International Union of Immunological Societies records -
Historical Note
In the early 1960’s it became clear to many investigators, who thought of themselves as immunologists, that they needed an international network that would both promote interaction between immunologists and present their aspirations and needs to international and national institutions. At the time national societies had long existed in the United States and Great Britain, but such societies had just recently been founded in Canada, Israel, Switzerland, France, and Australia and others were on the point of formation. As the result of informal consultation among immunologists, the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), an umbrella organization for regional and national societies of immunology throughout the world, was officially founded in Brugge (Belgium) on May 5, 1969 by the representatives of ten Societies (American Association of Immunologists, British Society for Immunology, Canadian Society for Immunology, Dutch Society for Immunology, Gesellschaft fur Immunologie, Israel Immunological Society, Polish Society of Immunology, Scandinavian Society for Immunology, Societe Francaise d’immunologie, Yugoslav Immunological Society). The representatives of the Australian Society for Immunology and the Swiss Society of Allergy and Immunology were unable to attend but the societies expressed their support and were later accepted as founding members.
At this first meeting of the Council, officers were elected, a committee structure was established, and steps were taken to write a constitution. Additional Council meetings were held on September 2, 1970 in Merlingen, Switzerland, on February 23, 1971 in London, England, and on July 30, 1971 in Washington D.C. The IUIS Constitution prepared by the Council was formally approved by the 1st General Assembly of IUIS. (The Constitution was revised and adopted by the General Assembly in 1995.) The objectives articulated in the Constitution were: to organize international cooperation in immunology and to promote communication between the various branches of immunology and allied subjects; to encourage co-operation between independent Societies that represent the interests of immunology; and to contribute to the advancement of immunology in all its aspects.
The General Assembly also elected the first official slate of IUIS officers and a new Council who would serve for the period 1971 – 1974, in accordance with the rules of the IUIS Constitution. These rules stated that new officers and members were to be elected at the triennial General Assembly. As a result of this election Bernard Cinader became the first President, John Humphrey Vice – President, Alain de Weck Secretary – General, and Peter Miescher Treasurer.
The first and most important decision of the new IUIS involved the creation of the International Congress of Immunology. The need to create international congresses that would allow immunologists of many different sub disciplines to present their particular point of view to colleagues in other sub-disciplines had long been apparent and it was unanimously decided that an International meeting, covering the many different areas of contemporary immunology should be organized. The organizationof the first International Congress of Immunology was entrusted to the American Association of Immunologists, founded in 1913, the oldest national immunological society, and was held on August 1-6,1971 in Washington DC. More than 3400 scientists representing 45 countries came to participate in fifteen symposia and eighty-four workshops encompassing most aspects of modern immunology. The second International Congress was held in Brighton, England on July 21 – 26, 1974 and was attended by approximately 4500 scientists who participated in twenty-five Symposia and one hundred sixty-three Workshops. Subsequent congresses have been held every three years under the auspices of IUIS.
The establishment of committees was a key factor in the initial development of IUIS. In the first year Committees on Standardization, Nomenclature, Education and Symposia were organized. Two of these, Standardization and Nomenclature were already operating by the time of the First International Congress. Shortly thereafter, in 1973, the Clinical Immunology Committee was formed. These five committees remained as the major focus of IUIS activities until the early 1980’s. In 1980, the Veterinary Immunology Committee was added, followed quickly by the establishment of the Publications Committee in 1981.
An important objective for IUIS was to interact with international scientific organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). Immunology had become a separate section of WHO in 1963 and from its beginnings IUIS maintained an intimate, cooperative relationship with all aspects of WHO immunological activities. From the outset they participated in joint committees in the areas of nomenclature and standardization. Then, in 1976, the IUIS was accepted as a member of the International Council of Scientific Unions.
The Immunologist, the official journal of IUIS, published it’s first issue in 1993. The journal publishes articles and reviews in basic and clinical immunology and provides a forum for discussing issues of importance for the discipline of immunology.
In the year 2000 there were 54 member societies of IUIS, many of which belong to one of four Regional Federations.
