What is EMS? Learn about the history and present of the organization and visit upcoming events for 2024.
What is EMS?
The European Membrane Society (EMS) is an international non-profit organization. It aims to facilitate collaboration among scientists and engineers in the field of synthetic membranes and membrane processes.
EMS’s membership reflects a global tapestry of expertise, encompassing over 600 professionals from around 50 countries. This diversity underscores the society’s commitment to international cooperation and knowledge exchange in the field of membrane technology.
The society is renowned for organizing key scientific events, including the EuroMembrane conference series and Summer Schools. Additionally, EMS collaborates in hosting the International Congress on Membranes & Membrane Processes alongside the North American Membrane Society and the Aseanian Membrane Society.
Brief history of EMS
The European Membrane Society (EMS), initially known as the European Society of Membrane Science and Technology (ESMST), was established in 1982. Its founding members were notable academics: P. Aptel (University Sabatier, France), H. Strathmann (University Tübingen, Germany), G. Tragardh (Lund Institute of Technology-Food Engineering, Sweden), and society’s first President E. Drioli (University Naples, Italy). The organization was officially registered in Toulouse, France.
The formation of EMS was driven by the burgeoning interest and rapid progress in membrane science and technology across Europe. The society’s overarching goal was to enhance education and communication among membrane scientists and technologists, both within Europe and internationally.
EMS council
The Council is partially renewed every two years through a postal ballot, with each renewal affecting half of its members. Each council member is elected for a four-year term, and consecutive terms are not permitted. The Council is required to convene at least annually, although, in practice, it meets two to three times a year and maintains frequent electronic communication, often on a near-daily basis.
EMS events for 2024
What is EMS planning for 2024? On 3-7 March 2024, the 9th International Conference on Organic Solvent Nanofiltration is taking place at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia.
Students should mark their calendars for June 10-14, when the 39th EMS Summer School is taking place at Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
The next EMS event: EuroMembrane 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic, takes place on 8-12 September and will be covering the following topics – Water scarcity, reuse and ZLD technologies, resources recycling, energy savings and novel ways of energy storage.
The last event for 2024 is Aachen Membrane Colloquium (AMK) taking place on December 3-5 in Aachen, Germany.