RSU to host Centenary Congress of the International Society for the History of Medicine

From 3 to 7 September the 46th Congress of the International Society for the History of Medicine (ISHM) was held in Lisbon. Professor Juris Salaks and Assistant Professor Ieva Lībiete from the RSU Institute of the History of Medicine were among the delegates at the congress, whereas RSU rector Professor Aigars Pētersons was invited as an honorary guest.

Latvia was represented at the Congress of the International Society for the History of Medicine by delegates from Rīga Stradiņš University and Pauls Stradiņš Museum for History of Medicine: Juris Salaks, Artis Ērglis, Ieva Lībiete, Aigars Pētersons un Aldis Ērglis (taking photograph).

Congress delegates were hosted by the Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. In total, there were 230 delegates at the congress representing six continents. Research work was organised in three parallel sessions over four days, reflecting current tendencies in research of the history of medicine around the globe. Assistant Professor Ieva Lībiete gave a presentation on a rare example of material heritage of the history of medicine – a tattooed skin collection of the RSU Anatomy Museum. A report by Professor Juris Salaks attracted particular interest – on a previously unknown contribution made by the famous jeweller Faberge to the manufacturing of medical instruments during World War I.

Congress programme

Congress venue – Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

President of the Republic of Portugal M. R. di Soza greets congress delegates at the ceremonial opening ceremony

The Congress was opened on 3 September by the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. On 7 September it was closed by RSU rector Prof. A. Pētersons who addressed the General Assembly, inviting attendees to participate in the Centenary Congress of the Society that will be held in 2020 in Rīga. Rīga Stradiņš University will become the main host of the Congress and the epicentre for the history of medicine in 2020. Moscow and Paris were among candidate cities interested in hosting the ISHM Centenary Congress.

Registration for the congress will open on 1 October 2018. For further information visit the Congress website.

ISHM board members, Society president Carlos Viesca; Mexico and Professor Aigars Pētersons in the Presidium of the General Assembly

Professor Aigars Pētersons addresses congress delegates 

Assistant Professor Ieva Lībiete and Professor Juris Salaks present the website of the 2020 ISHM congress

The International Society for the History of Medicine was founded in 1920 in Belgium. Over 700 professional historians of medicine and physicians interested in the history of their profession are among the members of the society. Since 1995 the society has been publishing an academic journal Vesalius. A congress is held once every two years and hosted by universities renowned for their traditions relating to the history of medicine. The RSU Institute of the History of Medicine is a collective member of this international society with a national delegate with the right to vote.