Vilnius University Hosts the 55th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology

This year the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, in collaboration with partners, had the opportunity to host the 55th Annual Meeting of European Society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) from September 28th to October 1st. During the weeklong event scientists and clinicians in Paediatric Nephrology, junior fellows, allied health professionals, industry partners, and other speakers from all around the world, in person or online, had the opportunity to present their own or listen to others’ research, discuss and exchange important ideas, establish new or strengthen existing connections within the medical and scientific communities.

The Congress began with the opening ceremony where the President of ESPN Prof. Dieter Haffner (Department of Paediatric Kidney, Liver and Metabolic Diseases at Hannover Medical School, Germany), Prof. Augustina Jankauskienė, the President of ESPN 2023 and the President of the Lithuanian Society for Paediatric Nephrology (Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University), and the Rector of Vilnius University Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas gave their welcoming speeches.

“This is the first time that ESPN has been held in the Baltic States. We have arrived just in time for the celebration of Vilnius’ 700th anniversary. Vilnius is a beautiful city with rich history and culture and, without a doubt, an important centre of science,” Prof. Dieter Haffner commenced his speech with great enthusiasm. In total, the Paediatric Kidney Week 2023 in Vilnius had 913 participants from 73 countries, with 766 participants attending on-site. 470 participats were from European countries: Great Britain (91), Italy (65), Turkey (57), Germany (56), France (43), Spain (39), Poland (36), Lithuania (32), Netherlands (31), and Belgium (20). More than 100 participants came from outside Europe, including 41 from Asia, 31 from the Middle East, 12 from the United States and 9 each from Africa and Australia. “This is the top-notch European and international scientific meeting,” he noted.

The President of ESPN expressed his gratitude to Vilnius University, the Local Organising Committee from the Faculty of Medicine (Prof. A. Jankauskienė, Assoc. Prof. Karolis Ažukaitis, and others), the Scientific Committee (Prof. Rukshana Shroff, the Chair, and others), and reviewers of almost 500 abstracts for outstanding hospitality and support. “Prof. Rukshana Shroff and her team have put together an excellent program based on 476 accepted abstracts, covering all major topics in the field of paediatric nephrology,” he noted.

ESPN 2023 has offered an exclusive opportunity to choose from a “scientific menu” of 66 sessions with 117 invited speakers, 3 CMEs, 6 working group meetings, 31 oral presentations, 153 3-minute pitches, and 292 electronic posters. Speakers from all over the world and guest speakers from partner societies the European Renal Association (ERA), The American Society for Paediatric Nephrology (ASPN), The Asian Paediatric Nephrology Association (AsPNA), The Japanese Society of Paediatric Nephrology (JSPN) were invited to present their research. “I have no doubt that this Congress will facilitate fruitful discussions and encourage future collaborations,” the ESPN President said.

“It is expected that this Congress will serve as a useful platform to stimulate globalization, facilitate the exchange of ideas between researchers, and share the best practices within the medical community,” stated the Rector of Vilnius University Prof. R. Petrauskas, in his welcoming speech. According to him, it is a great honour and recognition for Vilnius University and the whole Lithuanian medical community that so many scientists from different countries all over the world accepted the invitation and came to Vilnius, despite the fragile state of the world today. The Rector emphasized his firm belief that crises always create new opportunities for change, including the reevaluation of old concepts, decision-making processes, and the adaptation and implementation of new strategies. “I am convinced that Vilnius has potential as a European intellectual metropolis, where significant European narratives are told, political decisions made, and important scientific events happen,” Prof. R. Petrauskas concluded his speech.

“The ESPN 2023 proved to be an enormous success. The number of registrations and participants only confirmed, it was the largest and most broadly represented Congress throughout the whole history of ESPN’s conferences, both in terms of themes and formats. The scientific program of the Congress particularly distinguished itself by emphasizing “green nephrology”. For instance, we had poster sessions without paper posters. Or “pitch presentations”, 3-minute condensed presentations which were initially anticipated to pose some challenges. However, everything proceeded exceedingly well, and we received exceptionally positive feedback. Therefore, presentations of various formats and durations at such a large-scale event were, first of all, a excellent opportunity for our young doctors, scientists, residents, and students with an interest in nephrology”, Prof. Augustina Jankauskienė, the President of ESPN 2023, commented after the event. She noted that the dynamic program of this Congress, which ranged from concise presentations given by young scientists to the more traditional full-length plenary lectures delivered by invited speakers, provided ample opportunity to comprehensively contemplate the dissemination and transformation of science. “Communication, collaboration, gaining knowledge and broadening one’s perspective that is the real charm of science. We take immense pride and express our gratitude to Vilnius University and the Faculty of Medicine for taking the leading role in organising this Congress,” she said.

Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine is also proud to announce that Assoc. Prof. Karolis Ažukaitis has been elected as a Council member to the ESPN.

ESPN, established in 1967, aims to spread knowledge and improve the treatment of children with kidney diseases in Europe. Comprising the President, Assistant President, Treasurer, and 8 Ordinary Councillors, along with over 700 active members as of 2022, ESPN unites clinical professionals and researchers in Paediatric Nephrology. Their wide-ranging activities include an annual congress, collaborative research, educational courses, webinars, clinical guidelines, a three-year Paediatric Nephrology curriculum, and a EU-certified board examination. ESPN also hosts six specialized working groups for research and education within the field.

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