What is the role of the committee?
For the 2022-2024 term, my Co-Chair Professor Nicole Karam and I, along with the EAPCI Scientific Programme and Congress Committee members, have defined our goal as serving the unmet educational needs of the interventional community. This was to be achieved by providing platforms for the interventional community to share scientific achievements. We found it also very important to create bridges and links to other subspecialities and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) working groups.
How does the EAPCI Scientific Programme and Congress benefit the interventional cardiologist?
As stated in its name, the EAPCI Scientific Programme and Congress Committee has the task of designing and managing the scientific content of EAPCI events. Above all, this includes EuroPCR, PCR London Valves and EAPCI sessions at the ESC Congress. Beyond this, EAPCI has been present at several national and international congresses and meetings within Europe from Germany to Bulgaria, as well as worldwide from Egypt to China. Our Committee has developed joint sessions with several national cardiac societies, in synergy with EAPCI Young Committee. This has enhanced EAPCI visibility at national level, as well as induced new channels of cooperation.
Parallel to that, our Committee has been responsible for coordinating multiple online events and webinars, which have become available over the year, covering various topics, often in collaboration with other subspecialities.
What has been the biggest achievement of your committee?
I do not believe that we could underline one single big achievement. I would instead emphasise that the Committee kept its main objective continuously in focus and made great efforts to follow its mission. We believe the last two years' term has been a fruitful collaboration of this great team of committee members. This has resulted in development and initiation of great session proposals for the main congresses; EAPCI has started proactively collaborating with national societies all over the globe; and last but not least the webinar catalogue now contains a stunning list of programmes.
How can EAPCI members becoming involved in the work of the Scientific Programmme and Congress Committee?
EAPCI is eager to connect with national societies. This is why we have been present at numerous national meetings in collaboration with local societies. Such connections are mostly initiated by local EAPCI members, who share the idea that such networks are beneficial for both parties, but mostly for the interventional community. Of course, such events are also good platforms to extend the network and to identify future active members of the EAPCI committees.
