Dear colleagues,

Following Turkish Society of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy’s approval of hosting the 19th Congress during 18th IFAA Congress in Beijing, changing circumstances forced IFAA board rearrange the 19th meeting to be held in London and the 20th IFAA in İstanbul – Turkey and twice in five years span instead of one, by a change in IFAA’s constitution.

The fate of this very valuable organization became a real frustration for us; following the postponing of the 2019 appointment to 2021, the Covid19 pandemics caused us a one more year delay, we have to reschedule our calendar to 2022. 

Our dream was to see all anatomists enjoy both the congress and İstanbul and really come together as social human beings eating, drinking, laughing, dancing as well as meeting established scientists and discussing the very up to date scientific data in our field.

Unfortunately, Covid19 pandemics progress does not let us foresee next year. Some of the countries seem to be relieved and living a better life among pandemics but it is not the same globally and this congress is not a regional one. Considering this, we drank the bitter medicine and decided to organize a totally on-line congress in order not to take the risk of completely cancelling it or risking the lives of possible attendees. No change of date for congress, it will be August 5-7, 2022. 

Our infrastructure is adequate for such an organization and our only bittersweet happiness is that the Turkish meeting would make real another first for the IFAA – postponing twice, yet even couldn’t meet on the third attempt except on-line. Indeed, we all experienced that on-line meetings have some advantages as well.  Many universities are struggling financially at this time and the ability of anatomists to travel may be constrained which might lead to a poor attendance if the meeting was held face to face. On the plus side, the virtual conferences make it possible for so many more people to attend and we are only getting better at virtual meetings.

As Turkish Society of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, our request is to make this congress more memorable than others not with its misfortune until now, but with a record attendance, discussion, science and virtual friendships with your help.

Please follow the latest news for the call for symposiums, abstract submission and registration from our website: www.ifaa2022.org

Erdoğan Şendemir
President of the XX IFAA Congress
Professor of Anatomy,
Bursa Uludağ University, Turkey