Founded in 1992 United European Gastroenterology (UEG) is the leading non-profit organisation for excellence in digestive health in Europe and beyond with its headquarters in Vienna. We improve the prevention and care of digestive diseases in Europe through providing top tier education, supporting research and advancing clinical standards.
As Europe’s home and umbrella for multidisciplinary gastroenterology, we unite over 50,000 engaged professionals from national and specialist societies, individual digestive health experts and related scientists from all fields and career stages. The myUEG Communityenables digestive health professionals from across the globe to become myUEG Associates and thereby connect, network and benefit from a wide range of free resources and educational activities.
Structure
UEG unites 17 Ordinary Member Societies and 49 National Societies working in the broad area of digestive health, constantly adapting to the changing requirements of scientific research and health care.
Following our mission and a dedicated strategic plan, the overall leadership and strategic direction of UEG rests with the Council. The committees and task forces enable interested volunteers to play an active role in shaping current and future UEG initiatives and form the operating body of the organisation.
Member Societies are represented in the Meeting of Members that elects or appoints UEG Council members. Each Ordinary Member Society has the opportunity to send one representative to UEG’s committees.
All officers of UEG, regardless of position, provide their effort and time on a complete voluntary basis, and therefore make UEG a non-profit organisation concerned solely with the well-being of patients.
The House of European Gastroenterology (HEG) is UEG's home and offers a meeting point and communication hub to the European gastroenterological community. The HEG is situated in the heart of Vienna, near the Rathaus (City Hall) in a 19th-century building.
To further increase the visibility and impact of digestive health among the public and politicians, UEG runs a separate Brussels Office in Belgium.
Activities
UEG Week
UEG Week[8] is the largest congress of its kind in Europe and is held once a year. It has been running since 1992 and now attracts more than 13,000 people from around the world. It features the latest advances in clinical management and research in the field of digestive and liver disease. A two-day Postgraduate Teaching Programme is also held on occasion of UEG Week. The programme provides continuing medical education for gastroenterologists in training and practice.
Education
UEG provides educational online and classroom courses in the field of digestive and liver disease and an online library containing abstracts and recordings of UEG Week, guidelines and more.[9]
UEG offers awards and grants in the following fields and categories: grants for researchers under the age of 40, grants for researchers having achieved the highest level of international recognition, funds for innovative educational programmes and international scientific collaborations, a prize honouring outstanding contribution to gastroenterology and UEG, international scholarship awards, prizes for best abstracts and travel grants.[11]
Notable publications
UEG Journal
Focuses on providing coverage of both translational as well as clinical studies from different fields of gastroenterology. The latest impact factor ranking indicates that the UEG Journal has already established itself as an authoritative, high quality and trusted journal in the field.[12]
UEG White Book: Survey of digestive health in Europe
Summary of burden of digestive diseases in Europe and an assessment of the breadth and quality of current service provision.[13]
