Honour Committee

Major international scientific congresses often assemble an honour committee — a group of high-profile public figures and institutional leaders who lend their name and support to an event without being involved in its day-to-day scientific or organizational work.

For a congress the scale of ICN, that kind of backing typically comes from a mix of national and regional government figures, university leadership, and local civic leaders in the host city. Their involvement is largely symbolic: it signals that an event has real institutional weight and local support, which matters for attracting international attendees, sponsors, and media attention.

An honour committee is distinct from the scientific and organizing committees, which handle the actual content and logistics of the congress. Where the organizing committee is choosing session topics and reviewing abstracts, an honour committee’s role is closer to that of patrons — visible supporters who help set the tone for how seriously an event should be taken.

For any given edition of ICN, the specific individuals who make up the honour committee change depending on the host country and city.