EFCS Discussion Forum
B.Brando Jan.31, 1997
EFCS Discussion Forum
Overview: Bruno Brando for the Gruppo Italiano di Citometria (GIC)
January, 27, 1997
I have submitted to the Council of the Italian Society for Cytometry
(Gruppo Italiano di Citometria, GIC) the proposals made by Guenter Valet
about the creation of an European Federation of Cytometric Societies (EFCS).
It is a quite delicate matter, but we feel that at last some steps towards
this aim must be moved right now. The major prompt to some form of European
Federation of national Cytometric Societies in our opinin resides
in the very close deadline established for European economical reunification.
In other words, Europe will be a single economical (and perhaps political)
entity in a very short time an a number of European-wide regulatory issues
in the field of diagnostic procedures are rapidly taking place. The recent
approval of the
Biomed 2 European project, which gathers
research and clinical cytometry centers from 13 EC and non-EC Countries is
another good point for the creation of some specific european organization
in the field of cytometry.
Keeping this in mind, the following points summarize the conclusions drawn
by the GIC Council reunion held on December 1996:
1) EFCS should be established as a regional entity not in contrast
with ISAC aims and activities. On the contrary, EFCS and ISAC together
should cooperate and find synergy in a number of technical, regulatory and
educational issues.
2) The multidisciplinary nature of cytometry must be mantained
by EFCS, without missing any scientifical, technical and applicative aspect.
Moreover, no restrictive indications (i. e. clinical, flow, image etc.) must
be included in its name.
3) We basically disagree on the joining of ESACP along with
national Cytometry socities in the EFCS. ESACP is an European scientific
society mostly devoted to clinical pathology. A number of reputed scientist
from varous nations are in the ESACP council and ACP magazine board, as well
as in the council of their respective national cytometric societies.
Therefore the existence of of ESACP in its current configuration seems a
major obstacle to the creation of EFCS. We cannot of course want ESACP to
dissolve as a society, but either ESACP does not join EFCS
at all, or some form of painless mixing without creating
useless duplications must be sought for, in view of the successful birth
of EFCS.
4) the same issues must be considered about the Analytical Cellular
Pathology magazine. Should this magazine become the official journal of
EFCS ? What about the relationship between ESACP and APC magazine once
it becomes putatively the official journal of EFCS?
5) In a first step we think it will be easier to establish some form
of cooperation among selected members of the national cytometry societies
by means of an ad hoc committee. This group may be given for instance a
2-years commitment to arrange and establish experimentally the structure of
EFCS. The members of the committee will be nominated by the national
societies, with some seats also for the Nations not represented by cytometric
societies.
Special care should be paid to the balance among the membership weight
of the national societies and the spectrum of all scientific interests that
must be represented in EFCS. The more widespread form of application, i.e.
by single individuals, must be kept apart, at least temporarily. The single
individual application to EFCS must find all the other organizational issues
(i.e. membership fee ? with or without Journal subscription ? Which journal
?) already well solved by the first restricted committee.
Best wishes to you all,
Bruno Brando