The Country Liaison Topics Webinar Series
The Country Liaison Topics Webinar Series remains one of EMEUNET’s flagship educational initiatives, designed to transform national expertise into high-quality, internationally accessible learning. A distinctive strength of the series is the leadership of Country Liaisons (CLs), who identify relevant topics, moderate sessions, and invite senior national experts — ensuring scientific excellence, contextual relevance, and strong national ownership.
In 2025, the series continued to expand, with webinars moderated by Muriel Elhai (Switzerland), Marc Scherlinger (France), Annika Podewski (Germany), and Nikolaos Vlachogiannis (Greece). Topics addressed emerging and clinically relevant areas, including:
- Recognition and management of Ehlers–Danlos syndromes
- CAR-T cells and T-cell engagers in autoimmune diseases
- Gender-specific differences in rheumatic diseases
- Chronic and opportunistic infections in patients with RMDs
All webinars follow a structured 45-minute format and are recorded for on-demand access via the EULAR School of Rheumatology (ESOR) platform, ensuring long-term educational value and global accessibility.
The CL Topics Webinar Series exemplifies how Country Liaison leadership, national scientific expertise, and EULAR’s educational infrastructure can be seamlessly integrated to deliver impactful, inclusive, and sustainable education for the EMEUNET community.
EMEUNET Country Liaison Meeting at EULAR 2025
The annual Country Liaison Meeting at the EULAR Congress remains a cornerstone forum for alignment, strategic reflection, and network strengthening. It brings together Country Liaisons, Advisory CLs, Sub-Committee members, and EMEUNET representatives to review ongoing initiatives, exchange national experiences, and address shared challenges.
Beyond updates on key projects — including education, research engagement, RheumaVision, and ENTRI — the meeting provides an essential space for structured two-way dialogue. Country Liaisons are encouraged to share feedback, propose new initiatives, and actively contribute to shaping future priorities within EMEUNET.
Following the strong engagement and constructive discussions of previous editions, we are currently preparing the next Country Liaison Meeting at EULAR this year, with an enhanced focus on strategic planning, cross-country collaboration, and the further activation of the CL network. The upcoming meeting aims not only to provide updates, but also to strengthen alignment, empower CL leadership, and foster concrete action points for the year ahead.
The Country Liaison Meeting continues to reinforce the strategic role of CLs within the broader EMEUNET structure, nurturing a sense of community, shared purpose, and coordinated impact across countries.
RheumaVision – What’s New in 2026
RheumaVision continues to grow as a flagship EULAR initiative promoting innovative and accessible knowledge transfer in rheumatology. This year marks another exciting edition, bringing together contests from EMEUNET, PARE, and HPR, further strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement across EULAR pillars.
For the 2026 edition, we are proud to feature 20 outstanding semifinalists, reflecting strong international participation and a high level of scientific creativity. The six finalists who will present live at EULAR will be announced soon.
All submitted videos are available to watch on the official RheumaVision YouTube channel, allowing the broader rheumatology community to engage with the content and support emerging science communicators.
The live final will take place on Thursday, 4 June at 14:45, during the EULAR Congress. The winner will be determined through a combined jury evaluation and audience vote, ensuring transparency, interaction, and community involvement.
Country Liaisons continue to play a key ambassadorial role in disseminating the call at national level, promoting participation through societies and young rheumatology networks, and strengthening visibility across Europe and beyond. RheumaVision remains a powerful example of how innovation, collaboration, and cross-committee leadership can advance knowledge dissemination within the EMEUNET community.
Local Activities Led by Country Liaisons
Country Liaisons continue to play a pivotal role in strengthening EMEUNET’s visibility and engagement at national rheumatology congresses, actively connecting early-career rheumatologists with educational, research, and networking opportunities.
In Serbia, Jelena Čolić represented EMEUNET at the Serbian Annual Congress of Rheumatology 2025, delivering a dedicated session on Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Writing alongside Diego Benavent (EMEUNET Chair). The session engaged approximately 30 young rheumatologists, fostering discussion on innovation, digital tools, and academic development.
In Bulgaria, Daliya Pencheva showcased EMEUNET’s activities at the Bulgarian National Conference of Rheumatology in Plovdiv. She highlighted flagship initiatives such as RheumaVision and ensured strong on-site visibility through the EMEUNET booth, facilitating direct interaction with trainees and early-career specialists.
In Türkiye, an official EMEUNET Introduction Session was organised during the national rheumatology congress. Led by Tuğba İzci Duran, with contributions from Ertuğrul Çağrı Bölek, Mert Öztaş, and Gizem Ayan, the session engaged around 30 early-career rheumatologists, strengthening awareness of EMEUNET’s opportunities and network.
These initiatives exemplify the ambassadorial leadership of Country Liaisons, embedding EMEUNET within national scientific programmes and actively supporting the next generation of rheumatology professionals across Europe and beyond.
On behalf of the EMEUNET Country Liaison Sub-Committee
Cristiana Sieiro Santos