Dear colleagues and friends!

EFAS looks back to 20 years of its existence: years of activity and success. But still much remains to be done – no doubt that EFAS enters a challenging future.
One major EFAS goal is to identify and implement unified concepts for diagnostics and treatment of patients with hearing deficits. Another one is the systematic organization of education and training of young people who wish to work in our field. In addition, EFAS supports the implementation of new screening and diagnostic procedures, and the definition of standards and policies in the field of audiology.
Unfortunately, the realization of these objectives becomes increasingly difficult. Economic and financial troubles in several European countries lead to budget cuttings which affect also the funding of health care systems. In consequence, services must be scaled down and personnel are reduced. Despite such limitations, professionals are committed to maintain the high standards of health care that have been achieved in the last decades. EFAS can, hopefully, assist them in fulfilling their commitment: by fostering communication and exchange of experience, by initiating networks and stimulating the building of synergies.
To achieve its wide range of goals and objectives, EFAS is lucky to count on a particular strength: multidisciplinarity. Audiology deals with all aspects of hearing and audiological expertise requires knowledge from a diverse group of scientific disciplines, ranging from Anatomy to Surgery, from Acoustics to Hearing Implant Technology, from Genetics to Psychology, from Molecular Biology to Educational Sciences, and more. No single person can be competent in all these fields, but as a community of experts, we have a chance. EFAS is proud to be the umbrella organization including a multidisciplinary community, whose various professionals work closely together in order to increase knowledge and improve services, and thereby serve the needs of the hearing-impaired people of our societies.
At the last meeting of the EFAS General Assembly, two new working groups were implemented: one for fostering the project of hearing screening in school and preschool children in the European Union and one for developing new concepts for Education in Audiology. Another running task is the preparation of the 11th EFAS Congress which will take place 2013 in Budapest and will offer an exciting scientific program with a variety of topics from audiological research and practice.
I am looking forward to welcome you at EFAS 2013 in Budapest, June 19 to 22.

With my best regards

Kurt Stephan
President EFAS