller abstracts would be
considered "not serious" by national authorities) to provide travel support to the authors of such papers.
Moreover, the best 2 page papers can be considered as "short papers", to be expanded into full papers for
the journal.
Dov Jaron mentions the creation of a new IFMBE companies division; member-companies for this division are now
being actively recruited.
An IUPESM brochure has been created, to provide information about the contributions of Biomedical Engineering to
health care. This is targeted toward politicians, etc... in the hope of some support.
Copies can be obtained via Dov.
Keith informs the committee about the Alfred Nightingale Prize in the UK.
Keith Copeland also reminds the agreement that the World Conference be named "Biomedical Engineering and Medical
Physics" and "Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering" on alternate occasions.
This will be remembered for the Seoul Conference
Heikki Terio points out that the IFMBE logo has been "renewed". Affiliated societies are urged to:
- update the IFMBE logo's they carry
- enhance and update their linking to IFMBE pages
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Next Secretaries Committee meeting
The next meeting of this committee will be in Sydney, Australia during the 2003 World Conference, end of
August 2003. Precise location and time will be communicated as soon as possible.
It is of utmost importance that most, if not ALL, Secretaries be present or at least be represented next year.
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Closing
The Icelandic hosts are thanked for their kind hospitality and those present are invited to attend the Secretaries
Dinner to continue the discussions and make contacts in the relaxed atmosphere of an excellent Reykjavik
Restaurant!