HISTORY

The European Veterinary Immunology Group (EVIG) was founded under the auspices of the European Federation of Immunologic Societies (EFIS) in 2001.

EVIG intends to be a platform for communication and exchange, enhancing European research in particular. While we were not particularly keen to add new meetings to the ever-crowded scientific calendar we felt that a European Veterinary Immunology Workshop provides the best platform for direct scientific exchange.

With regard to the formal organization of the EVIG, it had to be taken into account that veterinary immunology does not have active or even formal groupings in most European countries (EFIS members). Accordingly, we could not build on a delegate system from which we elect our boards. The alternative we choose was to co-opt established veterinary immunologists from the scientific community in Europe. Members for the boards should be independent in their work, active in the scientific community, have experience in scientific organisations, represent various scientific areas by methods and species and their countries. Additionally member’s states should include north, south, east and west Europe. Last and not least, many if not all farm and companion animal species including fish and wildlife should be covered.

A more detailed review on the founding of EVIG was published (Steinbach et al., 2004; Vet ImmImm, 100, 99-103).

In September 2009, EVIG was transformed into a registered society, based in Berlin, Germany (EVIG e.V.).

1^st European Veterinary Immunology Workshop, Berlin, 27.-28.09. 2003

2^nd European Veterinary Immunology Workshop, Paris, 04.09-06.09. 2006

3^rd European Veterinary Immunology Workshop, Berlin, 10.-13.09. 2009
(report published in Vet Imm Imm, 136, 3-4, August 2010, Pages 350-356) pubmed

4^th European Veterinary Immunology Workshop, Edinburgh, 02.-05.09. 2012
(report first published in Immunology News, courtesy to the British Society for Immunology)