Edito

In November 2020, the COVID pandemic imposed a virtual world upon us. Our goal in this new environment was to recreate ­– as closely as possible – the feelings and psychological characteristics of what was offered in what we now call a “traditional” or face-to-face congress.

Those “in-person” scientific meetings removed us from the day-to-day constraints of our daily lives by taking us out of our geographic existence, bringing us together, face-to-face, in a unique environment. This “geographic extraction” was an essential element in the success of those meeting with the physical distance from our everyday workplaces removing the extraneous elements and interferences of those who normally surround us. The ensuing physical interaction that took place over the course of two or three days allowed the participants to focus their attention and concentration on each other, maximizing the intensity and quality of their exchange.

We believe that it should be possible to achieve the same educational quality in a virtual scientific meeting employing two criteria essential for its success: first and foremost, the level and pertinence of the scientific content itself and, second, an impeccable technical quality of the online and virtual exchange that takes place.

With our leap into the virtual, we are all well aware that the slightest technical incident during an online meeting is highly disruptive for the expert panel and audience alike, rapidly distracting our attention and undermining the discourse.
As for the scientific content, from experience it is clear that the quality and value of such a meeting requires that it be carefully focused on a specific topic in order to avoid untimely digressions in the form of off-subject interactions or unclear comments and discussions.

Designed to fulfill these criteria for excellence, we take pride in introducing the LINNC Masterclass Series and invite you to join us each week for a live documentary style session of sixty to seventy minutes on a specific and carefully planned clinical topic.

From a professional audiovisual studio, we will lead each Masterclass beginning with a documentary illustrating the chosen subject. Taking the form of two or three case reports, recorded under “live” conditions, each of these film-reports will be accompanied by our expert commentary. This commentary will raise questions and stimulate discussion on the topic, a discussion where we will be joined by our “virtual faculty”, composed of up to three international experts. In the exchange that follows the initial presentations, the various questions and challenges raised will be addressed by the faculty ….and you the audience.

Virtual participants attending the LINNC Masterclass will be able to ask questions in the form of a "chat" moderated by dedicated specialists who will summarize and group these discussions into themes to be addressed by the expert panel and faculty.

Modelled on international television broadcasts, each LINNC Masterclass will capture the interest of each of our listeners while ensuring the quality of the scientific content and discussion in an atmosphere that is both serene and rigorous.

We are confident that you will find in the LINNC Masterclass Series the professionalism, scientific quality and passion for academic exchange that you have come to expect from us and from LINNC.

It might not be a “traditional live” course, but we hope LINNC Masterclass will bring a touch of humanity to the pervasive irreality in this time of pandemic.

We look forward to you joining us.

Jacques MORET and Laurent SPELLE

LINNC Directors