YGVA

YGVA aims

The purpose of the YGVA informal meetings is to enable people to exchange research experiences and associated problems, discuss new methodology and trends and to form a network of ideas whilst bringing together people from different Universities on a more informal basis alongside poster and oral presentations, workshops are organised in order to teach and enhance skills, networking and discussion in spare and social time is also encouraged at each meeting.

In practice, bringing together smaller group of people of a similar age enables one to speak more openly and ask ‘stupid’ questions. When participants meet again, i.e. at the EAVA Congress, they already know each other and which makes scientific exchange more fruitful. To further facilitate attendance for young people, the meetings are very low cost. To keep other costs low, accommodation is preferably organised in student hostels.

We intend to continue to disseminate the YGVA idea and actively promote of the upcoming meetings. We must do our best to promote YGVA and EAVA in Scandinavian, Baltic, East European and Mediterranean countries as well Great Britain and Ireland.

We aim to provide cost-effective or free workshops.

We aim to encourage membership and participation from everywhere that is new to the morphology field i.e. PhD students are heartily welcome to contact us and join future meetings.

YGVA representatives in EAVA

• 2002–2006: Christoph K.W. Muelling (Berlin)
• 2006–2010: Malan Strbenc (Ljubljana)
• 2010–2014: Pieter Cornillie (Ghent)
• Since 2014: Catrin Rutland (Nottingham)

History

On the occasion of the EAVA congress in Olsztyn in Poland in 2000 the idea was born that we could bring together the younger members of EAVA for an informal meeting. Ideal timing was agreed for the odd-years, between the two EAVA congresses.

The first opening meeting was organised by Monika Egerbacher from July 26th to 29th at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. 16 founding colleagues attended and agreed that these infromal young generation meetings were a good idea.

The second meeting was organised by Christiane Pfarrer at the Veterinary Faculty in Giessen. Major part of the meeting comprised of a Cell culture Workshop. The possibility of setting up posters showcasing the scientific work of participants was also introduced. Tours to the beautiful town of Marburg and open air museum of Hessian culture kept the participants fit.

The third YGVA meeting was organised by Wim van den Broeck fom 13th to 15th July 2005. 37 participants had a chance to talk about their work and discuss the founding preparations for European College of Veterinary Anatomy at Veterinary Faculty in Gent. The second day was devoted to a Stereology workshop professionally carried out by staff at the Department of Veterinary Medicine in Antwerp. Guidance through historical Gent and insights into many types of Belgian beer was as self understood activity.

Malan Štrbenc welcomed 20 colleagues at fourth YGVA meeting from 8th – 10th July 2007 at Veterinary Faculty in Ljubljana. Again oral talks and posters were welcome. The main topic was confocal microscopy and other computer assisted imaging techniques with demonstration. Discussion time was reserved again for topics in founding activities of European College of Veterinary Anatomy (minutes). A short tour of Ljubljana prepared participants for a long trek thorough Postojna underground caves.

Past meeting reports