The main objective of the V&GA subcommittee is to enhance global awareness of EMEUNET as an organisation and the projects we undertake.
The goals of the subcommittee include:
- Increasing EMEUNET visibility among young rheumatologists and researchers within the rheumatology community: This objective is primarily addressed by organizing networking events during ACR and EULAR annual meetings and disseminating information about EMEUNET at our booth during the EULAR congress. For instance, EMEUNET hosted two highly praised networking events: a Waltz dance course in Vienna during the EULAR congress in June 2024 and an axe-throwing activity in Washington during the ACR congress in November 2024. Exciting updates will be forthcoming about the Networking event at EULAR 2025 in Barcelona, along with numerous networking opportunities and activities.
- Promoting EMEUNET and collaborating with young associations worldwide: Over the years, we have expanded our activities and scientific events, engaging with other young organisations.
- Interacting and collaborating with PARE and Young PARE: Understanding the perspectives and needs of persons living with an RMD is crucial for our mission.
- Interacting and collaborating on projects with other EMEUNET subcommittees such as the Newsletter, Education, Country Liaison, and Social Media subcommittees.
We are committed to advancing these objectives and furthering the impact of EMEUNET on a global scale.
Activities
The V&GA subcommittee is highly committed to promoting and maintaining the sense of community that features EULAR. Our live EMEUNET networking events are unmissable appointments for young rheumatologists to interact, establish new collaborations, and maintain fruitful interactions without borders. While these events remain a cornerstone, the V&GA subcommittee has also put considerable effort into creating year-round interaction opportunities.
In recent years, EMEUNET members have convened via digital platforms for e-networking meetings and virtual reality events. Since 2023, the V&GA subcommittee has launched a series of scientific joint webinars with other young societies such as Young GRAPPA, Young PARE, AYR (young APLAR: Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology), yEFIS (Young immunologists), PANLAR (Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology) and Young ECCO (Young Gastroenterologists). This webinar series is particularly relevant to EMEUNET V&GA as one of our tasks is collaborating with other young organisations.
The webinar in collaboration with young PARE was held on November 5th 2024 about the updated EULAR recommendations for the involvement of patient research partners in rheumatology research with featuring speakers Dr Krystel Aouad and Dr Simon Stones.
The webinar in collaboration with yGRAPPA, was held on March 13th, 2024 and focused on Artificial Intelligence in Rheumatology, featuring Dr. Diego Benavent and Dr. Vincenzo Venerito.
Two webinars were held in collaboration with AYR in 2024. The 1st webinar was about Social Media in Rheumatology featuring Dr Latika Gupta and Dr Cristiana Sieiro Santos. The 2nd webinar was about Pre-RA: to treat or not to treat featuring Dr Victoria Konzett and Dr Chuanhui Xu.
We are pleased to announce our upcoming joint webinar with Young GRAPPA, endorsed by EULAR, on March 5th, 2025, focusing on Ultrasound in Rheumatology, featuring Profs. Maria Antonietta D’Agostino and Francesco Porta from Italy.
Lastly, our subcommittee recently participated in the friendly competition of RheumMadness, which promotes scientific studies in the field of rheumatology. Our team, the RheumaNavigators, will defend the colours of EMEUNET.
Written by Jean-Guillaume Letarouilly and Krystel Aouad