From the EditorThis is the first issue of the IFMBE News I am editing as the new editor. It is a great honour for me and I will do my best to keep it as informative and useful as it has been until the present. From the other point of view, it is a special challenge since I am taking over this position from Prof. Niilo Saranummi who was editing the News very successfully for a number of years and who has managed the great step forward from the paper edition to a modern, electronically published and distributed publication. Thank you for the excellent job you've done, Niilo! Just like in 2001, we shall send an e-mail with PDF file attachments to the secretaries of the affiliated societies and the societies will then distribute the News to the individual society members. However, we shall need your support in collecting the news from your societies and I am inviting everyone who feels that she or he has some information interesting to the BME community to contact me directly or through the affiliated society. In addition to the regular news on the activities of the IFMBE and IUPESM officers, committees, working groups and the Academy, we shall continue publishing announcements and reports from the BMES scientific and professional events. There was a lot of discussion on the need of rising the awareness of the importance of biomedical engineering and sciences in the community. IFMBE has initiated a lot of successful actions, one of which is gaining of full membership in the ICSU. The European societies have joined to produce "one BMES voice" in Europe. Very soon we will have a unique survey on BME education in Europe. Many other activities are going on, it is just impossible to mention them all. I will try to contribute to the rising of the awareness by actuating and stimulating articles and reports on BMES initiatives and successful projects, distinguished BME scientists and professionals, and student activities, initiatives and competitions. Though we, members of the IFMBE, meet at different conferences quite regularly, very often we hardly know each other. Many of distinguished BME scientists and professionals keep back and a little is known of their work, even if they were awarded in their home-countries. Therefore, I appeal to all IFMBE members to make these self-denying scientists visible. I would also like to open the News more to the students. They are our youth, our strength, at the present and in the future. I would like to not only make an opportunity for our young colleagues to learn more on the possibilities for their scientific and professional development from the News, but also to see their success stories printed in the News. Looking forward to receiving your contributions and comments, Sincerely
Ratko Magjarevic
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