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I declare the closing ceremony of the 27th
world congress of the IALP open.
And so we come to the end of the 27th World
Congress of the IALP.
We arrived on Sunday and managed to get here to the
Denmark Technical University.
The Roskildegarden Band got us off to a rousing start.
We rekindled old friendships over the opening reception and then
boarded the buses for a return to the city and to prepare for the full
day of meetings and the congress.
On Monday Dr. Simon Fisher gave us a course in molecular
activity in speech-language. It was comforting to see our old friend
the WUG as a part of his fabulous presentation, complete with
squeaking disorders in mice. The discussants made it all seem
applicable to what we do and helped us raise more questions that we
had before we began. We know what we don’t know.
The day continued with sessions, workshops, and poster
sessions and ended with a glorious reception at the Town Hall - served
on Royal Copenhagen China. Fabulous. Our special thanks to the mayor
of Copenhagen for this special event.
Tuesday, Dr. Kathryn Yorkston and the discussants lead
the day off with a discussion of Degenerative Diseases. Sessions on
the cerebellum, bilingualism, the ICF, voice disorders, and the
quality of life inspired us to do our jobs better and with a greater
understanding of why we do what we do.
Evidence based practice. Dr. Barbara Dodd helped us
re-think what we think we know about evidence based practice as it
applies to our professions. We know we have to know why and how we
know what we know and what we do about it in connecting research to
clinical applications. There is always something at the IALP meetings
that gives us something to think about on the journey home.
The city tour is always special to the IALP congress.
The congress is not just about the scientific sessions. It is just as
important to get to know our colleagues from around the world. On the
city tour and the gala we not only got to know the city, but also
continued our knowing of each other. Over 600 people learning about
each other, our cultures and our professional interests while we got
to know about Wonderful Copenhagen.
We cannot thank Stine Thorsen and Svend Prytz enough for the
glorious evening at the Opera House. The atmosphere, the sunset, the
meal, the sunset, the entertainment all leave us with knowing that
Copenhagen is truly wonderful.
* *
* * *
Before we leave on our journey home we have to take time
for business.
At the General Assembly, we approved the new board for
2007-2010. Allow me to introduce the new IALP Board to you:
Mara Behlau, President
Tanya Gallagher, President Elect
Helen Grech, Secretary
Herman Peters, Treasurer.
Ilias Papathanasiou, Vice-president for the 2010
congress
Members at large
Maurizio Accordi
Lilly
Li-Rong Cheng
Heila
Jordan
Anu Klippi
Per-Åke Lindestad
Bruce Murdoch
Tadeus Nawka
Seiji Niimi
Philippe Paquier
Irma
Verdonck-de Leeuw
We approved two members to receive the highest honor this association
can provide -
Honour member.
It is my pleasure to present the 2007 honour members to you:
Harm Schutte
Treasurer, Amsterdam 1998 congress, President, Scientific Affairs,
editor of the Folia, made a significant difference in the way the
affairs of the organization are run bringing them to standards
appropriate for the 21st century.
Nasser Kotby
President, Treasurer, Board, committee chair education Phoniatrics,
1995 congress in Cairo. Mentor teacher for logopedics and phoniatrics
throughout the middle east.
We also voted to go to Torino in 2013,
that great Italian city which was the home of the 2006 winter
Olympics. Get ready for exciting night life and chocolate — oh the
chocolate. We will begin planning now for that special time in 2013.
But before Torino, in 2010 we will be in Athens,
Greece. The GA voted to recommend three main reports on:
1.
ICF
2.
Brain and Language: New scientific discoveries
3.
Neural Plasticity
The board and IALP committees will work with the local
organizing committee to bring you an exciting scientific and cultural
program for Athens. I urge you to think about the papers you will
submit or special program you would like to have in Athens. The
planning has already begun.
Before
we look forward to our next congress, it is fitting to thank the
Organizing Committee for all their work in making this congress a
success.
Thank you to Svend Prytz and Stine Thorsen and the
organizing committee and the program review committee.
Thank you to the student helpers and a special thank you
to the technicians. You heard our needs and fixed the problems. Thank
you again so much.
Thank you to the Conference organizers.
Thank you to all those who presented sessions and
posters – and a special “thank you” to you all for coming.
And thank you for the weatherman who made this a hot,
but most importantly, a dry conference!
We now look forward to the 28th congress in Athens Greece.
Ilais Papathiousis will give you a brief look of what
you have in store as we excite our
senses
in Greece in 2010.
We lower the Danish Flag and raise the flag for Greece.
And so we come to the end of our journey. We head home.
Filled with memories of Copenhagen and filled with plans to meet again
in Greece. Journey Safely. Be well until we meet again on the steps
of the Acropolis! Godspeed.
I declare the 27th world congress of the IALP
closed.
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