The neuroscience global village

Abstract

before they will consider an application and then take several months to give their decision, making the procedure complex and uncertain. The IBRO program removes these hurdles, thus offering a new level of encouragement and support. Adding yet further to the value of the program for young investigators, a number of workshops were organised devoted to topics relating to education and career development, including funding opportunities, communication of research results, graduate and postdoctoral training, how to establish a new laboratory, ethical issues and the use of animals in research. These are often neglected in ‘conventional’ University courses in developing countries, but a lack of knowledge about these crucial topics can be as much of a hindrance to career development as a lack of scientific resources. Sparing the environment: Beneficiaries one and all As a side note, the IBRO World Congress organizing committee made diligent efforts to be environmentally friendly, saving paper by using e-mail to communicate with the participants and providing abstracts on a CD, promoting the use of reusable and recyclable material, saving electricity and banning toxic chemicals [5]. This World Congress had been an eye-opener for many of us and set an excellent example of how to organize a big conference without compromising the environment. Past activities and future perspectives Since the 1990s, IBRO has emerged as a world federation of neuroscience societies and associations, devoted to the promotion of neuroscience in countries with limited resources, and with a focus on young investigators. In 2011, which marks the 50th anniversary of IBRO, the 8th IBRO World Congress was hosted by the Italian Society of Neuroscience (SINS) [6] and held in Florence, Italy (July 14–18). Convened every four years, the World Congress is a unique global event symbolizing IBRO’s primary objectives of promoting neuroscience research, and facilitating YIP participants with Prof. Marina Bentivoglio, IBRO Secretary-General (past). Group photo of YIP participants and YIP committee members at the IBRO Congress in Florence, 18 July 2011. J. K. Sinha et al. Insights & Perspectives..... 8 Bioessays 34: 7–9, 2011 WILEY Periodicals, Inc. E x la b o ra to ri o international collaboration and exchange of scientific information in all areas of brain research. The 8th Congress saw the participation of scientists from 86 countries, with 4,200 participants, 1,500 of whom were from economically disadvantaged countries [4]. Although science has no borders, countries do. Electronic communication breaks these down, but large amounts of dedication, vision and creativity are still needed. The Young Investigator Program has these qualities in abundance, and has translated them into an outstanding programme that recognises the practical steps needed to bring young scientists from developing countries ‘in from the cold’. By facilitating short stays in cutting edge laboratories, and arranging participation in a prominent international conference, it has transformed the scenario for these young investigators and enabled them to truly experience and fully join the global community of neuroscience. As participants in the YIP, many PhD students and post-docs have greatly profited from this, and we solicit similar initiatives from the many other international societies and research organizations in other fields of science. Acknowledgments The views expressed therein are those of the authors and YIP participants. Authors acknowledge Prof. Marina Bentivoglio, Prof. Caroline Fall and Dr. Andrew Moore for their constructive criticism in refining and editing the manuscript and IBRO for support in YIP. JKS acknowledges ISN and ICMR – SRF for financial support in research.