Cycle of conferences Sound and Health: The challenge of sound in our online meetings

Second conference on 22 September: we will be welcoming Professor Paul Avan, Director of the Centre for Research and Innovation in Human Audiology at the Institut Pasteur. He and his team are working to gain a better understanding of hearing impairment, with a view to developing personalised medicine. He will be presenting the latest scientific developments in this field.

Link to the conference: https://u4unity.webex.com/meet/jps

The Covid-19 pandemic has, in a relatively short space of time, brought about a lasting transformation in the way businesses, government departments and international organisations work, with the European institutions being no exception. Teleconferencing and hybrid meetings have become part of our daily lives, and their role seems to be growing all the time. Although these technologies have been in use for many years now, the sudden acceleration in their use has not allowed us to learn about good practice and the risks associated with these tools. On top of this, the Commission’s restrictive buildings policy has led to a sometimes unclear framework for teleworking, which can lead to abuses and even unhappiness among our colleagues.

The most exposed users, such as interpreters, have noticed that the sound transmitted via teleconferencing platforms has an influence on our hearing, and even on our health in general. The consequences of prolonged and regular use of these tools are now the subject of scientific studies, the conclusions of which will be decisive in organising teleworking in the best possible way.

This is why we are organising a series of conferences with international experts in the field of sound.