At this year's international conference of the European Federation of Audiological Societies (EFAS), which took place from 22 to 25 June in Warsaw, Prof. Dr. Dr. Birger Kollmeier was elected as the new Secretary General of this umbrella organisation of audiologists in Europe. His new tasks include not only ongoing contact with the 34 scientific member societies and the coordination of joint activities, but also the development of uniform standards for university training in audiology in Europe. The long-term goal is a uniform, internationally recognised professional profile for audiologists at the interface between medical, technical and educational audiology. "The election is not only a great honour for me, but also a confirmation of Germany's leading role in European audiology. With the hearing technology and audiology degree programme established here in Oldenburg, which is offered in cooperation between Jade University of Applied Sciences and the University of Oldenburg, we have created a model from which the entire European scene benefits and in which high expectations are placed," said Kollmeier after his election. Kollmeier is Head of the Department of Medical Physics and the Centre for Hearing Research at the University as well as Scientific Director of The Haus des Hörens in Oldenburg. In 2008, he chaired an international conference on training in audiology in Oldenburg, which contributed significantly to the current state of coordination of audiology training in Europe. Kollmeier is also Secretary of the German Society of Audiology based in Oldenburg, from whose membership other important positions on the new EFAS Board will be filled: Professor Dr Kurt Stephan (Innsbruck) as President, Professor Dr Jan Wouters (Leuven, corresponding member of the DGA) as Vice President, Professor Dr Norbert Dillier (Zurich, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the HörTech Center of Competence Oldenburg, among others) as Treasurer. "With this strongly Northern European and very pragmatic, future-orientated team on the new board, we will certainly succeed in decisively advancing audiology in Europe in the coming years," announced Kollmeier.