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10th Academy of National Brain Councils
08.05.2024 - 09.05.2024
Look Back at the 10th National Brain Councils Academy
The 10th National Brain Councils Academy (NBCs) was held from 8 to 9 May 2024 in Pula, more precisely on the island of Brijuni in Croatia. This year, the meeting was integrated into the 3rd International Conference on Neurological Disorders and Neurorestoration, which took place from 9 to 12 May 2024.
This annual event brought together several representatives from European NBCs, both online and in person. No less than 11 countries were represented, including Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Furthermore, we were pleased to welcome Karim Berkouk (Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission) and to receive a video message from Dr Neerja Chowdhary (Technical Officer, World Health Organization (WHO). The themes of their sessions were respectively “Update of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders” and “Analysis of the Impact of AI in Science Policies for Neuroscience and Health”. During the meeting, the NBCs shared their insights on the good practices and the national strategies for advancing brain health in Europe. They provided updates on their respective national brain health plans.
Additionally, the European Brain Council (EBC) presented an overview of its EU Elections Manifesto 2024, highlighting the importance of placing brain health and research at the top of the policy agenda, both at the EU and national levels.
“We call on the European Parliament and European Commission 2024-2029 to support policy making towards equitable and quality brain health to combat brain challenges, promote societal cohesion, boost economic productivity and guide the EU to the role of global leader in brain research.”
– Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director, European Brain Council
– Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director, European Brain Council
The focus of the second part of the programme shifted towards data, with a panel discussion dedicated to the establishment of the European Brain Health Data Hub, an association proposing to share patient data among European health institutions. The aim of this new initiative is to enhance research on mental health, particularly by addressing gaps in data availability. This initiative from the Belgian Brain Council, led by Roland Pochet (Secretary General, Belgian Brain Council) and Gregory Lewkowick (Professor, University of Brussels) was endorsed by the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Labour, Pierre-Yves Dermagne.
Finally, the meeting of the 10th NBCs Academy was all the more important this year, as it took place ahead of a major milestone, the European elections, set to take place on 6-9 June 2024. This will be a crucial opportunity for the brain community to shape the future of European brain health, research, and innovation.