30 Years of Hepatology and Gastroenterology [antikvár]

Few of the delegates attending the first Falk Symposium held over 30 years ago would have believed that this style of conference, bringing together pure researchers and clinically active scientists working in the fields of hepatology and gastroenterology, would have enjoyed a success spanning three decades. At this point, we should like to express our gratitude to the scientific organizers of the International Falk Symposia who took up the idea with such great enthusiasm and have arranged this event so superbly. The large numbers of delegates attending these symposia reflect the careful choice of topics and skillful programming: from 1967 to 1997, a totál of 64,000 physicians and scientists from over 100 nations have participated in these events. We should alsó like to warmly thank Falk Foundation's conference organizers, whose tireless commitment and reliability U. Falk (on the left) and H. Falk (on the right). have contributed considerably to the success of the symposia. It is our wish to pursue this success in the years and decades ahead, in order to be able more rapidly to turn new findings in hepatology and gastroenterology intő concrete patient benefits. So it is that, since the Falk Symposium centenary in May 1997, a further eight international Falk events have taken place, with another 16 symposia and two workshops scheduled and being prepared for 1998 and 1999. We shall alsó do our utmost to ensure that the Falk Foundation continues this fruitful, successful style of conference into the next century through our successor in the person of our son, Martin. Moreover, the Falk Foundation always welcomes suggestions for symposia topics and ideas. In addition to the international symposia mentioned, the Falk Foundation in Germany holds over 700 physician training events a year, attended by an annual average of somé 60,000 doctors. At these events, the practical results of the Falk Symposia are conveyed to the participants by competent speakers. With the increasing specialization of medicine, these follow-on events to the Falk Symposia are becoming increasingly important to medical practitioners. It would be desirable for this model of conveying scientific discoveries to clinicians and generál practitioners, as practised by the Falk Foundation in Germany, to be emulated more in other countries. We should like to express our